>Jasper,
>
>The difference is whether routines called from the one creating the variable can manipulate the variable. Unlike what others have said, there IS a variable scope of Private and it is different from Local. The PRIVATE command does NOT create variables, however a variable created by assigning it a value will have the Private scope. For example;
>
>

>LOCAL LocalVar
>LocalVar = "ABC"
>PrivateVar = "ABC"
>
>DO Level2
>
>? Level2LocalVar && Error Variable does not exist because it was local to Level2
>RETURN
>
>PROCEDURE Level2
>LOCAL Level2LocalVar
>Level2LocalVar = "XYZ"
>
>? LocalVar && Error Variable does not exist
>? PrivateVar && No error and value displays
>
>RETURN
>

'Unlike what others have said..' ? Am I missing something ?
Cetin