Thanks Melanie.

Although I dont fully understand the info on the datasheet, it would appear that the setting that you suggest would efectivly turn off the comparators and allow port a to work as standard I/O, ie RA0- RA3. The data sheet show the CMCON command as having a binary value but the examlpe you have given is in decimal, or am I reading the datasheet wrong.
Also your suggestion on using the TRISA would this be to avoid a case of using a command that does not automaticly set the port to be an input or an output, therefore the port could be in the wrong state for the command?