Contents of the 2.6 Connectivity Kit CKREADME.TXT File

 Last reviewed: April 30, 1996
Article ID: Q115772
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft FoxPro Connectivity Kit, version 2.6
  • Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6
  • Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6

SUMMARY

Below is the complete FoxPro Connectivity Kit for Windows and MS-DOS CKREADME.TXT file. This file is found on Disk 1 of the Connectivity Kit.

MORE INFORMATION

                     CKREADME.TXT
********************************************************** 
 Microsoft(R) FoxPro(R) Version 2.6 Professional Edition

     Connectivity Kit for Windows(TM) and MS-DOS(R)

   (C)1994 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
**********************************************************

CONTENTS

Part Description ---- ----------- 

 1     Installation
 2     Tips and Tricks
 3     Changes to Connectivity Kit User's Guide Since Printing
 4     Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

Part 1: Installation

Installing the Professional Edition of FoxPro 2.6

The Professional Edition of FoxPro 2.6 includes the following kits:

Distribution Kit Connectivity Kit Library Construction Kit WorkGroup Extensions (FoxPro for Windows only)

To install the Professional Edition of FoxPro, first install the main FoxPro product, then follow the installation instructions included with each individual kit. The order in which the kits are installed does not matter.

Installing the Client-Server Wizard

To install the Client-Server Wizard, follow these steps:

  1. Replace the following files, located in the subdirectory WIZARDS, with the versions shipped with the Professional Edition.

    WIZARD.APP WZ_BQUER.APP

  2. Delete the following files, located in the subdirectory WIZARDS.

    WIZARD.DBF WIZARD.FPT

    The first time you run the Client-Server Wizard these files are re-created with new default values.

To run the Client-Server Wizard you must have ODBC already installed. For information on installing ODBC, see the Connectivity Kit User's Guide.

Installing ODBC from 720KB disks

If you are installing the Connectivity Kit from 720KB floppy disks, the ODBC files are contained on two floppy disks, and cannot be installed from the disks. To install the ODBC files follow these steps:

  1. Create a new directory called ODBC on your hard drive.

  2. Copy the contents of the two ODBC disks into this directory.

  3. Run the install program.

Part 2: Tips and Tricks

FoxPro for Windows to ORACLE(R) Connectivity

While the Connectivity Kit includes the ORACLE ODBC driver, FoxPro for Windows to ORACLE Connectivity requires some SQL*NET drivers for Windows, which is available from ORACLE only. Contact your ORACLE representative.

If you're using ORACLE, make sure you read the ORACLE.TXT file on the ODBC disk. This file contains information you need to make a connection to ORACLE.

SQL Server to FoxPro for MS-DOS Field Size Limit

The maximum length of each data field imported from SQL Server to a FoxPro for MS-DOS cursor or table is 65530 bytes. If your available memory is less than this value, or if you are importing data that is longer than 65530 bytes, you must limit the size of the data exported by SQL Server to fit into your available memory.

You can reduce the length of the data exported from SQL Server by using the Transact-SQL command "SET TEXTSIZE n", where n is equal to the desired text size in bytes. For example, to limit the length of data to 20K, you would use the command "SET TEXTSIZE 20480". For an explanation of the SET TEXTSIZE command, refer to your SQL Server documentation.

If the data in an exported field exceeds the available memory, DB-Library will terminate the connection.

This limit does not apply to FoxPro for Windows. If you want to import a text or binary field that exceeds 65530 bytes, you can import the data into FoxPro for Windows and then use the data in FoxPro for MS-DOS.

Temporary File Space Requirements

Keep in mind that when you import data into a FoxPro cursor or table, your system must have enough temporary file space to allow FoxPro to build the cursor or table.

Viewing System Warning Messages

Set the DBSetOpt() DispError option to "ON" if you want to be able to view system warning messages. System warning messages are displayed by FPSQL to notify you of conditions or problems encountered in processing a request.

For more information about specific messages, refer to "*Addition to the Appendix: System Warning Messages*" in Part 2, "Changes to Connectivity Kit User's Guide Since Printing."

Other Error Messages

In addition to Connectivity Kit errors, FPSQL also displays error messages sent by ODBC, DB-Library and SQL Server. For information about ODBC error messages, refer to the ODBC Software Developer's Kit documentation and to the driver and data source documentation for the data source currently in use. For a list of DB-Library error messages, refer to the Microsoft SQL Server Programmer's Reference for C in the Microsoft SQL Server Programmer's Toolkit.

You'll find an explanation of the more common SQL Server errors in the Microsoft SQL Server Troubleshooting Guide. If you don't find information about a specific SQL Server error message in the Troubleshooting Guide, please contact your SQL Server system administrator or your SQL Server primary support provider.

Using SQL Server Triggers to Return Error Messages

If you're relying on SQL Server triggers to return error messages, be sure you include the Transact-SQL "RAISERROR" command in your trigger. FPSQL then recognizes the error and returns the information. For more information about the "RAISERROR" command, refer to the Microsoft SQL Server Language Reference.

Part 3: Changes to Connectivity Kit User's Guide 

        Since Printing
The Connectivity Kit now includes support for the following features.

NULL Support

You can now define NULL constants for four types of FoxPro null values. The default for all cases is a string of empty spaces. 

Name           Size
----           ----
CharNull        30
IntNull         20
FloatNull       20
DateNull        23
The values can be set and returned using the following option functions, where <expC> is the name of the Null option.

