>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>>How would you write a code to call a URL from the VFP application? As if a user clicked on this URL. Specifically, I want to create a small PRG to call a URL every 1 or 2 minutes? Basically a FOR loop and then call this URL?
>>>>>
>>>>>How would you do it?
>>>>>
>>>>>TIA
>>>>
>>>>If you just want to retrieve the contents of a URL then I suggest getting a quality comms library. I use Chilkat from https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ - they have a great, feature rich libary and great support. Excecllent help documentation complete with VFP examples that you can just copy/paste in to your own apps. Can try before buying too.
>>>
>>>No, I don't want to retrieve a content of a URL. Here is an example. Suppose I want to call the URL "www.msn.com" from a VFP 9 code. Here is a pseudo code:
>>>

>>>cUrl = "www.msn.com"
>>>for i = 1 to 100
>>>      *--  Call the cUrl as if a browser is opened and the cURL is entered. This is what I don't know how to do.
>>>      wait(20)
>>>next
>>>

>>
>>To open a URL with the default browser you need to first find out the associated browser (exe) on the users machine which is used for URLs. To do that I use the ShellExecute () function in the Windows API. To declare that function in VFP:
>>
>>

>>  *
>>  *    ShellExecute    -    SHELL EXECUTE FUNCTION IN SHELL32
>>  *
>>  *                         Copied (and adapted) from the UniversalThread (FAQ#190, by Gérald Santerre)
>>  *                         According to the author, opens an HTML document or mail.
>>  *                         Actually helps to open *any* document with its default association.
>>  *
>>  * nShowWindow = ...
>>  *
>>  * 0 Hides the window and passes activation to another window.
>>  * 1 Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position (same as 9).
>>  * 2 Activates a window and displays it as an icon.
>>  * 3 Activates a window and displays it as a maximized window.
>>  * 4 Displays a window in its most recent size and position. The window that is currently active remains active.
>>  * 5 Activates a window and displays it in its current size and position.
>>  * 6 Minimizes the specified window and activates the top-level window in the system's list.
>>  * 7 Displays a window as an icon. The currently active window remains active.
>>  * 8 Displays a window in its current state. The window that is currently active remains active.
>>  * 9 Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position (same as 1).
>>  *
>>
>>   DECLARE INTEGER ShellExecute IN SHELL32.DLL ;
>>    INTEGER nWinHandle , ;
>>    STRING cOperation  , ;
>>    STRING cFileName   , ;
>>    STRING cParameters , ;
>>    STRING cDirectory  , ;
>>    INTEGER nShowWindow
>>
>>

>>
>>Then to call it you simple use:
>>
>>

>>SHELLEXECUTE( 0, "Open", "https://duckduckgo.com", "", "", 1 )  &&  Enter whatever URL as appropriate
>>

>
>Your code works; thank you again.
>
>One follow-up question. Do you know if it is possible that SHELLEXECUTE open the page in the same tab? That is, when I run the above code in a FOR loop, it opens a new tab on every SHELLEXECUTE. I use Chrome as a default browser. Is this a function of Chrome or something I can do in the VFP code?
>
>UPDATE. Or maybe there is a code to close the tab and then the next SHELLEXECUTE will open a tab. Therefore, you won't have many tabs open. Would this work?

I am not sure. FireFox also opens a new tab. I think this is a browser setting and perhaps check the options for "opening new links" etc. You could also program to close the browser app between calls. i.e. Open browser, load url, close browser.