It really matters because in certain situations VFP rebuilds grid columns. So all you property settings and code inside of grid (for columns and controls in columns) disappear and set to default values.
It rebuilds columns:
When ColumnCount set to 0 or -1 any time
When RecordSource alias closed or requeried by SELECT command
When RecordSource changed without 'Grid.RecordSource = "" ' assignment before change.

To check this in run-time, go to locals window in debugger, find your form name, find your grid control in the objects tree and look to column properties.

>No the column count is never set to 0. Does it matter if the column has a control source? The grid's record source is a cursor, the first column of that cursor is the numberic column.
>
>Jim
>
>>Hi Jim,
>>
>>PMFJI. As Vlad has said, 'Z' will work. You only need to set the Column's format property. As for why you are not getting the result. Do you at anytime set the columncount to 0? This was the only way I could NOT get what Vlad has explained to work.
>>
>>HTH
>>Mike