KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q281385: PRB: VFP May Not Display All Fields of a dBASE Table

Article: Q281385
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0,7.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 KbDBFDBC
Last Modified: 15-DEC-2000

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

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 7.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When you open a Visual dBase table in Visual FoxPro, and you browse or list the
structure of the table, some of the fields may not be available when the data is
accessed. You do not receive an error message.

CAUSE
=====

Visual FoxPro cannot read a Visual dBase field whose name begins with a digit.

RESOLUTION
==========

When you create the structure of the Visual dBase table, make sure that the name
of every field starts with a character. Numeric or other values can follow the
first character in the name, but the first character must be either a letter or
an underscore.

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

When Visual FoxPro attempts to read a Visual dBase field name that begins with a
digit, it does not give an error; however, it does not display any fields after
that field. For example, if the Visual dBase table has ten fields in its
structure and the name of the fifth field starts with a digit, you see only the
first four fields in the table. Visual FoxPro reads all of the records, but only
displays the first four fields of each record.

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

1. In Visual dBase, create a table, and add six fields to the structure of the
  table. Name the fields Fld1, Fld2, Fld3, 1fld4, Fld5, and Fld6.

2. Add a few records to the table, and close the table.

3. In Visual FoxPro, open the table. . When you browse or list the structure of
  the table, only the first three fields appear.

REFERENCES
==========

For more information, see "Creating Visual FoxPro Names" in Visual FoxPro 6.0
Help.

Additional query words: truncate d-base cut off drop eliminate

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 KbDBFDBC 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP300b kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP700 kbVFP500a
Version           : :3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0,7.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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

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.