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Q256156: PRB: Report Transported from DOS Causes Problems in Visual FoxPr

Article: Q256156
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbReportWriter kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport
Last Modified: 14-MAR-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

A report is originally created in FoxPro for MS-DOS and is transported to
Microsoft Visual FoxPro. The report is problematic, possibly causing Visual
FoxPro to crash or the system performance to degrade when it is run.

CAUSE
=====

The report writer in Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS contains an interface that
allows the developer to select a style for printing a selected field. The
interface inputs values in a memo field of the report (.frx) called "style."
Values that the interface can input are:

- B - for Bold print
- I - for Italic print
- U - for Underlined print
- R - for Raised face (Superscript) print
- L - for Lowered face (Subscript) print
- J - for right Justified print alignment
- C - for Centered print alignment

In the event that a report .frx file contains any style code or codes other than
those listed above, the report can cause system problems when it is transported
to Microsoft Windows and edited within or run from Visual FoxPro.

RESOLUTION
==========

Any style codes other than those listed in the "Cause" section of this article
should be removed.

STATUS
======

Visual FoxPro for Windows adds additional fields to a report .frx file that
store font and formatting information. For this reason, the report writer of
Visual FoxPro does not utilize the style field of the report .frx file. However,
the style field is present for backward compatibility and Visual FoxPro does
read the style field (and all the .frx file information) when:

- Saving a modified report
- Closing a report in design mode
- Rendering a report at run time

One particular activity that demonstrates the adverse impact of the unexpected
style information is to copy objects (copying to and pasting from the clipboard)
from one report to another. After this is done, close one report and then the
other. This step might need to be repeated two or three times and then the
following error can occur:

  The instruction at "memory address" referenced memory at "memory address".
  The memory could not be "written".

After this message is displayed, Visual FoxPro shuts down.

A number of third-party products are available as extensions to the FoxPro for
MS-DOS report writer. These usually come with PDSETUP (Printer Driver Setup)
information that allows for printing special character sets (such as bar codes,
and so forth) in MS-DOS. These can input values in the style field of the report
.frx file that are not listed in the "Cause" section of this article.

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

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

It is important that the following steps not be performed in a session of Visual
FoxPro where important information has not been saved and closed. It is best to
perform this in a newly started session of Visual FoxPro.

To reproduce this behavior, perform the following:

1. Within Microsoft Visual FoxPro, open a sample table. Do not use a working
  table.

2. From the File menu, select New, select the Report button, and click the New
  File button.

3. Within the report writer, click the Report menu, and then select Quick
  Report. Deselect Add table to data environment, choose the vertical Field
  Layout, and then click OK.

4. Close and save the report as Test1.

5. In the Command window, do the following to add a "T" to the style field for
  the top-most two report objects:

  USE test1.frx
  REPLACE style WITH "T" FOR RECNO() > 4 AND RECNO() < 7
  USE && closes the test1.frx
  CREATE REPORT test2.frx &&for the copy and paste operation

6. While the test2 report is still open, open the test1 report.

7. Select a number of objects in the test1 report, ensure that the top-most two
  objects are among them, and copy them to the clipboard.

8. Now select the test2 report and paste the objects into it.

9. Close and save the test2 report.

10. Close the test1 report.

Repeat items 6 through 10 (if necessary) and note that an error occurs and Visual
FoxPro shuts down.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbReportWriter kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP300b kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP500a
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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