FIX: "Internal Consistency Error" with BROWSE FORMAT Command

WINDOWS   | MS-DOS

The information in this article applies to:

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

SYMPTOMS

When you double-click a memo field displayed as an @ ... SAY in a format file, an "Internal Consistency Error" occurs.

RESOLUTION

There are two workarounds for this problem. The first is to use a BROWSE PREFERENCE command instead of the BROWSE FORMAT command. The second is to replace the format file with a screen. Format files are included in later versions of FoxPro only for backwards compatibility; the Screen Builder should be used instead.

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

Once the error occurs, pressing the ENTER or ESC keys several times will cause a stack fault error under Windows and will hang the machine under MS-DOS.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start FoxPro for Windows.

2. Open the SALESMAN table in the <FoxPro_directory>\TUTORIAL subirectory.

3. Create a format file by issuing the following command:

         MODIFY FILE format1.FMT
   

4. In this file, place the following code:

         @1,1 SAY notes
   

5. Close the file.

6. In the Command window, type the following commands:

         SET FORMAT TO format1.FMT
         BROWSE FORMAT
   

   The Browse window will appear. The word "Memo" will not appear, but the text will be visible.

7. Double-click one of the lines of text. The error will occur.