Even if columnar databases have benefits in certain data situations, the SQLNotes structures which emulate a columnar database model are implemented in a relational model!  So there is always some basic relational overhead behind the columnar model overhead which itself is behind the user's notes data.

SQLNotes must run queries in the relational model first in order to set up the columnar structure in which the users' own data query can finally run!

Now I see that sometimes by double clicking (or pressing enter twice...) in a grid cell I can "pick" from a list of all the values previously entered in that column (er, "field").  That's close to what I'm looking for but I need the picklist to come from another (not the same) column!  Is that possible?

What does inheritance do?

I prowled around the sndb file a bit.  Clever use of queries and tables to abstract a system on top of the underlying Access data model.  Not clear on the benefit of doing things in such an indirect manner, though.  The SQLNotes schema just adds layers on top of what Access/Jet already does, layers that emulate the existing internal Access "MSys" schema, but with, ultimately, less performance (due to the nested querying required) when ¯fText (for instance) gets very large. 

Why not just use native Jet tables, creating new tables, fields, and views when you need them via parameter driven code that builds/executes the appropriate SQL statements. IMHO much more powerful/flexible, and with reduced query overhead, too! 

Anyway...  water under the bridge.

Thanks for everyone's patience with my posts. I understand SQLNotes much better now.