FIX: Query Designer Not Inserting Record if Field Name Has Dash (165433)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to add a row to an SQL Server table using Query Designer you receive the following error if one of the table's field names contains a "-":

ODBC error: 37000 [Microsoft][SQL Server Driver]Line2: Incorrect syntax near '-'

CAUSE

The data tool creates an SQL INSERT statement that doesn't put quotes around field names. The generated INSERT statement would look like:

   INSERT INTO "x" (id, e-mail)
   VALUES (1, 'name')

If data tools generated an INSERT statement that used double quotes around the field name, then the INSERT would work. The following syntax would work:

   INSERT INTO "x" (id, "e-mail")
   VALUES (1, 'name')

You can verify this by using the SQL Trace utility that ships with SQL Server 6.5. You can use MS Query to test both INSERT statements.

RESOLUTION

You can work around this problem in the following ways:

Rename the field so that it doesn't contain a hyphen.

-or-
Create the SQL INSERT statement manually. Click the SQL button on the Query toolbar after you open the table. Type and execute the correct INSERT statement. You need to retype the original SELECT query to see the updated contents of the table.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Visual C++ version 6.0 for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Create a database project that has an SQL Server data source.

Create a table with a field that has a dash in it. For example, use the following script:

   create table employee
   ( id              integer,
     "e-mail"   varchar(10) )

      // Note the double quotes to avoid the error with the dash.

In the data view of the project, open the table.
Try to insert a record, that is (1, name), and the error message appears.