Hi Bruce,
I agree that the messagebox is the way to go if you want user input. However we have apps where 100 - 1000 records are being processed. Each individual record may take a half second or less, but in aggregate the user needs to know something is happening. A wait window with the nowait clause solves the problem nicely and takes a lot less overhead and programming than a thermometer.

The same is true on a form that takes a long time to load - perhaps because of many data files, movers being loaded, etc. Putting up wait windows to show the progress keeps the users happy. In one app where there is a potential for users locking each other out, we report the user that has the item locked and how many retries have been made.

Barbara

>Hopefully, you're using Visual Foxpro, so I won't sound idiotic here:
>
>First (and no offense meant to anyone), but I don't use Wait Windows any longer except in development occasionally. The Messagebox has generally replaced it as a Windows standard, and Wait Windows look a little odd-ball now, IMO. They are sort of an artifact of the early 90s.
>
>Second, if you need more control, and you're using (let's see, vfp5 or higher, I believe), you can create your own form with no titlebar, etc. Then you can control everything completely - like Font, position on screen..you can automate them to time-out, etc...I think there may be one or two classes here that do this, perhaps someone can jump in on the details.
>
>Generally, though, when pinned-down concretely, most tasks of Wait Windows can either go to a normal Messagebox, or displayed on the Statusbar. Very standard, the techniques you see in almost all apps done with any development tool now.