thanks for the reply, see the main problem was, during my quest to understand logic and flow control better, i didnt really know what term/s to search for. boolean...thats right, now i remember it from teh days of yore.

the links have been helpful, its just up to me as to what i do with them. one more thing, is it ok if i PM one of you when im stuck trying to understand a concept or code. id rather run to a single person after i cant find the answer whilst RTFM and dont want to waste space posting such a small easy to answer problem on the boards. thanks again guys!