> Utter bunkum. A transaction *has* to be started in order to pass a
> request, e.g. to open a dataset (which needs a SELECT statement).
>

you start a transaction implicitly by opening a dataset. You start it
explicitly by first starting it then opening the dataset.

the problem I have now solved has everything to do with this disparate way
IBO handles these two kinds of transaction starts and which boolean test you
use of the three:
IB_Transaction1.TransactionIsActive
IB_Transaction1.Started, or
IB_Transaction1.InTransaction
in order to test and refresh this implicit or explicit transaction.

The timeout props behave quite differently with an implicit transaction
start as opposed to an explicit start.

But since all I get from you, Helen, is insult and aggression, I'll save the
full story for someone who might be more pleasantly interested.
Alan