>>It is very easy to totally eliminate this potential problem forever, simply NEVER USE PUBLIC VARIABLES and this problem will NEVER happen.
>
>Would the problem still exist if the public variables were RELEASEd properly? Creating a public variable and not releasing it sounds like more of a bad programming practive than using a public variable.

Mike,

Here's my point;

Create a public var (you must release it or else trouble may occur)

Create a privbate var (it gets released when the routine ends and is global to everything called)

So, then, I ask why ever use a public as it only introduces a possible omission for you (forget to release it). A private in the start up program has all of the "benefits" of public and yet it does not have the one MAJOR drawback of outliving its creator.