CompuServe Messages

Hi, Angus– I used 3 letters in my abbreviations because the text database does not have built-in field definitions, and I wanted it readable in a word processor as long as it was text. Also, 3 letters is enough so one will not confuse the xtal-system field with the luster field while naming fields, a problem only for a text database. But as a database in Xbase (DBF) form, of course I agree with shrinking what is stored for many of these fields down to one byte, especially if the Xbase file can itself contain lookup tables for displaying that one character as a whole word in reports. Can it? At least that can be done with a particular program, say your Mineral Key. I look forward to seeing that. Is the database Lanny describes enough to keep Mineral Key happy, with maybe a few fiddles such as we have discussed? How does this "parent-child" relationship for the colors field compare with using a memo field for that purpose? –Doug