Use DBF() Function w/ Cursor Alias to Find Physical File Name

ID: Q125607

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6a
Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6a
Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.6a

In the CREATE CURSOR and SELECT INTO CURSOR commands you provide a name for the cursor. This name is the ALIAS for the table created, while the actual (physical) file name is randomly generated.

Certain operations require the physical file name of the cursor. To return the physical file name, use the DBF() function with the cursor's ALIAS as the argument. For example this command:

   APPEND FROM <cursor_alias>

returns this error:

   "File <cursor_alias> does not exist".

However, the following command works correctly:

   APPEND FROM DBF('<cursor_alias>')

Additional reference words: FoxWin FoxDos FoxMac 2.60a "File does not exist" KBCategory: kbprg kbcode KBSubcategory: FxprgSql

Last Reviewed: June 27, 1995