| **Navigation:**  [[introduction.htm|Language Reference]] >User-Defined Properties | [[embedded sql.htm|{{btn_prev_n.gif|Previous page}}]][[introduction.htm|{{btn_home_n.gif|Return to chapter overview}}]][[error codes.htm|{{btn_next_n.gif|Next page}}]] | | || A user-defined property allows you to associate a string  value with any entity's standard properties, for example: built-in variables (SYSTEM, PRINTER, TARGET), WINDOWs, REPORTs, controls, bands, etc. The syntax of user-defined properties is the same as for standard properties but string (constant or expression) is used to identify the property rather than property number: [target $] object {property-name [, index]} The name of the user-defined property is case insensitive. It cannot be equal to the name of any standard PROP:* property with or without "PROP:" prefix. The name also can't begin with Numeric digits. For OLE controls names of user-defined properties cannot be equal to any of the OLE/OCX's own internal properties. If the index is missing or equal to 0, it is treated as 1. Example: CODE SYSTEM {'User-Name'} = 'Frank Sinatra'                            !Set the name of the current user MESSAGE('the current user is: ' & SYSTEM{'User-Name'})        ! The MESSAGE displays the text 'Frank Sinatra'