You receive an error message when you run a query in Microsoft Access because of a double-byte Arabic number

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Access 2010

Symptoms

In Microsoft Access 2010, Microsoft Access 2007, or in Microsoft Office Access 2003, you experience one of the following symptoms:

Symptom 1

You receive an error message when you run a query that has a field name that begins with a double-byte arabic number. For example, if the field name contains two or more characters, such as "�PMonth", you receive the following error message:

Syntax error in query expression ' Table Name .�PMonth': Missing operator.

If the field name only contains one character, such as "1", you receive the following error message:

Invalid use of '.', '!', or '()' in query expression ' Table Name. '. NoteIn Access 2003, this issue only occurs when you run the query on a Windows Vista-based computer.

Symptom 2

You use a table that contains some fields whose names begin with double-byte arabic numbers. Then, you create a query to select all the data for the field names that begin with double-byte arabic numbers. When you run this query, you receive the following error message:

Syntax error (missing operator) in query expression 'TableName.FieldName'.

Note The TableName placeholder represents the name of the table that you are querying. The FieldName placeholder represents the name of the field name that you are querying.

Note This issue may also occur for objects other than tables.

Resolution

To resolve the issue that is described in Symptom 1, see Resolution 1.

To resolve the issue that is described in Symptom 2, see Resolution 2.

Resolution 1

To resolve this problem, enclose the field name in single-byte square brackets ([ ]). For example, change the field name from 1Month to [1 Month].

Resolution 2

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1

  1. Change any field names that begin with double-byte arabic numbers so that they do not use double-byte arabic numbers.
  2. Create and then save a new query.

Method 2

  1. Create a new query that is based on the table. Name the new query Query1.

  2. Create a field that is named TableName.* to the query.

    Note Do not add any other fields except TableName.*.

  3. Save the new query.

  4. Use the new query to select the fields that you want.

More Information

Steps to reproduce the problem

  1. In Access, create a table.
  2. Define a field by using a name that begins with a double-byte Arabic number.
  3. Create a query that refers to the field in the table.
  4. Run the query.