>Nick,
>
>I'll give your suggestions a try.
>
>Thanks!
>Malcolm
>

Out of curiosity I tried some Yahoo Messenger EXEs but got "No such interface supported". I think you might try first with MSN Messenger - that one should be easy to handle.

oMessenger = CREATEOBJECT("messenger.messengerapp.1")

Here is the interface it exposes (got from VFP 7 Object browser):

x=NEWOBJECT("myclass")

DEFINE CLASS myclass AS session OLEPUBLIC

	IMPLEMENTS IMessengerApp IN "Messenger.MessengerApp"

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Application() AS VARIANT;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns the application automation object."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Parent() AS VARIANT;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns the automation object of the container/parent if one exists or this automation object."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_Quit() AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Exits application."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Name() AS STRING;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns name of the application."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_FullName() AS STRING;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns file specification of the application, including path."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Path() AS STRING;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns the path to the application."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_LaunchLogonUI() AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates Logon dialog."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_LaunchOptionsUI(MOPTDLGPAGE AS VARIANT) AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates Options dialog."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_LaunchAddContactUI(bstrEMail AS STRING) AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates Add Contact dialog."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_LaunchFindContactUI(bstrFirstName AS STRING, bstrLastName AS STRING, vbstrCity AS VARIANT, vbstrState AS VARIANT, vbstrCountry AS VARIANT) AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates Find Contact Dialog."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_LaunchIMUI(vUser AS VARIANT) AS VARIANT;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates IM Window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_IMWindows() AS VARIANT;
 				HELPSTRING "Collection of current IM Windows."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_ToolBar() AS LOGICAL;
 				HELPSTRING "ToolBar visibility."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_ToolBar(eValue AS LOGICAL @);
 				HELPSTRING "ToolBar visibility."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_StatusBar() AS LOGICAL;
 				HELPSTRING "StatusBar visibility."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_StatusBar(eValue AS LOGICAL @);
 				HELPSTRING "StatusBar visibility."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_StatusText() AS STRING;
 				HELPSTRING "Text of StatusBar."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_StatusText(eValue AS STRING @);
 				HELPSTRING "Text of StatusBar."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_HWND() AS Number;
 				HELPSTRING "Returns the Handle of the Application window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Left() AS Number;
 				HELPSTRING "The horizontal position (pixels) of the Application window relative to the screen."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_Left(eValue AS Number @);
 				HELPSTRING "The horizontal position (pixels) of the Application window relative to the screen."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Top() AS Number;
 				HELPSTRING "The vertical position (pixels) of the Application window relative to the screen."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_Top(eValue AS Number @);
 				HELPSTRING "The vertical position (pixels) of the Application window relative to the screen."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Width() AS Number;
 				HELPSTRING "The horizontal dimension (pixels) of the Application window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_Width(eValue AS Number @);
 				HELPSTRING "The horizontal dimension (pixels) of the Application window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Height() AS Number;
 				HELPSTRING "The vertical dimension (pixels) of the Application window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_Height(eValue AS Number @);
 				HELPSTRING "The vertical dimension (pixels) of the Application window."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_get_Visible() AS LOGICAL;
 				HELPSTRING "Visibility of the application."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_Visible(eValue AS LOGICAL @);
 				HELPSTRING "Visibility of the application."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_AutoLogon() AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Initiates a Logon without UI if connected to the network and user saved the password."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_FirstTimeCredentials(bstrUser AS STRING, bstrPassword AS STRING, pService AS VARIANTeValue AS Number @);
 				HELPSTRING "Sets credentials and overrides the first time wizard."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_put_CachedPassword(bstrUser AS STRING, bstrPassword AS STRING, pService AS VARIANTeValue AS LOGICAL @);
 				HELPSTRING "Changes the cached password if the given user name matches the cached user name."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE IMessengerApp_RequestURLPost(muType AS VARIANT, vbstrAdditionalInfo AS VARIANT) AS VOID;
 				HELPSTRING "Requests the post script for this type of URL."
	* add user code here
	ENDPROC

ENDDEFINE