DBSetOpt(<expN>, <expC>[, <exp>]) DBGetOpt(<expN>, <expC>)

For more information of these functions see the Connectivity Kit User's Guide.

Mulitiple Error Messages

The Connectivity Kit now returns a list of up to five error messages per connection. DBError includes a fourth parameter that indicates which error message is requested from the list of error messages.

Syntax: DBError (<expN1> [, @<memvar1> [, @<memvar2>] [,<expN2>]])

<expN2> returns a value between 1 and 5 corresponding to the error message in the error message list. Invalid values for <expN2> are defaulted to the nearest valid value. If the parameter is not specified, the latest error message is returned.

Date Strings

Date type values imported from a data source are now converted to character strings in FoxPro.

The following are corrections to the documentation since printing.

Appendix, page 68, Connectivity Kit Errors by Number

Delete error numbers 17 "Failed to set connection time-out" and 18 "Failed to set general time-out". These situations now produce system warning messages.

Add error number 36 "Cannot set transaction option while in a transaction" (MS-DOS only).

Appendix, page 69, Connectivity Kit Errors Alphabetically

Add: Cannot set transaction option while in a transaction" (36) (MS-DOS only). 
  If you are in manual transaction mode and have made the
  first call to DBExec(), you are in an active
  transaction.  In this case, you must explicitly end the
  transaction by calling DBTransact() with a Commit or
  Rollback statement before you can either call
  DBSetOpt() to change the transaction mode or call
  DBDisconnect().
Change to error number 33 "Cannot disconnect while in a transaction" (MS-DOS only).

In manual mode, you can end a current transaction only by calling DBTransact(), not by changing the transaction mode with DBSetOpt(). The new description for FPSQL error 33 should read: 

  Before you can call DBDisconnect(), you need to end the
  current transaction by calling DBTransact().

Addition to the Appendix: System Warning Messages

FPSQL provides system warning messages which notify you of conditions or problems encountered during processing. In contrast to error messages, which indicate fatal problems that interrupt processing, system warning messages indicate conditions or problems that are not serious enough to interrupt processing. The following system warning messages have been added to the Connectivity Kit: 

Msg   System Warning Message              Platform
No.
---- ---------------------------------- ---------------- 
1     Failed to set connection time-out    (MS-DOS/Windows)
2     Failed to set general time-out       (MS-DOS/Windows)
3     Data precision lost in conversion   (MS-DOS/Windows)
4     Failed to convert memo field        (MS-DOS/Windows)
5     Failed to clear connection          (MS-DOS/Windows)

6     Failed to set transaction mode      (Windows only)
7 Failed to set connection in 
      asynchronous mode                   (Windows only)

10    Failed to set DB-LIB text limit     (MS-DOS only)
11 Failed to set in use the specified 
      database                            (MS-DOS only)

Connectivity Kit System Warning Messages Alphabetically

Data precision lost in conversion (3) 
  Shows any data conversion error from whatever data source
  type to FoxPro.  This message is displayed once at the
  end of the result set conversion for one or multiple
  problems encountered during the conversion process.
Failed to clear connection (5) 
  FPSQL was unable to clear the connection.  The error
  could indicate corruption of FPSQL memory space or a
  problem either in the connection channel or on the
  data source.
Failed to convert memo field (4) 
  Indicates any error while converting data to FoxPro
  memo fields (not enough memory, temporary file error,
  etc.)  This message is displayed once at the end of the
  result set conversion for one or multiple problems
  encountered during the conversion process.
Failed to set connection in asynchronous mode (7) 
  Windows only.  Indicates an error in the ODBC call for
  the current data source.
Failed to set connection timeout (1) 
  FPSQL was unable to set the specified connection timeout
  for an attempted connection to a data source.  The
  connection attempt will timeout according to the data
  source default connection timeout.
Failed to set DB-LIB text limit (10) 
  MS-DOS only.  Shows an error in setting the maximum
  DB-Library text size to 65530 bytes.
Failed to set general timeout (2) 
  FPSQL was unable to set the specified general timeout
  for a connection to a data source.  The connection
  will use the data source default general timeout.
Failed to set in use the specified database (11) 
  MS-DOS only.  Indicates an error when trying to set in
  use the database specified as the fourth parameter in
  DBConnect().
Failed to set transaction mode (6) 
  Windows only.  Indicates an error in the ODBC call for
  the current data source.

Part 4: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

Question 1

Our organization includes several FoxPro developers. Does each developer need an individual copy of the Connectivity Kit?

Answer 1

Your organization must own one licensed copy of the Connectivity Kit per developer, for each developer creating applications that use the Connectivity Kit. If five developers in your organization create applications using one or both of the Connectivity Kit libraries (FPSQL.PLB and/or FPSQL.FLL), you must own five licensed copies of the Connectivity Kit.

Question 2

I own licensed copies of both the FoxPro Distribution Kit and the FoxPro Connectivity Kit. May I distribute the FPSQL libraries with applications I develop using the Distribution Kit?

Answer 2

Yes. As a licensed user of both the FoxPro Distribution Kit and the Connectivity Kit, you are free to distribute the FPSQL.PLB and/or FPSQL.FLL library file(s) with your distributed application(s). 

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                    END OF CKREADME.TXT
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Additional reference words: FoxDos FoxWin 2.60 ck readme.txt
KBCategory: kbreadme kbsetup
KBSubcategory: FxotherReadme

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Last reviewed: April 30, 1996
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.