nd create methods to invoke the various calls for you.

The DECLAREs will occur exactly once, when the object is instantiated from the class; if the object is scoped globally to the app (either added to a common VFP object like _SCREEN via ADDOBJECT(), or created as a PUBLIC variable, then you can simply check if the object exists and create it if it doesn't:

IF ! TYPE('_SCREEN.oMyZipObject')
   SET CLASSLIB TO <i>your zip classlib</i> ADDITIVE
   _SCREEN.AddObject('oMyZipObject',<i>your zip class name</i>)  
ENDIF

If the object exists, you invoke your methods just like any other VFP object; by putting it in _SCREEN, it's always addressible and visible.