BUG: "Not a Character Expression" Message When Running .EXE

• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a

SYMPTOMS

The error message "Not a character expression" occurs when you attempt to launch a FoxPro stand-alone standard executable file.

CAUSE

This error occurs when either the last condition or all of the following conditions are true:

• The executable is compiled as STANDALONE STANDARD.
• There is a STATUS=ON or SCOREBOARD=ON entry in the CONFIG.FP file.
• There is an even number of characters in the full path to the executable file (beginning with the drive letter and including the colon and backslashes).

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, do one of the following:

• Remove STATUS=ON and SCOREBOARD=ON from the CONFIG.FP file and issue a SET STATUS OFF or SET SCOREBOARD OFF command (both are optional) in the executable file's top-level calling program.

  -or-

• Change the length of the executable's filename or any directory in the path by an odd number of characters.

  -or-

• Compile the executable file as either STANDALONE EXTENDED or COMPACT.

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.