Try

loObj = EVAL("thisform." + lclabelname)
WITH loObj 
  .top = lnRow+lnTopMargin
  .left = lnColumn
  .Caption = "MyLabel"
ENDWITH

>I know that name expressions and evaluate() executes more quickly than macro substitition. I have seen other posts, faqs on the difference, so I understand ROUGHLy what the issues are. I know that for example that I can use evaluate and name expression when vfp is expecting a name such as mytable or mytable.myfield, and that I can't use it when referencing a portion of a command.
>
>But I don't know where the following scenario fits in, or how to optimize it.
>
>I often read in values from a table to add objects to a form on the fly, with code like this:
>
>
>lclabelname='l3elbl' + alltrim(curicdltplt.cattribid)
>thisform.addobject(lclabelname, 'l3elbl')
>thisform.&lclabelname..top=lnRow+lnTopMargin
>thisform.&lclabelname..left=lnColumn
>
>Not only am I using macro substitution, but I am repeating it multiple times.
>
>I tried:
>thisform.(lclabelname).top=lnRow+lnTopMargin
>but I get a syntax error
>
>I tried
>thisform.evaluate(lclabelname).top=lnRow+lnTopMargin
>but I consistently get a c5 error.
>
>As I I'm writing here I realize that I can write:
>
>oNewreference= thisform.&lclabelname
>oNewreference.top=lnRow
>
>and then I only have to do the macro substitution once.
>
>
>But how can I get rid of it entirely? How can this code be optimized/improved?
>
>TIA