Thanks for the tip on SET STATISTICS PROFILE ON, I'd given up on thinking that you could get the execution plan back in text from Query Analyzer when the SQL was actually executing - I though it would only show the estimated plan if you wanted a text based Execution Plan this is going to help me a lot in my job.

Maybe, and I know I might be jumping ahead as you have other articals on the way, you could answer my other burning question.

When you SET STATISTICS TIME ON and run several SQL statement is the CPU time and Elapsed time a cumalative of all statements run in the batch or just the statement it is reporting back on - I've never been able to find a definitive answer and had kind of given up.

Thanks,

Andy