that did it.  thanks!

the thing is, i know how to get around this problem; but i want to know why it's happening in the first place. 

the variables for Month, Day, and Year...

thanks!  that's just it

SQL doesn't like the line:

SELECT SUM(*) as FINALVALUE

and the line :

select -1*count(*) as Count_E from E

returns the negative of the count of E

was that a typo?

this is the code so far.  i don't have any summing code to show you; because i can't seem to write any that works. 

i need to sum up the...

Okay, I did get the desired result using the Object Browser/ drag 'Columns' method.  Thank you.

Incidentally, though, I'd like to know why the code did not generate the desired result. ...

i put the table name in place of TableName in your code; but I'm getting an empty set when I run the code.  how else do i need to modify...

those are all good suggestions- the only problem is, i don't have any available funding to buy software. there must be soem way to do it from...

well the only way i'm up for doing this readjustment is if i can get SQL to automatically re-route the references of every column to the right of the insert,...

yes, almost completely, thanks; but i still would like to know how to assign the previously-described value to the variable, for various other reasons. can that be done?

also, in...

my code begins like this:

"

select top 6 * from tblMachineInfo

order by ID_Machine_Info desc

declare @@ID_Machine_Info char(4)

"

the result will be the records with the 6 highest values for the field ID_Machine_Info, a...

how do you turn on package logging? when i try to go view the log for a package, i get an empty pull-down list.

the package runs fine from the designer. the issue is definitely with the line

"dtsrun /SDHSBAYSQL05 /Udsperedelozzi /PMSMSDATA /NFull_Data_Import",

as the error specifically points to the "/", although which...

that seems to do the trick with the table test; but what about an ELSE statement? how does SQL know where the THEN part of the IF ends?

well, i am running it from the server. although xp_cmdshell gives me an error message that says that only administrators can run it.

the reason i'm trying to...