PRB: Unable to Find Array Name Error When Compiling

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0
• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6a
• Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.6a
• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6a
• Microsoft FoxPro for UNIX, version 2.6

SYMPTOMS

You receive an "Unable to find <array name>" dialog when building an application.

CAUSE

When building an application, it is not uncommon to receive a warning dialog that indicates that FoxPro was unable to find a particular program, menu, or report. While the above mentioned are the more common items the Project Manager has difficulty reconciling, they are also the easiest to correct. The most deceptive unresolved reference is when the Project Manager cannot resolve a reference to an array embedded in a report.

RESOLUTION

You can usually use the EXTERNAL command to resolve the issue. However, this is a compiler command, so it is not effective if the array that couldn't be found is used as an expression in a report.

NOTE: For more information on the use of the EXTERNAL command, please see the Microsoft FoxPro "Language Reference."

One way to resolve this issue is to create a dummy procedure or function with the same name as the array called in the report. This procedure should never be called and should have no more than a RETURN statement. However, its existence will make the compiler quit looking for the array inside the report. In any instance where the array name is used, the FoxPro compiler will assume that the call is to the dummy procedure and not to an array that exists elsewhere. This will have no effect on the compiled application and the report will call the array as expected.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.