STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2009
Stock-Based Compensation
Total compensation cost for stock-based awards	$ 8,533	$ 6,442	$ 4,116
Tax benefit realized for tax deductions from stock-based awards	4,469	4,933	8,490
Common stock available for future grants (in shares)	2,498,262
Stock Option Awards
Stock-Based Compensation
Total compensation cost for stock-based awards	4,654	4,117	3,531
Frequency of grants	On an annual basis in the first quarter of the company's fiscal year
Portion of stock-based award that generally vest per year for employees and non-employee directors	one-third
Award vesting period (in years)	3Y
Term of award (in years)	ten years
Stock option awards
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)	2,093,234
Granted (in shares)	235,739
Exercised (in shares)	(425,557)
Cancelled (in shares)	(21,724)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	1,881,692	2,093,234
Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	1,283,862
Stock options, weighted-average exercise price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 37.91
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 62.89
Exercised (in dollars per share)	$ 33.27
Cancelled (in dollars per share)	$ 60.13
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 41.83	$ 37.91
Exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 39.78
Stock options, weighted-average contractual life (in years)
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in years)	5.4
Outstanding at the end of the period (in years)	5.6	5.4
Exercisable at the end of the period (in years)	4.4
Aggregate intrinsic value
Outstanding at the beginning of the period	39,461
Outstanding at the end of the period	25,117	39,461
Exercisable at the end of the period	18,543
Other stock-based compensation plan disclosures
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards	1,595
Weighted-average period for recognition of compensation cost related to unvested awards (in years)	1.8
Total market value, intrinsic value and fair value of stock options exercised and vested
Market value of stock options exercised	25,592	24,588	31,774
Intrinsic value of options exercised	11,434	8,198	18,394
Valuation assumptions of stock-based compensation
Expected life of option (in years)	6	6	6
Expected volatility, low end of range (as a percent)	33.34%	33.00%
Expected volatility, high end of range (as a percent)	33.43%	33.10%
Expected volatility (as a percent)			30.60%
Weighted-average volatility (as a percent)	33.42%	33.00%	30.60%
Risk-free interest rate, low end of range (as a percent)	1.72%	2.51%	2.26%
Risk-free interest rate, high end of range (as a percent)	2.36%	2.87%	3.16%
Expected dividend yield, low end of range (as a percent)	1.04%	1.52%	1.53%
Expected dividend yield, high end of range (as a percent)	1.16%	1.68%	1.81%
Weighted-average dividend yield (as a percent)	1.05%	1.54%	1.79%
Grant date weighted-average fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 20.30	$ 12.33	$ 7.93
Restricted Stock Awards
Stock-Based Compensation
Total compensation cost for stock-based awards	699	68	4
Award vesting period (in years)	3Y
Other stock-based compensation plan disclosures
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards	1,947
Weighted-average period for recognition of compensation cost related to unvested awards (in years)	2.6
Performance Share Awards
Stock-Based Compensation
Total compensation cost for stock-based awards	3,180	2,257	581
Other stock-based compensation plan disclosures
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards	$ 4,473
Weighted-average period for recognition of compensation cost related to unvested awards (in years)	1.7
Other option awards - key employees
Stock-Based Compensation
Award vesting period (in years)	three-year anniversary of the grant date
Term of award (in years)	ten years
Other option awards - non-employee directors
Stock-Based Compensation
Requisite service period for non-employee director based upon which fair value of options granted is expensed on the date of grant (in years)	10