>I'm overlooking something simple.
>
>I have a form which includes buttons to execute some medium length (2O TO 20 SECONDS processes.)
>
>I don't want to use :
>WAIT "PLEASE WAIT ..." WINDOW NOWAIT
>because it sometimes disappears before the process ends. So I tried using the define window/show window command.
>
>My processes (which include extensive references to _SCREEN.ACTIVEFORM immediately blow up -- because as soon as I do a "show window" the window I've defined becomes the active form. If I re-activate the form the window is hidden behind it. No doubt due to sheer stupidity, I cannot figure out how to display a window/form other than the current form while leaving the current form as the active one referenced by _SCREEN.ACTIVEFORM or THISFORM.
>
>If I have to I can programmatically create and destroy a label or an edit box -- but before I turn to this, there has got to be a way to do this with temporary windows. I mean people use temporary windows for progress thermometers all the time ...
>
>Thanks in advance for helping me overcome what has got to be some sort of mental block...

Jim's solution will easily get you fixed, but I might mention that you ran into this problem because of some shaky design in the first place. If your routine depends on the active form having certain PEMs, then maybe it should have a more solid reference to the form it is calling then _SCREEN.ActiveForm