[reaction: see text] Three pairs of primary-secondary diol acceptors have been exposed to armed, disarmed, and n-pentenyl ortho ester glycosyl donors in glycosidation reactions. It is shown that the regioselectivity of those glycosylations is greatly influenced by the armed, disarmed, or ortho ester nature of the glycosyl donors. The selectivities observed have been used to devise efficient in situ three-component glycosylations involving two donors and one acceptor.