Strange NUL value occurrence in some fields
Ken Cole
ken.m.cole at gmail.com
Thu Feb 5 21:18:50 UTC 2026
James,
I suggest checking and ensuring the maps of the two files are identical.
Ken
On Fri, 6 Feb 2026 at 05:30, Joe Chasan via Filepro-list <
filepro-list at mailman.celestial.com> wrote:
> So are the null fields in the original file only, the copied-to file, or
> both?
>
> -joe
>
> On Thu, Feb 05, 2026 at 12:20:50PM -0600, James Flanagan wrote:
> > Joe,
> >
> > In this particular case, there is no import from any outside file.
> >
> > The data entry for the record is accumulated until complete in a
> temporary standing file. Upon save, a lookup to another file, with an
> identical map, is made and then the copy command is used to _mirror_ those
> field values to the saved file record.
> >
> > I am in the process of putting in a looped command to check for NUL
> values in fields, but I would still like to know how this could have
> happened. Thank you very much,
> >
> >
> > James Flanagan
> > Flantec.com <http://flantec.com/>
> >
> > email: James at Flantec.com <mailto:James at Flantec.com>
> > mobile: 760-458-8498
> > home: 219-221-6219
> > text: 7604588498 at txt.att.net <mailto:7604588498 at txt.att.net>
> >
> > Skype: Flantec
> > ichat: James at Flantec.com <mailto:James at Flantec.com>
> >
> > home: 1901 Cidermill Road
> > Michigan City, IN 46360
> >
> > _
> >
> > > On Feb 4, 2026, at 11:15_AM, Joe Chasan <joe at magnatechonline.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > How does the data get into these fields exactly?
> > >
> > > I think I've seen this when pulling in garbage from an import file.
> > >
> > > How to fix?
> > >
> > > First, confirm if filePro truly sees this as null - maybe a
> > > process table that checks for chr("0") with contains command.
> > >
> > > *If* that works, then I think you can have filePro fix it.
> > >
> > > With newer filepro (!!!), you can use replace command, but I think
> yours
> > > is too old for that. Not sure about xlate, I know xlate would not
> pull
> > > chr("0") out originally, perhaps it was fixed in more recent versions,
> but
> > > again, you're on 5.7.
> > >
> > > Failing that - and this is untested, if you don't have replace
> command, it's
> > > messy, but I think you could make a loop with the mid command,
> checking each
> > > character for non-null-character and rebuild field: if non-null, stick
> it
> > > into a new temp field, then when finished looping through the field,
> copy
> > > temp field back to real.
> > >
> > > And the box characters are how chr("0") through chr("10") display on
> > > a filepro screen, whether in data, show, msgbox, errorbox, etc.
> > >
> > > -joe
> > >
> > > On Mon, Feb 02, 2026 at 05:06:34PM -0600, James Flanagan via
> Filepro-list wrote:
> > >> FreeBSD 12.2
> > >> Filepro 5.7.00.09D4
> > >>
> > >> I have found a few occurrences of what appeared to be data corruption
> in a few fields in my database.
> > >>
> > >> In the fields where this had occurred, the screen with those field
> values would appear to show an _upper left hand corner line_ where there
> should have otherwise been an ascii letter or number, as the edit type for
> the field is (6,allup).
> > >>
> > >> http://flantec.com/images/filepro1.png
> > >>
> > >> I have examined the keyfile in a hex editor, and the 6 characters for
> this field, represented on the far right as ____, have ascii values as _00_
> for each character, the NUL character. As you see both above and below the
> 00_s, every other _blank_ character in each field is represented by _20_,
> the standard space character. No matter if you blank out a field manually,
> or send a lookup(8)=_ _ type of command, the blank field will always be
> made of _20_ ascii characters.
> > >>
> > >> http://flantec.com/images/filepro2.png
> > >>
> > >> In addition, this only affects this field in question, without
> affecting the fields either prior or after, which I would assume rules out
> any intermittent failing drive. Not to mention, this corruption to the
> field appears to happen on the original save of the record, and not as the
> result of any subsequent edit to the record.
> > >>
> > >> So, my question is does anyone have any idea what could possibly be
> happening here, resulting in an ascii _00_ character, and even more
> importantly, how to possibly prevent it? Thank you very much in advance...
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> James Flanagan
> > >> Flantec.com <http://flantec.com/>
> > >>
> > >> email: James at Flantec.com <mailto:James at Flantec.com>
> > >> mobile: 760-458-8498
> > >> home: 219-221-6219
> > >> text: 7604588498 at txt.att.net <mailto:
> 7604588498 at txt.att.net>
> > >>
> > >> Skype: Flantec
> > >> ichat: James at Flantec.com <mailto:James at Flantec.com>
> > >>
> > >> home: 1901 Cidermill Road
> > >> Michigan City, IN 46360
> > >>
> > >> _
> > >>
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> > > -joe
> > >
> > > --
> > > -Joe Chasan- Magnatech Business Systems, Inc.
> > > joe - at - magnatechonline -dot- com Plainview, NY - USA
> > > https://www.MagnatechOnline.com Tel.(516) 931-4444
> > > Proud member of iXorg Fax.(516) 931-1264
> >
> -joe
>
> --
> -Joe Chasan- Magnatech Business Systems, Inc.
> joe - at - magnatechonline -dot- com Plainview, NY - USA
> https://www.MagnatechOnline.com Tel.(516) 931-4444
> Proud member of iXorg Fax.(516) 931-1264
> _______________________________________________
> Filepro-list mailing list
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