>The first question is: When an object is created, does VFP actually load it into memory or does it just load references into memory?

I'm not sure I understand you're question. When object is created, VFP allocates memory for that object. The amount of memory depends on the class instantiated to create the object. The variable (or object property) that receives the result of CreateObject() keeps only a reference to the object. But the object must be somewhere in the memory (in not in the memory, where can it be?).

>Second, when a nonvisible object is a descendant of another nonvisual object what gets loaded into memory when the descendant is insubstantiated?

What do you understand by "descendant"? Class B derived from class A and the object is instantiated from B or class A has a member of class B type and you're talink about this B member?

1. B derived from A: B is instantiated. You'll have a B object in the memory.
2. A owns a B: A is instantiated. You'll have an A in the memory. If the B is created during initialization of A, you'll also have a B in the memory. If B is instantiated later, a B exists in the memory only after it is created (obvious).

I don't believe that having nonvisual objects makes any difference regarding the amount of memory used vs. having visual objects. But I may be wrong.

Vlad