I would take a different approach. Create a service that monitors the folder for a file. There is a VFP Solution Sample that shows how to hook into Windows Events and watch for the file to be added to the folder. That way, the application is always available, but sits idle until the event fires.

>I need to process an XML file(s) sent by an external application. I can make the external application drop the XML files in a folder and have a VFP with a timer to pick up these files. Or I can make the external program to automatically run a VFP application and pass it the name of the XML. The latter approach has advantage over the timer program: the timer program could crash and need to be restarted.