>I can very easily create a vfp executable, and run it from sql server using the xp_cmdshell stored procedure.
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>I am trying to write one which opens up a dde connection to another app which is always running in the backround (A zip+4 address verification program).
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>As a standalone exe, it works fine. When I call it from the xp_cmdshell in SQL, it hangs or won't connect to the other app. I've already made sure that no user dialog, wait windows, or messageboxs are present, and set the DDESETOPTION Safety to .f.
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>Any suggestions? Ultimately, I want to create a trigger on an sql data entry table which will call a foxpro exe on each insert to verify and correct the records as they are inserted. Data entry into the table will come from both a VFP application directly, and from forms on a web page.

Could you make this some sort of DLL (middle tier object) that both applications could access? Then you could actually verify the data before it gets into SQL.