Thanks, Jeff, for the complete treatment given to the script.

Thanks, too, to Paul for uncovering the treasure that is APPLY.

My only defense is "inherited code; wasn't broken so didn't fix it". I grabbed the newest split code (thanks) and looked at the code for implicit data type conversions. The usage of the split-string within the snippet posted takes a varchar and concatenates strings before comparison against a string, so there are no implicit conversions there.

The get permissions UDF is unchanged in my tenure apart from reformatting it from unreadable spaghetti. It's a msTVF that could probaby be rewritten as an iTVF using some CTEs and UNION ALL statements, but time doesn't permit that change just yet. Folks no longer with the Company said the underlying design needed complete overhaul and I can wait another day until it no longer supports the business - I have bigger fish to fry. The defensive "company > 0" was already there in case the UI sent garbage (outside my control); as I said, it ain't broke and under 2-second response to get all permissions for all users is acceptable by my Director.

BTW: Did you have a URL for the reference to the dates-between-harakiri, please? Wouldn't want to bump into misleading posts, as sometimes is the case. The term_date is defaulted to 9999-12-31 23:59:59 and if someone leaves a client company, we usually find out after the fact, so their term_date bereft of time is OK.

Thanks again for such an in-depth, meaty post on the posted scripts. If I get into performance issues (growth is just beginning in earnest), I'll be sure to post a new thread per your directive.