Use Exclamation Mark (!) Notation for Precise Referencing

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Use the exclamation mark (!) notation to reference tables in databases (.DBC files). Use it to reference tables that have the same names but that exist in different databases, and use it to make code more readable. Its main purpose is to guarantee the opening of a specific table.

MORE INFORMATION

Here is the syntax:

   USE <cDatabase_name>!<cTable_name>

Step-by-Step Example

1. Create the following directory structure:

   C:\MAIN C:\MAIN\ONE C:\MAIN\TWO

   This can be done Visual FoxPro by issuing these commands:

   CD C:\ MD MAIN CD C:\MAIN MD ONE MD TWO

2. Issue the following commands in the Command Window:

   CD C:\MAIN\ONE CREATE TABLE tb_mytbl (fld1 c(10)) CD C:\MAIN\TWO CREATE TABLE tb_mytbl (fld1 c(10)) USE CD C:\MAIN CREATE DATABASE db_one ADD TABLE C:\MAIN\ONE\tb_mytbl CREATE DATABASE db_two ADD TABLE C:\MAIN\ONE\tb_mytbl SET DATABASE TO db_one

   These commands set up a scenario where a database named db_one contains a table named tb_mytbl, which is located in the C:\MAIN\ONE directory. Another database named db_two contains a different table named tb_mytbl, which is located in the C:\MAIN\TWO directory.

   The issue is to open the tb_mytbl table in the db_two database. The current database is db_one, so you can't use this command:

         USE tb_mytbl
   

   It would open the table in db_one located in C:\MAIN\ONE.

3. Open the tb_mytbl table in the db_two database by using this command:

   USE db_two!tb_mytbl