Good Morning Bill,

OK, you've given me hope and I hope that's a good thing! I guess where I get hung up is at the beginning of the whole ODBC concept as it relates to tables that aren't MINE...(from the VFP help file, with my notes)

ConnectionName
Specifies the name of the connection to create. (anything I want to call it, right?)

?
Displays the Connection Designer from which you can create and save a connection. (If you don't do this with code)

DATASOURCE cDataSourceName
Specifies the name of the ODBC data source for the connection. (name of the table I want to use?)

ID cUserID
Specifies your user identification for the ODBC data source. (HERE is where I get lost...where to I get this??? I've made pleas to DBA, customer and tech support. I assume they're not too interested in our problem as I've received no response.)

PASSWORD cPassWord
Specifies your password for the ODBC data source. (And ALSO this?)

DATABASE cDatabaseName
Specifies a database on the server to which the connection is made. (Database the table resides in?)

CONNSTRING cConnectionString
Specifies a connection string for the ODBC data source. The connection string can be used instead of explicitly including the ODBC data source, the user identification, and the password. (Instead of supplying the above information, call upon an existing connection string?

Because I'm using someone else's files, I don't know how I can get access to them (user id and password). Am I overthinking this or trying to make it too simple? Do you know what I mean?

Thanks for all your help. I was about to give up on this, but have since decided this is well worth learning.

Martha :)