FIX: APPEND FROM with Certain File Types Crashes VFP (193628)

CAUSE

This occurs when you use the following APPEND FROM syntax to append from the following file types:

APPEND FROM <filename>.xls TYPE XLS && Excel 2.1, 3.0 and 4.0 file types
APPEND FROM <filename>.wk1 TYPE WK1 && Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.x
APPEND FROM <filename>.wk3 TYPE WK3 && Lotus 1-2-3 version 3.x
APPEND FROM <filename>.mod TYPE MOD && Microsoft Multiplan 4.01
APPEND FROM <filename>.wks TYPE WKS && Lotus 1-2-3 version 1-A

Appending from other file types can also cause the crash although text files and .dbf files do not seem to have any problems.

NOTE: Using the COPY TO command in Visual FoxPro to copy a table out to one of the file types in the preceding list and then appending back into the table from that file does not appear to cause the crash.

RESOLUTION

The IMPORT command can import the file types in the preceding list into a new table. With a little work, you can append this imported table into an existing table. You can use the following sample code instead of the program in the "Steps to Reproduce Behavior" section in order to append the records successfully.

Sample Code

CLOSE DATABASE ALL
CLEAR ALL
CLEAR

SET SAFETY OFF
CREATE TABLE fruit ;
    (fruit c(12), color c(15), treeorvine c(10), number n(8,2))

INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Apple", "Red", "Tree", 5)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Orange", "Orange","Tree", 18)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Grape", "Purple", "Vine", 42)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Blueberry", "Blue", "Bush", 78)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Grapefruit", "Pink", "Tree", 62)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Banana", "Yellow", "Tree", 37)
SELECT fruit

WAIT WINDOW "Choose an Excel 2.1, 3 or 4 file"
x=GETFILE("xls")
SELECT 0
IMPORT FROM (x) TYPE XLS
SET SAFETY ON
SET DELETED ON
DELETE FOR RECNO()=1 && To eliminate field name headers in Excel sheet.
y=ALIAS()

* Need to change the field names to match the target table.
For i=1 TO FCOUNT()
  ALTER TABLE (y) RENAME COLUMN (LOWER(FIELD(i))) TO (FIELD(i,"fruit"))
ENDFOR

SELECT fruit
APPEND FROM (y)
SELECT (y)
USE
ERASE (y)
SELECT fruit

BROWSE NOWAIT

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

This bug was corrected in Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 3.

For more information about Visual Studio service packs, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

194022 INFO: Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs, What, Where, Why

194295 HOWTO: Tell That Visual Studio 6.0 Service Packs Are Installed

MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs more frequently when the table used to append the records into is not empty.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

WARNING: The following steps cause Visual FoxPro to crash. Please make sure that you save all important data or code before following the steps. It is also a good idea to save all information in any other running applications before you use these steps.

Create a new Excel sheet with the following layout in Sheet1: NOTE: Excel 97 was used to recreate these steps at Microsoft.

      Cell          Data to Enter
      ---------------------------
      A1            Fruit
      B1            Color
      C1            TreeorVine
      D1            Number
      A2            Apple
      B2            Red
      C2            Tree
      D2            50.25
      A3            Banana
      B3            Yellow
      C3            Tree
      D3            17.45

In Excel, from the File menu, choose Save As. In the Save As Type drop-down list box, select Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet (*.xls). Name the file fruit4.xls.

In Visual FoxPro 6.0, place the following code in a new program file, save it and then run the program:

CLOSE DATABASE ALL
CLEAR ALL
CLEAR

SET SAFETY OFF
CREATE TABLE fruit ;
   (fruit c(12), color c(15), treeorvine c(10), number n(8,2))
SET SAFETY ON
SELECT fruit
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Apple", "Red", "Tree", 5)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Orange", "Orange","Tree", 18)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Grape", "Purple", "Vine", 42)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Blueberry", "Blue", "Bush", 78)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Grapefruit", "Pink", "Tree", 62)
INSERT INTO fruit VALUES ("Banana", "Yellow", "Tree", 37)

APPEND FROM fruit4.xls TYPE XLS    && This causes the crash.
BROWSE NOWAIT