Q163800: INFO: Create an SQL Command with > 255 Characters

Article: Q163800
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): KbClientServer kbDatabase kbServer kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600
Last Modified: 25-JUN-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

It is often necessary to create an SQLEXEC command that contains more than 255
characters. However, if the command does contain more than 255 characters one of
the following error messages appears:

In Visual FoxPro 3.0 and 5.0:

  Syntax error

In Visual FoxPro 6.0:

  Command contains unrecognized phrase/keyword

This article demonstrates one example of how the "insert string" might be
concatenated to avoid this behavior.

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

The following is an example of how you might use concatenation to execute a
SQLEXEC command that would require more that 255 characters:

  handle=SQLCONNECT("Pubs")
     m=SQLEXEC(handle, "CREATE TABLE t255 (one char(50)," + ;

         "two char(50), three char(50), four char(50)," + ;
         "five char(50), six char(50))")

     * The next command will insert the string successfully.
     b=SQLEXEC(handle, "INSERT INTO t255 (one) ;

       VALUES('xxxxxxjklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw')")

     * The next command will also insert successfully.
     b=SQLEXEC(handle, "INSERT INTO t255 (one,two,three,four) ;

       VALUES('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw')")

     *The next command will produce a syntax error because the length
     *of the string starting with insert is more than 255 characters.
     b=SQLEXEC(handle, "INSERT INTO t255 (one,two,three,four,five) ;

       VALUES('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw', + ;
       'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw')")

     f1='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'
     f2='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'
     f3='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'
     f4='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'
     f5='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'
     f6='abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw'

     *The next line works because there is no string
     *longer than 255 characters
     b=SQLEXEC(handle, "INSERT INTO t255" + ;

       "(one,two,three,four,five,six) " + ;
       "VALUES('"+ f1 + "','" + f2 + "','" + ;
       f3 + "','" + f4 + "','" + f5 + "','" + ;
       f6 + "')")

NOTE: You could use the same method with SELECT statement as well. If you are
using a SELECT statement that is longer than 255 characters, you could store the
field list and/or the WHERE conditions in a memory variable and pass the memory
variable with the SELECT statement. For example, if you have to run a lengthy
SELECT statement like the following:

  SELECT FIELD_1, FIELD_2, FIELD_3 ......., FIELD_50 FROM TABLE1 WHERE CONDITION1 = CRITERIA1

you could alternatively do this by running the following:

  CF1 = "FIELD_1, FIELD_2, FIELD_3 ......., FIELD_50 "

  RESULT = SQLEXEC(handle, "SELECT " + CF1 + " FROM TABLE1 WHERE CONDITION1 = CRITERIA1")

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : KbClientServer kbDatabase kbServer kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP500 kbVFP600
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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