FIX: FOPEN() Does Not Search Path Specified by SET PATH

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b

SYMPTOMS

The FOPEN() function fails to find a file in the path specified by the SET PATH command.

WORKAROUND

Place the file to be opened by FOPEN in the Default Directory, or specify the file path when passing the filename to FOPEN().

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem has been fixed in Visual FoxPro 5.0 for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

Create and run a program containing this code:

   * Start of program
   *
   * This program assumes the existence of the file 'autoexec.bat' in the
   * c:\ directory.
   * Example - does not find file

   SET DEFAULT TO c:\temp   && This directory must exist
   SET PATH TO c:\
   nhand=FOPEN('autoexec.bat')   && Returns -1  -  FOPEN failed
   ?STR(nhand)+ " In SET PATH"

   * The following command returns 2 for "File not found"
   ?STR(FERROR()) + " FERROR Code"
   =FCLOSE(nhand)

   * Workaround 1 - finds file

   SET DEFAULT TO c:\
   nhand2=FOPEN('autoexec.bat')  && FOPEN succeeds in default directory
   ?STR(nhand2) + " In SET DEFAULT"
   =FCLOSE(nhand2)

   * Workaround 2 - finds file

   SET DEFAULT TO c:\temp   && This directory must exist
   nhand3=FOPEN('c:\autoexec.bat')   && FOPEN succeeds with path passed
   ?STR(nhand3) + " Path explicitly passed to FOPEN"
   =FCLOSE(nhand3)

      * End of program