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scrambled field data in table

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    #16
    Tom, I have copied over the tables that have been a recent problem and added some test info to them. The problem started a couple of weeks ago when I noticed that some of the transformations and masks were scrambled. After correcting the scrambled data, the next time that I went into the browse or form mode, the company name data was in the company ID field.

    The browses/forms in the test database are working okay and I do not know how to replicate the problem.

    One other abnormality that I have noticed in one of the last rev's is that when I go to specify the lookup parameters in the drop down box, the linking field always goes blank after entering an item. If I revisit the field, the selection will reappear.

    I am not sure if you will receive all of the required files as I could only zip up tables and am not sure what happens to the basic ? stuff .alb, .alm files.

    Comment


      #17
      Larry, I took a look. Will not be able to help you until you can replicate the problem.

      In field rules for the People table it's odd that your table lookup field rule for the Company_Id field fills both the Company_id and Person_id fields in the People table with the same Company_id field value selected by the user. It's hard for me to imagine an app where you'd want a person's id to be the same as his or her company id. Otherwise I didn't see anything particularly unsual.

      -- tom

      Comment


        #18
        Question for Larry:

        Larry:
        You stated that the problem started a couple of weeks ago.


        Did you by chance insert some new fields into the table.
        Did you insert the between existing fields or at the end.

        Inserting between existing fields can mess up the masks, lookups and calculated fields.

        ALWAYS insert new fields at the end of a table.

        Charlie Crimmel

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          #19
          Charlie, you may be on to something. I noticed that some of his fieldnames are oddly truncated. Suggesting maybe that the dictionary files holding longer fieldnames became corrupted or separated from the DBF somehow. Difficulty restructuring the table might account for it, too.

          -- tom

          Comment


            #20
            Tom it fills the person id so as to give me a headstart on completing the person id. If you look at the sample data, the person id has 4 more characters that get filled in to customize it. During an earlier version of A5, when you entered the person id field you could set the default location for the cursor to the end of the filled text. Nice feature which seems to have disappeared about a half a year ago.

            Comment


              #21
              Charlie, I do not recall having edited the tables recently. Thanks for the tip on inserting as I do tend to add things as I see a requirement.

              Larry

              Comment


                #22
                Tom, I believe that the fieldnames are truncated as at one time there was a lot of discussion on keeping fieldnames under 10 characters so as to eliminate use of the dictionary files.

                Larry

                Comment


                  #23
                  During an earlier version of A5, when you entered the person id field you could set the default location for the cursor to the end of the filled text. Nice feature which seems to have disappeared about a half a year ago.
                  Larry, I think this is still available. Choose Data Entry tab while defining a field rule for the Person_id field, then scroll to the bottom. You'll find an option for positioning the cursor there.

                  -- tom

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Tom it fills the person id so as to give me a headstart on completing the person id. If you look at the sample data, the person id has 4 more characters that get filled in to customize it.
                    Larry, yes, I saw that. It just seemed unusual to me. I probably would have chosen a default field value approach, but it's probably six of one a half dozen of the other.

                    -- tom

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                      #25
                      Tom:

                      Tom:
                      If you open a DBF file from a directory that does not contain the DDD,DDM,DDX files, Alpha will truncate the field names.

                      Look at the bottom of this thread.-
                      Related links.
                      Larry posted the same question in 2002 for version 4.5
                      when he inserted fields into a table.

                      Charlie Crimmel

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Tom, I knew that the choices were there however they no longer did what I was expecting. I just went in and tried them again and have found one that positions the cursor to the end of the entered text so either I was confused at what I was doing previously or the function has been corrected in one of the revs.
                        Thanks for pointing the item out. I am happier today to have that function back which saves me a keyboard entry.

                        Larry

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Re: scrambled field data in table

                          Well it has happened again, 11 years later, a bit different than before as in this event, the field sizes changed and the data was dumped. Different table than before
                          Had to restore the data from Friday the 13th back up.

                          Forgot I had even started this thread.

                          Larry
                          Attached Files

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Re: scrambled field data in table

                            I only read the first few threads but your error pointed to a field rule lookup. If when you define the lookup you put a different field in the first field order, you will see that field displayed instead of the linked field, even though the link is populated as you mapped it - it won't display. Check the field rule and see if that is the case.

                            This can be useful when using primary and natural keys and you want to hide the primary and display the natural. I'm not sure when this change was introduced, perhaps v8 or 9?
                            Robin

                            Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Re: scrambled field data in table

                              Robin, the problem that I had in the past has not come back to haunt me so I must have fixed something or it was a one of occurrence.
                              The current scramble which changed field sizes is bizarre. The restore seems to have resolved the problem for now

                              Thanks
                              Larry

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