I am not able to get programming to work in Retrieve Spec on any form in an application.  Here is a simple example of what I am using to test with right now
{ @left(ZipCode,1) = "2" }
When I do that I get no records located.  The progress bar glashes, but no records come back.  If I enter "2.." I get the records back where the zip code starts with "2", like I expected to do.  I get the same results on many forms in the same application.  But if I paste that search formula into the Samples Custmers it works good.  It works good in Q&A.  This started with more complex programming that worked in Q&A but not in this application.  So I have narrowed it down to a simple Zip Code test that does not work.  The Zip code is a text type element.

So what can be stopping any records from being returned? And what stops it on all forms, not just one?   I have checked the programming for Form Entry and On Retrieve Spec and Form Exit but see nothing that would stop this from working.  This is using Sesame 1.1.4 on XP Pro SP2.

Carl's point is a good one.

That is one reason I use naming conventions that make sure my field names and element names are never the same.  It makes it much easier to see what you are doing.  My field names have a prefix indicating the data type, my element names use InitialCap format with no spaces, labels are for the end user.

In your example I would have the field named txtZipCode, the element named ZipCode and the label would be Zip Code.  And your programming statement would be { @LEFT(txtZipCode,1) = "2" }