BUG: Variable Name Length Affects Results of RESTORE FROM

ID: Q123283

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6a
Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.6a

SYMPTOMS

The RESTORE FROM command will not always restore the value of a variable that was saved with the SAVE TO command if the variable name contains more than 10 characters. The current value of the variable will remained unchanged.

This behavior occurs only in the Windows and Macintosh platforms. In the MS- DOS and UNIX platforms, the RESTORE FROM command restores the saved value of the variable even if the variable name contains more than 10 characters.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

RESOLUTION

You can work around this problem by ensuring that all variable names declared contain no more than 10 characters.

MORE INFORMATION

The problem occurs when the variable name in the following command contain more than 10 characters:

   SAVE TO <filename> ALL LIKE <variable name>

For example, the problem occurs in the following cases:

   SAVE TO temp ALL LIKE h_vartoolong

   - or -

   SAVE TO temp ALL LIKE h_vartoolon?

RESTORE FROM will set the variable to the correct value:

   SAVE TO temp ALL LIKE h*

H_vartoolong is the variable name.

Sample Code to Reproduce Problem

Type the following code in the Command window:

   h_vartoolong=1
   SAVE TO temp ALL LIKE h_vartoolong
   h_vartoolong=2
   RESTORE FROM temp additive
   ?h_vartoolong && This will return a 2 instead of the expected 1

Additional reference words: FoxWin FoxMac 2.60a buglist2.60a KBCategory: kbprg kbbuglist KBSubcategory: FxprgGeneral

Last Reviewed: June 27, 1995