you are missing the fact that the .inc file can be included in more than one .pas files and be compiled with different directives in different units, after all a unit is a pas file not the .inc which is "copied" (in lack of a better word) in each unit that uses it as is.
Yip ... as I said, I became fixated on
mysqlconn.inc and hence my status being moved from programmer to dumb ass ...
Tomorrow will be better ...