>I want to create a simple test VFP prg that can be called from outside VFP - to receive parameters of an input file, an SQL command and then return the output. I guess Im talking about an 'automation server' or creating a .DLL / COM file. Is there a dead simple example of this to make a start - e.g. defining a class using OLEPUBLIC etc? Thank you.

Check out http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnfoxgen7/html/vfpandcom.asp

There is a lot of info on COM in that article and it starts with the simple example.