KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q135758: PRB: Long Field Names Interfere with the Append Command

Article: Q135758
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 15-FEB-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

If you append records from a version 2.x table onto the end of a version 3.0
table and the version 3.0 table has long field names and is part of a database,
Visual FoxPro says the records were added, but they weren't.

CAUSE
=====

The version 3.0 table has long field names. These interfere with the Append
operation.

WORKAROUND
==========

The easiest workaround is to rename the long fields to match the field names
contained in the version 2.x table; then redo the APPEND FROM operation. When it
finishes, rename the fields in the version 3.0 table back to their original
names. If you have indexes on your version 3.0 table, Visual FoxPro will object
to the name change, so you must also temporarily modify your indexes so that the
field names in the indexes match the field names in the table, or delete the
indexes.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

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

Code to Demonstrate Behavior
----------------------------

The following code demonstrates this behavior. To resolve this and allow the
APPEND FROM command to work, the fields in the Testtab table should be shortened
to match the field names in the Testtab2 free table.

  *--------------------------------------------------------------------*
  * Program: APNDTEST.PRG                                              *
  * Purpose: Demonstrates what happens when adding data from a free    *
  *          table to a table that has long field names and that is    *
  *          part of a database.                                       *
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------*
  CLEAR
  CLOSE ALL
  CLEAR ALL
  CREATE DATABASE testdbc
  CREATE TABLE testtab (Cust_First_Name C(15), Cust_Last_Name C(25))
  CLOSE DATABASE
  CREATE TABLE testtab2 (Cust_First C(15), Cust_Last C(25))
  INSERT INTO testtab2 VALUES ("John", "Henry")
  INSERT INTO testtab2 VALUES ("Ralph", "Willingham")
  INSERT INTO testtab2 VALUES ("George", "Weatherford")
  OPEN DATABASE testdbc
  USE testtab in 0
  APPEND FROM testtab2
  BROWSE TITLE "Looking at table TESTTAB - Press ESC to continue!"
  WAIT WINDOW "Cleaning up test files."
  CLOSE ALL
  ERASE testdbc.dbc
  ERASE testdbc.dbt
  ERASE testtab.dbf
  ERASE testtab2.dbf

Additional query words: 3.00 VFoxWin fail

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0

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

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.