>The constant name is pretty obvious and I use it in a bunch of different places to validate user input. If I ever want to change the actual message string I change it in 1 place, I don't have to go searching through the code.

Roi, I completely agree and understand all of the reasons you put forth. My main objection is how difficult VFP makes it to work with include files.

To use the same message in prgs, vcxs, scxs, introduces a lot of places to lose the link to the constant, and in my erxperience, this happens all the time. I have spent hours trying to figure out why the hell VFP can't find the stupid include file.

My frustrations are old, however, and its entirely possible that if I gave constants another go, I would find a practical way to handle them... but I haven't yet.