KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q221736: FIX: WriteExpression Fails With Unknown Error Code -5

Article: Q221736
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbservicepack kbOOP kbvfp500aBUG kbvfp600 kbvfp600bug kbVS600sp2 kbVS600SP1 kbVS600sp3f
Last Modified: 20-MAY-1999

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

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Under some circumstances in Visual FoxPro 6.0, the WriteExpression method might
produce the following error:

  Unknown error code -5

In Visual FoxPro 5.0, the same command produces this error:

  Syntax error.

The syntax error is also what Visual FoxPro 6.0 should be reporting.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

This bug was corrected in Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 3. For more information
about Visual Studio service packs, please see the following articles in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q194022 INFO: Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs, What, Where, Why

Q194295 HOWTO: Tell That Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs Are Installed

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

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

1. Create a program that contains the following code:

  PUBLIC oForm
  oForm = createobject("form")
  oForm.AddObject("mybutton","commandbutton")
  oButton = oForm.MyButton
  oForm.Show()
  oButton.Visible = .t.
  * This next line causes the error.
  oButton.WriteExpression("Caption","Date: " + MDY(DATE()))
  * This one is correct:
  * oButton.WriteExpression("Caption",["Date: " + MDY(DATE())])

2. Run the program.

After running the program in Visual FoxPro 6.0, the following error appears:

  Unknown error code -5

For the code to run properly, follow the comments in the program and change the
appropriate lines of code and execute the program again.

Note that the line of code:

  oButton.WriteExpression("Caption","Date: " + MDY(DATE()))

contains a syntax error. The WriteExpression method is expecting the second
argument to be enclosed in quotes. In this case, a text string is being
concatenated with another text string returned by the MDY() function. This whole
expression, once concatenated together, needs to be in quotes for
WriteExpression. Single quotes (' ') or square brackets [ ] can be used to
accomplish this. The corrected line of code could also be constructed as
follows:

  oButton.WriteExpression("Caption",'[Date: ] + MDY(DATE())')

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbservicepack kbOOP kbvfp500aBUG kbvfp600 kbvfp600bug kbVS600sp2 kbVS600SP1 kbVS600sp3fix kbGrpDSFox 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP600
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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

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.