sometimes I need a code snippet to WAIT(5) , perhaps for a modem ot connect, etc.

given that this may be in a non interactive situation, INKEY() isn't a good option. Creating a timer seems a rather complicated way to go, and since I care about system load, I don't want to use a do while loop.

Waybackwhen ( fox 2 ) , I would RUN a program to do this for me, but loading command.com in windows tends to mess up the display and steal keystrokes!

Any suggestions ?

thx in advance

mike