>>Now since VFP uses a different alias during the SQL select, we have a way to tell it the alias we want. Since I don't have your data and don't have the time to reconstruct the case - how about trying this:
>>

SELECT claims.claimno,ln.startdate,claimnt.lname,;
>>statute.statgrp_id,ln.link_id  FROM claims;
>>left JOIN links ln ON claims.claim_id=ln.parent_id;
>>left JOIN claimnt ON ln.child_id=claimnt.claimnt_id;
>>left JOIN statute ON ln.statute_id=statute.statute_id;
>>where ln.ltype="CLCT" AND claims.claim_id=49142 ;
>>AND NOT DELETED("ln")
>>

>>
>>Who knows, may work, and may be a way to use VFP functions which use aliases.
>
>I know that it's not going to work because you cannot control what alias a table will be open by VFP in SQL SELECT.

Right, the internal alias is only at the syntax level - it's not really opening anything under such an alias. I managed to cook up an example meanwhile, and it responds with "alias not found".