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Q172923: FIX: Copy To … Type SDF Causes Error Message in Visual FoxPro

Article: Q172923
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbvfp kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600fix
Last Modified: 24-MAR-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Issuing two consecutive COPY TO <filename> TYPE SDF commands causes Visual
FoxPro 5.0x to return the following error message on the second command:

  File <filename>.txt already exist as part of a database.

This error does not occur in Visual FoxPro 3.0b.

RESOLUTION
==========

Check for the existence of the first SDF file and if it exists delete it. In the
code example in the MORE INFORMATION section below, the following code
accomplishes this task. Place the code between the two COPY TO commands:

     IF FILE("test1.txt")=.t.
        DELETE FILE test1.txt
     ENDIF

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article. This has been corrected in Visual FoxPro 6.0.

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

The error message occurs only when zero (0) is the first character in the SDF
file. However, if the resulting SDF file is smaller than 8000 bytes, the error
does not occur even if the zero character is in the SDF file. Finally, choosing
any other file format or placing any other character in the SDF file prevents
the error.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

Create a program that contains the following code and execute it:

     CLEAR
     CREATE TABLE test1.dbf FREE (f C(100))
     FOR i = 1 TO 80
        INSERT INTO test1 VALUES ("0")
     NEXT
     COPY TO test1.txt TYPE SDF
     COPY TO test1.txt TYPE SDFF

The error appears on the second COPY TO command.

Additional query words: sdf

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbvfp kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600fix 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP500 kbVFP500a
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0a
Issue type        : kbbug kbprb
Solution Type     : kbfix

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