Anthony,
>My preference is to not group them. But I'm worried something in the framework might bite me later if I continue like this.>
Security is one of the most compelling reasons to use the "combination" controls. It allows you to specify the security setting for both a control and its associated label. If you specify that a combination control is "no access", both the control and the label will not appear on the form.
Regards,
Kevin McNeish
Eight-Time .NET MVP
VFP and iOS Author, Speaker & Trainer
Oak Leaf Enterprises, Inc.
Chief Architect, MM Framework
http://www.oakleafsd.com