The '@' sign tells T-SQL's parser that it's dealing with a variable, as opposed to a keyword/table name/column name/whatever else. Two of them in a row tells the parser that it's dealing with a system-provided variable (like @@ROWCOUNT, @@IDENTITY, and so forth).

>Aha. I feel much wiser now, thank you <g>
>
>Nope, no triggers or formulas—I just did the GetDate() thing, though, with no problems. I appreciate it.
>
>BTW, what's all this '@' stuff about, anyway? What does an '@' do? I'm looking at the docs for @local_variable, but it's going way over my head...
>
>
>
>>Hi Jeff,
>>
>>You're right, it *is* easy. (bg)
>>
>>I just went into a table with several DateTime columns, and entered
>>
>>getdate()
>>
>>into the Default Value section of the Table Designer for three of them. SQL Server saved the table just fine (albeit placing an extra set of parentheses around what I typed).
>>
>>Could you possibly have a trigger or a formula specified for the column in question?
>>
>>
>>>This is easy in FoxPro, of course, so I'm thinking it must be just as easy in MS-SQL, and that I only need to find out the right syntax.
>>>
>>>I've created a DateTime field, and I want it to automatically populate with the current system date & time when a record is added.
>>>
>>>Trouble is, whenever I try to enter anything—anything at all—into the Default Value field in Table Designer, I get an error: "Error validating the default for column 'tPaymentReceivedDate'."
>>>
>>>What's an overworked genius to do?
>>>
>>>TIA,
>>>Jeff