> One of the major problem is how to do the data entry screen in method A.
> Please keep in mind that we're using data aware controls in Delphi, so
> although mucking around with non-data aware controls can achieve the
> desired results, it's quite tedious.

I probably have not read carefully enough the start of this thread, but ...
If you do the formatting - inserting thousand separators - on the server
(udf or sp), and populate with it data aware controls, how can you edit
such values ? (since numbers with thousand separator are not accepted
by sql). You need to convert it from users-preferred form (with separators)
back to sql-standard form (without separators) on the client anyway. Or not ?

> Providing two edit boxes will also
> confuse users.

Place them on the exactly the same location, and make visible
only one of them based on checkbox.

Ivan