Thanks for driving this nail! The nuances of VFP-VBA are always intresting. It would be neat to be able to predict which COM properties required an inderect (or full heritage) reference.

I've also noticed this with Word.

>>I've noticed this also with Excel COM - some properties require all their ancestors...
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>Yes, but in this case the entire list of ancestors:
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>chart.Axis(2).Step = 1
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>fails, except when I put that line outside the original prg.
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>>...But it is [very] interesting that "STORE" overcame the necessity for a family reunion. Very interesting - wunder why?
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>Obviously, the value assignment using indirect reference
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>STORE 1 TO ('.Step')
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>forces an evaluate which gets around the problem, although direct reference of the property
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>STORE 1 TO .Step
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>fails with Syntax Error just like the first example above.
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>Note that indirect reference to the property only works on the right side of a value assignment (STORE TO syntax) but not on the left:
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>('.Step') = 1  && does not work
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