Microsoft KB Archive/130006

= PRB: Creator Type Not TEXT with FCREATE If Extension Not .TXT =

Article ID: 130006

Article Last Modified on 10/15/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Visual FoxPro 3.0b for Macintosh
 * Microsoft FoxPro 2.6a Professional Edition for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q130006



SYMPTOMS
The FCREATE low level file function is used to create a text file that doesn't have a file extension of .TXT. The Icon for the text file is just a document, not a document with a FoxPro head on it. Get Info on the file shows that it is a FoxPro file however. If the file is opened in a resource editor, such as ResEdit, the Creator is FOXX but the Type is ????.

If the text file is created with a file extension of .TXT, it will have an icon of a document with a FoxPro head on it. A resource editor will show the Type as TEXT.

Customers have reported that not having a Type of TEXT has been known to cause problems with certain software packages that use the text file.



CAUSE
FoxPro for Macintosh looks at file extensions when assigning Creator Types to files. The .TXT extension along with the .FPM extension on the CONFIG.FPM file are the only file extensions that get assigned a Creator Type of TEXT. See page 402 of the Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh "Developer's Guide" for a listing of File Types and Extensions. If you have Visual FoxPro for Macintosh version 3.0, search for File Extensions in the on-line Help.



WORKAROUND
Create the text file with a .TXT file extension, and then use the RENAME command to change the extension. See the sample code in the "Steps to Reproduce Behavior" section of this article.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



Steps to Reproduce Behavior
  Put the following code in a new program file and run it. x=FCREATE("test.xxx") =FPUTS(x,"Hello") =FPUTS(x,"Goodbye") =FCLOSE(x)  Go to Finder and look at the icon of test.xxx. It should just be a document. If a resource editor is available, use it to check the Creator and Type of the file. The Type should show up as ????.  Put the following code in a new program file and run it. x=FCREATE("test.txt") =FPUTS(x,"Hello") =FPUTS(x,"Goodbye") =FCLOSE(x) RENAME "test.txt" TO "test.xxx"  Go to Finder and look at the icon of test.xxx. It should now be a document with a FoxPro head on it. If a resource editor is available, use it to check the Creator and Type of the file. The Type should show up as TEXT.

Note that the FxSetType function in the FOXTOOLS.MLB (FOXTOOLS.CFM or FOXTOOLS.SLM with Visual FoxPro for Macintosh) library will not change the creator type to TEXT.

Rebuilding the desktop on the Macintosh should not undo the Type after the file extension is changed with the RENAME command. However, it may be a good idea to avoid doing this until the text file has been used for its purpose.

Additional query words: vFoxMac FoxMac 3.00b 2.60a

Keywords: KB130006

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