Thank you, I kind of see what you are doing..but in the table insert that requires the identity is like this

INSERT INTO dog_name

(

dog_ID --Identity from previous...

It amazes me that questions get asked, and yet no-one answers the questions. I would find so useful the example asked for here.

Leave the error checking aside, I too...

Yes true - table A is a table to hold the values to update the string with; joined on unique id.

Using sql 2000 so has to be T-sql. Thanks will...