function showProg(cMode)
   // uses data from the current work area
   do case
      case cMode="Open"
         // create a progress message form and attach it to a public
         //  variable which will keep it alive after the function call ends
         public w; w = new Progform()
         w.total = ltrim(str(reccount()))
         w.Count = 0
         w.open()
      case cMode="Close"
         // close the form and release the public variable
         w.close()
         release w 
      otherwise
         w.count += 1
         w.Msg.Text = "Record Count: "+ltrim(str(w.count))+" of "+w.total
         _app.executeMessages()  && ensure text update (probably overkill)
   endcase      
   return
   
class ProgForm of FORM
   with (this)
      metric = 6	// Pixels
      text = "Progress"
      autoSize = true
      autoCenter = true
   endwith
   this.MSG = new TEXTLABEL(this)
   with (this.MSG)
      height = 24.0
      left = 0.0
      top = 0.0
      width = 280.0
      text = ""
      borderStyle = 4	// Single
      alignVertical = 1	// Middle
   endwith
endclass