Knowledge Base

BUG: CREATE CURSOR Does Not Accept UNIQUE as a Field Name

Article ID: 130404

Article Last Modified on 5/7/2003

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

This article was previously published under Q130404

SYMPTOMS

When using the CREATE CURSOR command, the name UNIQUE may not be used to name one of the fields in the cursor. The error message "syntax error" is generated by issuing the CREATE CURSOR command from either the Command window or from a compiled program file when UNIQUE is used as a field name.

The following example generates this syntax error:

   CREATE CURSOR address (cName C(20), UNIQUE C(20))

UNIQUE was allowed as a field name prior to Visual FoxPro version 3.0 when used in the CREATE CURSOR command.

CAUSE

UNIQUE is a reserved word in Visual FoxPro. However, reserved words can be used in the CREATE TABLE/CURSOR commands by using name substitution.

RESOLUTION

The following example uses name substitution to work around this problem. In this example, UNIQUE can be used as a field name in the CREATE CURSOR command.

   CLOSE DATABASES
   CLEAR
   cField = "UNIQUE"
   CREATE CURSOR employee (cName C(20), (cField) C(20))
   DISPLAY STRUCTURE

Notice that once the DISPLAY STRUCTURE command is issued, a cursor structure is displayed that contains two fields: cName and UNIQUE.

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.

Additional query words: kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600

Keywords: kbbug KB130404