>>>I have a moment of brain shortage, right now I can't see the forest for all the trees. Is it possible from within an object to know what is the name it's instantiated as? Given this code
>>>
>>>

>>>loCountries = NewObject('SqlTable','SQL.vcx')

>>>
>>>In this case I want the class SqlTable to understand that it's instantiated as loCountries. I am building a rather complicated generic class to work with SQL tables. My idea is that if I call the object for instance loCountries, my class can be smart enough to know that I want it to connect to the SQL table called Countries.
>>
>>You can use AINSTANCE, but not in Init, you should call dedicated method.
>>after the Init of the class.
>>

>>CLEAR
>>test = CREATEOBJECT([TestMe])
>>test.CheckInstance()
>>
>>DEFINE CLASS TestMe AS Custom
>>
>>
>>
>>  PROCEDURE Init
>>****        this.CheckInstance()
>>  ENDPROC 
>>  
>>  PROCEDURE CheckInstance
>>      AINSTANCE(aVars,[TestMe])
>>      DISPLAY MEMORY  LIKE aVars
>>  ENDPROC 
>>  
>>  
>>ENDDEFINE
>>

>
>No luck, the array is empty.

Probably doesn't see its own variable. You need to run ainstance() from outside the object.

Still, what you want won't work the way you want it, because while your object is instantiated the assignment still doesn't take place. Only after its .init() has returned .t. a reference to it is returned and then assigned to a variable.

You may try some kind of factory approach... say you want your table objects to be properties of your master object - then you can

this.addTable("countries")

procedure addTable(tcAlias)
loObj= NewObject('SqlTable','SQL.vcx',"", tcAlias)
this.addproperty("o"+tcAlias, loObj)

and then your master object would have an object property .oCountries; likewise, you can add these objects to a collection, array or assign them to variables, but some of these ways would require macros.