>a table must be open in the currently selected work space or the relation cannot be set. which table is in the active work space?

Yes, of course you're right about that. I realized after my reply that I'd been staring at my computer screen too long (I am literally starting to see spots or more accurately little lightning bolts in my peripheral vision). Anyway, the table which was selected when you asked the question was the cfjobtyp table. Then I thought, ok, I'll try selecting the cfpeople table instead, but got the same result. Nonetheless, I thought when you used the IN parameter, it didn't matter which workarea you're currently in.

I don't know if this will help, but when I got the error the last time I went to the command window and looked at my data session and in the "Relations" side saw that "Cfjobtyp" is listed first 2) is "Cfpeople", 3) cfdistri 4) cfaddress (2,3,4 seem to all be dropping out of cfjobtyp, and last is States (linked to cfaddress). I perplexed by cfjobtyp being first in that group. The pecking order would seem to suggest it's the main table, almost as though I've got the relationship backwards. But it's the same kind of deal as a state table where you link a state code in an address table with the state code in a states table.

The lightning bolts are now big...