As a workaround, if there is no better way, you can do:

CREATE CURSOR crs_at3_temp (fname c(1))
USE dbf('crs_at3_temp') AGAIN IN 3 ALIAS crs_at3
USE IN SELECT('crs_at3_temp')

>Hi All!
>
>I was wondering something... If I select a work area and open a table, the table is opened in that work area (duh)...
>
>
>
>USE TABLENAME.DBF
>? SELECT("tablename")
>
>
>returns a 3
>
>But if I do the following with a cursor ....
>
>

>SELECT 3
>CREATE CURSOR crs_at3 (fname c(1))
>? SELECT("crs_at3")
>

>
>...it opens it in work area 1.(i.e. the next available work area).
>
>I KNOW that the above is not good coding but this is a legacy app and I can't go back and change it. Is there a way to FORCE a cursor to open in a particular work area??
>
>Thanks for any ideas!!!