>of course it is missing a few fields. My question is if i just copy the new table would it mess up the DBC or should i have a routine to use alter table?
>
>If im using alter table what is the best way to check to see if the fields exist??

You could use Alter Table to modify instead of copying a new table if you know the existing table may already have records you don't want to lose. It will also preserve integrity of DBC.

To check for missing fields you could do:

Use MyTable Exclusive
If Fsize("MyField") = 0
   Alter Table MyTable Add Column MyField C(10)
Endif