$ can indeed be used inside a SQL statement.
Please give a specific example where you've had errors using it.


David, I have bugs for all the tastes.

I have post it into a message #?????

CLEAR

CREATE CURSOR aaa ( id C(1),s1 C(1))
INSERT INTO aaa VALUES ('a','a')
INSERT INTO aaa VALUES ('b','b')

SYS(3054,11)
ON ERROR ? '>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>',MESSAGE()
* vfp TRY TO OPTIMIZE THESE, AND GO in a Iternal Error status
SELECT * FROM aaa t1,aaa t2 WHERE t1.id $ t2.s1 
SELECT * FROM aaa t1 JOIN aaa t2 ON t1.id $ t2.s1 
SELECT * FROM aaa t1 JOIN aaa t2 ON .T. WHERE t1.id $ t2.s1 

*  Not optimize Cartesian Product is ok

SELECT * FROM aaa t1 JOIN aaa t2 ON t2.s1 LIKE "%"+t1.id+"%"
SELECT * FROM aaa t1 JOIN aaa t2 ON AT(t1.id,t2.s1)>0

ON ERROR
SYS(3054,0)

David, your comment on the macro is mistaken,
if the select duration is more than 50ms,
then one literal string is faster than a variable one,
and therefore the overload of the substitution of macro it is repay.

But i have found a problem with binary strings, then macro substitution have restriction.