Bob

>I agree with Chris, I would try optimizing VFP before converting, try defining >classes in code, this is faster than using visual classes. Try simplifing your >screens and populate data as needed. If you still need better performance you >can preinstanciate forms at the start of the program and hide and show them >rather than instansiating and releasing them (This has worked for me, but >would not be my first choice)

Thanks for the reply.

The speed problem really boils down to how quickly the first (top-level) form appears. It's a fairly simple form with no page frames and doesn't use Views. It's a very nifty app that speeds up production and management of well formatted (ie as required by the Company) documents using MS Office. The User has to fill in a few details eg by selecting one or more contacts, document subject, signoff (for a letter), and a few fields for document management - and then s/he hits a button which loads the data into Word (for example) using the appropriate template and then leaves the User in Word to add the context-specific stuff.

Thus, as I see it, there is no point at which preinstantiation can really be of benefit - because the form is only instantiated once anyway.

Regards

Anna