BUG: CREATE SQL VIEW Scrambles the Parentheses in SQL Command (138677)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 3.0
Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 3.0b
Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 5.0
Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 5.0a
Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 6.0

This article was previously published under Q138677

SYMPTOMS

If, in a CREATE SQL VIEW command, there are parentheses and a logical OR expression, once the view is added to the database (.dbc file), the parentheses will appear to be moved.

CAUSE

The parser for the view will group the OR statements until it reaches another OR or the end of the statement. It has to do this in order to look correctly in the Selection Criteria of the View Designer.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, write the SQL statement without any parenthesis, or if the SQL statement is to complex, break up the statement with the UNION or UNION ALL clauses.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

Create a program with the following code, with the Tastrade.dbc database file open:

   CREATE SQL VIEW test AS SELECT * FROM customer ;
      WHERE customer.city='London' ;
      AND (customer.country='UK'  ;
      OR customer.postal_code='EC23NT')

This will create a view called Test. If the Test view is modified and on the Query menu, you click View SQL, you'll see that the generated SQL statement looks like this:

 SELECT *  ;
  FROM tastrade!customer;
  WHERE Customer.city = "London";
    AND Customer.country = "UK";
    OR (Customer.postal_code = "EC23NT")

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	5/7/2003
Keywords:	kbBug kbnofix KB138677