> how can i display the autolabels (and not the fieldnames)
> in a form without opening or preparing the query.

I presume you mean that you want autolabel to display the value from
the FieldsDisplayLabel property of the query/connection before the
query is prepared.

As it works at the moment it will not do it. It reads the label from
the column and with IBO the column does not exist until the query is
prepared.

I guess it would be possible to read the value directly from the
FieldsDisplayLabel properties when the column is not available but its
not something I have time to look at right now.

How about just typing the required display value into the Caption
property of the autolabel. That will override the reading from the
FieldsDisplayLabel at all times - and should display even when the
query is not prepared.

HTH

Geoff Worboys
Telesis Computing