MSQuery: dBASE Files and Field Limits

ID: Q110601

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Query 97, when you create a new dBASE table using the View Table Definition dialog box, or the Save As command, and the table contains more than 199 fields, you receive the following error message: 

   Field won't fit in record
In Microsoft Query 1.0 and 2.0, you receive the following error message: 

   Failed to add Column: <Column_name>

CAUSE

dBASE 4 files have a 255-field limit; You can use any dBASE 4 file that contains 255 fields in Microsoft Query. However, you cannot create a dBASE file with more than 199 fields in Microsoft Query.

Note that the field limit is different for each different data source.

WORKAROUND

To create a dBASE table that contains more than 199 fields, create the file in another program that supports the dBASE file format. You can then use the file to create queries in Microsoft Query.

MORE INFORMATION

You can create a new table in Microsoft Query from a query or an existing table. You receive the error message above if you use the View Table Definition dialog box to create the table and you add more than 199 fields to the table, or you add fields to the existing table so that it contains more than 199 fields. If you use the View Table Definition dialog box to create a new table and the new table contains more than 256 fields, you receive the following error message when you click Create: 

   Too many columns in create statement.
Note that you do not receive an error message when you use the Add button to add more than 256 fields to a table in the View Table Definition dialog box. The error message does not appear until you attempt to create the table.

Additional query words: 1.00 2.00 5.00 5.00c 7.00 8.00 97 err msg 

Keywords          : xlquery 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,2.0,97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: January 8, 1999