>>And don't define CR, use local variable instead... Learned recently this from George Tasker...
>
>Thats a pretty definitive statement with barely anything to support it. Why use a variable? Can a variable be defined in one place and referenced many applications thousands of times? If its #DEFINEd in a Header file it can be, and guess what, the value of a CHR(13) is constant, there's really no reason to make it a variable. The only time it might cause a problem is when its used millions of times in a loop, the function call might add a wee bit of over head. Hardly the case in what Mike posted.

Mike,

Let me clarify this (since my name is involved again) once and for all.

Do I believe in optimizing my code from the beginning?

Yes

Do I believe that fastest isn't always best?

Yes

These two statments may seem to be in conflict, but they really aren't.

It is, as far as how I approach things, always best to optimize the code from the beginning. This does not mean, however, that I always use the fastest technique. An example of this is a FOR...NEXT iteration struction versus a DO WHILE...

As a programmer, I am constantly required to evaluate the problem and come up with a solution. In many cases, I may have something already in the "toolbox". This doesn't mean, however, that I blindly implete the existing solution. Rather, it means that I examine it and, if necessary, modify it in such a manner as to not break existing programming. Furhter, the module must be proved in order to assume that any modifications work as intended.

Is using #DEFINE with a function slower than otherwise?

Yes.

Does this mean we should never use it?

No! It simple means that we should evaluate the context and respond as necessary.