ACC: "Field 'F1' Doesn't Exist in Destination Table" Error Message (142186)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access for Windows 95 7.0
  • Microsoft Access 97
This article was previously published under Q142186

SYMPTOMS

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

When you append data from a delimited text file to an existing table by using a TransferText macro action or a TransferText method in Visual Basic for Applications, you may receive the following error message:
Field 'F1' doesn't exist in destination table '<table>'. Microsoft Access was unable to append it.
The destination table must contain the same fields as the table you are pasting from.

CAUSE

The first row of the text file does not contain field names; therefore, Microsoft Access assumes the fields are named "F1," "F2," and so on.

RESOLUTION

You can create and use an import specification to identify the fields in the delimited text file.

To create an import specification, follow these steps:
  1. In the Database window, select the table into which to append data using a TransferText macro action or a TransferText method in Visual Basic for Applications.
  2. On the File menu, click Get External Data, and then click Import.
  3. In the Import box, select Text Files (*.txt, *.csv, *.tab, *.asc). Locate and select your delimited text file, and then click Import.
  4. In the Import Text Wizard box, click Advanced.
  5. In the 'NameOfFile' Import Specification box, type the correct field names for the fields in the Field Name column, and then click Save As. Enter a specification name and click OK.
  6. Click OK to close the 'NameOfFile' Import Specification box.
  7. In the Import Text Wizard box, click Cancel.
To use the import specification, follow these steps:
  1. Open the macro or Visual Basic procedure containing the TransferText action or method in Design view.
  2. Modify the action or method to include a Specification Name argument. For example:

    In a Macro: 
          TransferText Actions
         Transfer Type: Import Delimited
         Specification Name: <specification name>
         Table Name: <table name>
         File Name: <full path>
         Has Field Names: No

    In Visual Basic for Applications: 
          DoCmd.TransferText acImportDelim,<specification name>, _
      <table name>, <filename path>, 0

REFERENCES

For more information about transferring text by using a macro or Visual Basic for Applications, search on the phrase "transfertext," and then view "Automate importing, exporting, or linking of data" using the Office Assistant.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/29/2003
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb kbusage KB142186
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.