FIX: "Too Many PICTURE Characters Specified" in @ ... GET

WINDOWS   | MS-DOS         | MACINTOSH

The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6x - Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.0, 2.5x, 2.6x - Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, versions 2.5b

SYMPTOMS

The error message "Too many PICTURE characters specified" occurs when you attempt to run a screen program.

CAUSE

The screen program contains an @ ... GET command, based upon a character memory variable, that includes a SIZE clause in which the result of the number of rows multiplied by the number of columns is greater than 250.

RESOLUTION

If the Screen Builder was not used, replace the @ ... GET command with an @ ... EDIT command. If the screen was built using the Screen Builder in FoxPro for Windows or FoxPro for Macintosh, replace the GET object with an EDIT region. If the screen was built using the Screen Builder in FoxPro for MS-DOS, change the GET object to an EDIT object.

In FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6 and later, you also can replace the GET with an EDIT region, then clear the Scroll Bar on Edit Region box.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Visual FoxPro 3.0 for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Create a new screen with one GET field based on m.x.

2. Resize the GET field so the number of characters it can hold is greater than 250.

3. In the Setup code of the screen, add the following command:

         m.x = "Test String"
   

4. Generate the screen code.

5. Execute the .SPR program.