>>Though I really want the compile to pick out those errors, it sometimes is a PITA.
>>Have you tried to write some office automation in .NET without knowing which office version the end user is using ??
>
>Walter,
>
>there is something that I would like to add to this :
>I would catagorize habbits like changing variable types througout code and using macro execution (&) under 'bad design'.

Sure, but that is not exactly what I'm trying to refer to. If in VFP I do a

oWord = CREATEOBJECT('Word.application')

Then it would execute fine no matter what office version you are using. You can now use the oWord variable to do your mailmerge without any difficulty as long as the code is correct and the methods, events and properties accessed do exist for that given office version. Now take your .NET and try to do the same and post your result up here.

I agree that variables should stay the same type throughout the application, but there is more to it. In VFP you can add optional variables of different types and check them at the beginning of your procedure. In.NET you'll use overloading. It is not the same thing and from a complexity POV (i've programmed in C/C++), I personally don't like it. I find it a clumsy way to keep the compiler happy rather than it helps me in my productivity.

Walter,






Of course there are always exceptions and maybe the office automation is one of them and in that case they are in the caterogy ('glad I have them'). Unfortunatly their usage is too often in the first ...