>I need to run pkzip25 from VFP 5.0a.
>When I try to do it with a pif, it errors out (maybe I am doing it wrong). When I use ! /N, I don't know when it is completed. What can I do? Thanks.
>

You might try using my API_APPRUN class, available in the File Section here on UT. It has a LaunchAppAndWait method, which will cause VFP to wait until the launched program completes, or you can use the LaunchApp method and then poll the completion code for the launched app using the CheckProcessExitCode method, which picks up the termination code from the launched app (the app has finished running when CheckProcessExitCode returns a value other than 259). It also can run PKZIP hidden or minimized, with no ugly DOS box visible.

A number of people have used it with PKZIP in the past without problems, so I know it works. Assuming that you've got PKZIP somewhere in the windows search path, the following command would create a ZIP file named EXAMPLE.ZIP in the current working directory from the files in another directory C:\ZIPThese, with PKZIP running minimized (it'll show up on the task bar, but not pop a DOS box in the middle of the screen):

SET CLASSLIB TO Process
oZipCmd = CREATEOBJ('API_APPRUN','PKZIP EXAMPLE C:\ZIPThese\*.*',,'MIN')
oZipCmd.LaunchAppAndWait
? 'PKZIP terminated with an exit code of ',oZipCmd.CheckProcessExitCode
oZipCmd=''

You may have to flag PKZIP to close on exit; this is done by going into Explorer, right-clicking on PKZIP.EXE, selecting the Properties option from the pop-up menu, and checking the Close on Exit checkbox under the Program tab.

Good luck!