>>Terry,
>>
>>I've been using meta-data for well over 15 years. Back then I developed a "shell". The shell had routines in it that virtually all applications used. There was a table of applications. When the user decided to switch applications, the system read from the applications table, and presented the user with a list box of them. This table had the default directory for the application, the application's file name, as well as, the display name.
>>
>>Each application had its own set of meta-data tables. There was one for the indexes, that allowed the user to re-build the index from scratch. There was another for reports that contained information about the SQL statement that would generate the report.
>>
>>How's that?
>
>That's good! It sounds more like GT's development framework. They used to be called librairies - I think!
>
>The meta - data I am thinking about are schema tags in an XML file. Thats where I got that hoky definition. But it fits - in your case too - "meta data is [indeed] data about data!":-)

Terry,

Really think about the concept. Do you have complicated if...then...else or case statements? Think how much easier things would be if you replaced them with a lookup table. How about the same string or number appearing over and over again? Use constants from a header file.