FoxPro File Opened Via ODBC Displays Wrong Extended Characters

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a

SYMPTOMS

In Word for Windows, if you open a Microsoft FoxPro for Windows file using open database connectivity (ODBC), extended ANSI characters above 0128 may incorrectly map to the wrong character. For example, the British pound symbol (ANSI code 0163), maps to the accented lowercase letter U (ANSI code 0250).

CAUSE

FoxPro for Windows stores extended characters as ASCII character codes, then directly translates these ASCII codes into ANSI codes when you open the .DBF file in FoxPro. When you use ODBC, however, no translation from ASCII to ANSI occurs, so Word interprets the ASCII character codes as ANSI and displays the wrong character.

For example, FoxPro maps ANSI character 0163 (British pound symbol) to the ASCII character 250 (also the British pound symbol). When you use ODBC to open the FoxPro file, Word reads ASCII 250 as ANSI 0250 and displays the accented lowercase letter U.

WORKAROUND

Save the FoxPro database file as a Microsoft Excel .XLS file, then use the Microsoft Excel converter to open or insert the file in Word.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Appendix A, "Character Sets," pages 757-766