PRB: Cannot Reuse Deleted Primary Key Values in Visual FoxPro (139756)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 3.0
This article was previously published under Q139756

SYMPTOMS

Appending, inserting, or editing a record in a table with a primary key may result in this error:
Uniqueness of index <index name> is violated.

CAUSE

This error occurs when a duplicate primary key value is entered, and it occurs even if the duplicate record is one that has been marked for deletion. This error occurs regardless of the setting of DELETED.

RESOLUTION

To be able to reuse keys that exist in deleted records, you must use a filtered index.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

To create a filtered index so that you can reuse deleted keys, enter the following expression for the primary key Filter: 
   !DELETED()
Now a deleted key can be reused in another record in the table. Although the setting of DELETED has no effect on the error, you may want to set DELETED ON, so that deleted records are not displayed.

NOTE: If the !DELETED() filter is placed on a primary key, then Gendbc.prg is used to create a program to rebuild the .Dbc, the resulting primary key will not have the filter expression.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/24/1999
Keywords:KB139756
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