Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!cui!ugun2b!ugsc2a!fisher
From: fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: dBASEIII+ question, HELP !!!
Message-ID: <77@sc2a.unige.ch>
Date: 30 May 89 16:26:10 GMT
References: <440@uncmed.med.unc.edu>
Organization: University of Geneva, Switzerland
Lines: 37

In article <440@uncmed.med.unc.edu>, danielg@uncmed.med.unc.edu writes:
> I have created a view file that uses a predefined screen format.  However,
> when the fmt file goes to get the respective fields, it interrupts saying
> 'variable not found'.  It locates the first field in the database, but
> can't find the next.

The first question is whether this is a `view' problem or a `fmt' problem:

- What happens if you simply `use' the dbf-file, and set the screen format ?

If the format-file is ok, that means that you can't use a `view' file in
that context.  You see, the point is that you have no control on the order
of commands in the view file !  If the siutation is a little complex, like
a relation, a `set fields' or (worse) on index *through* a relation, you
never know if all needed parameters have been set correctly for a given
command.  This is what you could try :

- Check the `fmt' file with a minimal configuration.
- Check the field-names for reserved words (`to',`for',`get' :-)
- If several databases are involved, be sure to use the full syntax for
  referencing fields : ALIAS->FIELD.
- Write a program seting up the view you want (easier to maintain)
- Create the view file (`from environment') again...  if the `view' doesn't
  work, drop it !  (i.e. use a `prg' instead)

Voila !  Actually, this looks more like a `set fields' problem, or perhaps
an `illegal field name' problem...

Good luck !

Markus Fischer                -|--|--|--|--|--|--I   Department of Anthropology
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