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Q105834: BUG: FoxPro Does Not Import .DIF Format File

Article: Q105834
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): MACINTOSH:2.5x,2.6a; MS-DOS:2.0,2.5x,2.6,2.6a; WINDOWS:2.5x,2.6,2.6a,3.0,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbinterop kbvfp500aBUG kbvfp250bug kbvfp250aBUGkbbuglist
Last Modified: 05-FEB-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
- Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.0, 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a 
- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a 
- Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, versions 2.5x, 2.6a 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When attempting to append a Data Interchange Format (DIF) file, the following
error message is returned:

  Invalid DIF vector - DBF field mismatch.

RESOLUTION
==========

Perform one of the following:

- If the software that generated the .DIF file supports any of the file types
  supported in FoxPro, use one of them instead. For a list of supported file
  types see the APPEND FROM command in the "Microsoft FoxPro Language
  Reference" L3-193. FoxPro can also open dBASE files directly. If this is not
  possible, you will need to use Low-Level file I/O; see Chapter 10 of the
  "Developers Guide."

-or-

- Reverse the Vector and Tuple values.

  DIF files are essentially text files that contain various statements defining
  the data items. Among the data in a .DIF file are items labeled 'VECTORS' and
  'TUPLES'. Reverse the values for the Vectors and Tuples.

  For example, here is a sample Microsoft Excel .DIF file that FoxPro can't
  import:

  VECTORS
  0,3
  TUPLES
  0,4

  Modify the file so that it looks like the following:

  VECTORS
  0,4
  TUPLES
  0,3

STATUS
======

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION
================

NOTE: This has been reported to occur with .DIF files created by applications
other than Microsoft Excel.

Steps to Reproduce Problem
--------------------------

1. In a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, fill cells A1 to A10 with the string 'abcd'
  or the numeric 1234. Save the file in DIF format as SHEET1.DIF.

2. Create a single-field table structure in FoxPro, and define that field as
  either character or numeric with the default width (per the data type entered
  in step 1).

3. Issue the following command at the command window:

  APPEND FROM sheet1.dif TYPE DIF

For more information about the way Microsoft Excel saves .DIF files, please see
the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q60997 Excel and Lotus DIF File Differences


Additional query words: DIF APPEND FROM FAR errmsg err msg xl kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbinterop kbvfp500aBUG kbvfp250bug kbvfp250aBUG kbbuglist
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbFoxproSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbFoxPro260aMac kbFoxPro200DOS kbFoxPro260DOS kbFoxPro260aDOS kbFoxPro260 kbFoxPro260a kbVFP300 kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP500a
Version           : MACINTOSH:2.5x,2.6a; MS-DOS:2.0,2.5x,2.6,2.6a; WINDOWS:2.5x,2.6,2.6a,3.0,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Issue type        : kbbug

=============================================================================

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