Jim,

First time I met OOP was with Turbo Pascal 5.5 back in 1989 or so. There we used to build apps using the program/units concept (it seems Delphi looks like that, I'm not sure). From then until now I try to balance objects and procedures/functions in prg files the best way I can. Don't use "one line only" classes (rather plain function calls) just to say I'm OOPing. I've seem methods in classes with just a single line of code containing a SET EXCLUSIVE OFF (perhaps the method was called SetExclusiveOff), that's too much for me.

When you say that "...the ability to have black box objects that perform functions and can be used in various places.", I agree with you, and we all use many black boxes, like API function call, Zip routines etc, but think there should be a balance and not discard any other approaches, just because classes are there, and not implement new features in common structured programming.

About black boxes I can say to you that if I have to use a black box (and I use them) I don't want to know (really) what is inside of it, but rather to have a reliable source for the black boxes I use. By reliable source I don't mean that the one that developed the black box isn't a competent developer or that doesn't master the subject in question, but that he/she will be there in the future if some problem arises with its usage or if there will be a new version of the black box upward compatible with new versions of the software I will be using, otherwise I'll be stuck with it. I can't afford to say to one of my clients that the app I supplied him doesn't works when they upgrade to a new OS version because some black box I'm using in that app isn't compatible with it!

I'm from the "reusable code" generation, from simple COBOL COPY libraries to DLLs. I'm not willing to reinvent the wheel. I'm used to work in teams and share resources.

My point here is that many classes I've seen are to workaround problems or lacks in VFP, and I can't understand why that's so.

>I have this philosophy that there is only so much room in my head for stuff and I want to dump off any stuff that isn't necessary to functioning to make room for the stuff that is necessary.

I agree with you, and have this philosophy too, because techniques and methodology are powerfull allies to the developer, many times better than power tools, IMO. Think that we have more technology available than we're able to use and sometimes we can get confused with it.

Fernando