Jim got the answer, just to add take a looka at this taken from the help file

SYS(2011) - Current Lock Status
See Also
FLOCK( ) | LOCK( ) | RLOCK( ) | SYS( ) Functions Overview
Returns the record or table lock status for the current work area.

SYS(2011)
Return Values
Character

Remarks
Unlike the FLOCK( ), LOCK( ), and RLOCK( ) functions, SYS(2011) doesn't attempt to lock the table or record.

The character string returned by SYS(2011) is identical to the message displayed in the status bar (Exclusive, Record Unlocked, Record Locked ...).

SYS(2011) returns Exclusive only at the workstation that opened the table exclusively, and Record Locked only at the workstation that applied the record lock.




>I'm real sure I know the answer to this, but I hope I'm wrong.
>
>Is there any way to test a record to find out if it is NOT locked?
>....without locking the record as a result/consequence of the test...
>
>In the past I've always tested to see if I could get a lock... like this...
>

>IF RLOCK()
> *locked achieved
>ELSE
> *could not lock - implies that someone else has the record locked
>ENDIF
>

>But what I need is to know if someone else has the lock...
>I suppose I could do something like this...
>

>IF RLOCK()
> *locked achieved
> UNLOCK
>ELSE
> *could not lock - implies that someone else has the record locked
>ENDIF
>

>...but that seems wrong and if the timing is just so, could leave me with the same problem I'm tryin to address...
>
>

>The problem I'm trying to address is that I have a user who created a record
>(the record was created with an Append Blank)
>edited the record in one of my screens and clicked the OK button...
>The Code in the OK button failed on a GATHER statement with the message
>"Record is in use by another."
>

>How is that possible????
>And more importantly... What can I do about it????
>
>TIA,
>Rick Liebespach