PRB: Large Temporary Files and Slow Performance with UNIX

• Microsoft FoxPro for UNIX, version 2.6

SYMPTOMS

Sometimes when you port FoxBASE for UNIX applications to FoxPro for UNIX, your systems can become slow and create huge temporary files, filling up their available disk space. In most cases, this behavior occurs when SET DOHISTORY is ON. In FoxBASE, having SET DOHISTORY ON helped programmers determine what caused an error in their programs. The Help file for FoxPro has a caution that reads:

   Programs execute many times slower when SET DOHISTORY is ON. DOHISTORY
   constructs a temporary file as the program executes because the Command
   window is a special type of FoxPro editor session. This can fill up even
   a large disk very quickly.

   Use SET DOHISTORY only as a debugging aid to isolate particularly
   stubborn bugs. Be sure to remove any SET DOHISTORY ON commands from your
   programs before you execute or distribute them.

CAUSE

SET DOHISTORY is set to ON.

RESOLUTION

Remove SET DOHISTORY ON from the program, or issue SET DOHISTORY OFF in the program (the default is OFF).

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

SET DOHISTORY was included for backward compatibility. Use Trace and Debug to isolate problems with your program.

REFERENCES

Help file SET DOHISTORY