>Hi,
>
>I can find very little discussion about using Currency data type field when designing table structure in all my VFP books.
>
>VFP9 help's tip says: "For precise financial calculations, use the Currency data type instead of Numeric. "
>But I know currency data is always calculated with 4 decimal places... and that can cause calculation like $1000 * (1/3) to end up inaccurately...
>
>So, what are the pros and cons of using currency data type? What should I consider when choosing between numeric and currency data type?

With currency, you get absolute precision when you add or subtract - no rounding error in the last digit, due to internal data conversion issues.

Personally I like to use currency in tables, not only for money, but also for quantities in stock (assuming you don't need more than 4 digits).

Please note that in most calculations, if one of the operators is currency, the entire result is converted to currency. Precision may be lost, if you need more than 4 decimals - or if you expect 1 / 3 * 3 to be 1, for example (try: ? $1 / 3 * 3). Sometimes you have to analyze step by step what calculations are being done. You can convert currency to "normal" numbers and back, with mton() and ntom().