Microsoft KB Archive/130410

= BUG: ALTER TABLE Command Changes Field Type to Picture =

Article ID: 130410

Article Last Modified on 5/7/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 3.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 3.0b Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 5.0a
 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 6.0 Professional Edition

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This article was previously published under Q130410



SYMPTOMS
When you use the ALTER TABLE command to create a primary index tag, the ALTER TABLE command changes the data type of the desired key field to the Picture data type.



CAUSE
If the word KEY is not supplied when using the ALTER TABLE clause PRIMARY KEY and the column data type and width is not supplied, Visual FoxPro changes the data type of the desired key field to PICTURE rather than generating a syntax error.



RESOLUTION
Provide the word KEY and the column data type and width when using the PRIMARY KEY clause of the ALTER TABLE command, or use the ADD PRIMARY KEY clause of the ALTER TABLE command.



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.



Steps to Reproduce Problem
Issue the following code within the Command window: CLOSE ALL CLEAR CREATE DATABASE mydata    && Creates MYDATA.DBC. USE samples\data\orders COPY NEXT 10 TO orders2   && Copies the first 10 records from && ORDERS.DBF to a new table ORDERS2.DBF. USE                       && Clears ORDERS.DBF from memory. ADD TABLE orders2         && Adds orders2 to MYDATA.DBC. USE orders2 DISPLAY STRUCTURE         && Very Important to note that the field && order_id has the character data type. CLEAR *  * The next command is used to create a Primary index tag on the * field order_id, the syntax should be: *  * ALTER TABLE orders2 ALTER COLUMN order_id C(6) PRIMARY KEY * -or- * ALTER TABLE orders2 ADD PRIMARY KEY order_id TAG order_id *

ALTER TABLE orders2 ALTER order_id PRIMARY DISPLAY STRUCTURE          && Note the data type of order_id is now && Picture.

Additional query words: kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600

Keywords: kbbug KB130410

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