Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ahmcs!alan
From: alan@ahmcs.uucp (Alan Mintz)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: dbase files corrupt
Summary: Garbage in fields...
Message-ID: <167@ahmcs.uucp>
Date: 5 Apr 91 06:43:36 GMT
References: <31433@usc>
Organization: Micro-Quick Systems, Inc.
Lines: 22

In article <31433@usc>, atieu@skat.usc.edu (Anthony Tieu) writes:
> Here is a little problem with dbase files we have.
> We can't get to a couple of fields in one of the records.
> When in edit mode, the cursor would jump(skip) over the
> fields. We can solve the problem by deleting that particular
> record and packing the database.

This is often caused by the appearance of certain un-printable characters
in a field. For example, putting a line-feed or <CR> character into a 
field (usually accidentally through APPEND FROM ... TYPE SDF) will cause
most full-screen editing functions to gag. If you really need the data,
use COPY TO ... TYPE SDF to export the affected records to a text file.
Then use your favorite tool to extract the important data. 

Usually, a REPLACE off the corrupted fields will resolve the problem
(as, of course, will deleting the records and packing the database).

-- 
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