Is there a limit to the number of fields a file can contain after a join? I'm joining table 1 to table 2, then joining table 2 to table 3. I see field 1 after the first join but it is not in the table after the second join.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Selena B,

Selena,
when you join, its A to B
and then A to C, where A is now the entity formed after the first join (A=A+B);
do a
? JOIN
after your first join
and a
CHECK FILE filenameA PICTURE
which will give you an interesting view.
then table file your first join to see what you get.
if you're happy, go on to the add the second join, and repeat the ? JOIN and the CHECK.
You can use DevStu to do the joins, it will take all the worry out, and give you a picture.

Susannah thank you so much for your input. You're right and that's how I meant to reference it - table 1 to table 2 then table 1 to table 3. That is in fact an interesting view. I didn't know you could do that. I'm not sure I'm understanding all of the information it's listing though. One thing I did notice is that it's saying the total # of fields after the first join is 100 when it should be 102. After the second join it lists 145 for the total # of fields when there should be 160. It also list out 4 fields under each table that I'm joining together. (I'm not sure why it lists 4. I'm only joining on 2 fields). I hope this makes sense.

you're making progress nicely...
the PICTURE option on the CHECK command just lists 4 fields, that's the nature of the thing. just to show you whats hooked up to what.

If you do a hold on your join and then refenece that table with ?F you can see what is missing:

ie:

quote:

JOIN ID_1 IN TABLE_1 TO ID_2 IN TABLE_2 AS J1


TABLE FILE TABLE_1
PRINT *
ON TABLE HOLD AS H1 FORMAT XFOCUS
END

?F H1

this will give you a list of all fields in your new structure and you can look and see what is missing...

Nubi,

That won't work if you have a hierarchy because PRINT * takes only the left-most path.

However after a JOIN you can use ?FF on the structure and get all the fields:

  
-* File QFF.fex
?FF GGSALES
?FF GGPRODS
JOIN PCD IN GGSALES TO PCD IN GGPRODS AS P
?FF GGSALES

really? i didn't know that, i had used the ?ff statement but din't think she would need the field types- so sorry about that should have checked before i posted... :d

Selena,

Did you put "AS J1" and "AS J2" on your joins?
If you don't use an AS name you only have the last join.

Thank you all for your input. PBrightwell - yes I am using 'AS' along with tags. One of the dbas nicely volunteered to write a sql passthrough with all of the joins. I will continue to play around in the WF code using the suggestions posted here. Again, thank you all so much!