>So, could someone give me some pointers about how I go about making an application object and what to do with it when I got one?
>
>Do I still do a "read events"? Where do I put it if I do?
>
>Basically, I need the steps to turn a collection of forms into a runnable application.
>
>Easy question, right?
>
>Thanks,
Michelle,

Easy question, Yes. Easy answer, no.

When you begin to talk about an application object being added to your design you are entering the realm of the application framework. Any application framework that is going to work is going to need to be designed to meet all the requirements you may throw at it. The framework to a VFP application is similar to the frame of a house. With the frame of a house you expect it to suppport all of the walls and the roof and everything else you decide to put in the house.

An application framework is the same. At the center of a framework is the "application" object. What that object is and what is does is fully dependent on the design of the framework. There are some designs that have the one object that has methods for launching forms, checking security, issuing the read events and clear events commands, etc. Other designs have multiple objects, an Application object basically is responsible to start the app and to create the other objects. These other objects may be a from manager, a menu manager, a data manager, etc.

All of the objects are designed and coded as class definitions from which the corresponding objects can be instantiated. The code all resides in the class definitions.

You can study the code in TasTrade (the sample application that ships with VFP) to get an idea of what is involved.

In short, there is more to doing what you are after than simply finding and using an application object. Your best bet would be to get one of the commercial frameworks and study it and use it.

The development of a framework can take many person months of work and that means no production work is getting done while the framework is fleshed out. The price of the commercial frameworks (around 400 dollars or so) is small potatoes when compared to the amount of work required to create your own, especially while you are learning what they are in the process.

Hope this helpful.