I use a three-char prefix on fieldnames, to identify the table they belong to.
I am adding new fields to an existing table (Members.dbf). The fieldnames are all prefixed with "MBR_" (as in MBR_PK, MBR_NAME, etc.)
I added a few fields and then added "MBR_" and mistakenly went to add a new field, without completing the name of the previous field. "MBR_" alone is not an existing field so it did accept it as a valid name. I went back to fix it and it showed a Wait Window saying "Renaming Field" and immediately froze VFP8 (SP1). had to kill the process, and lose all the unsaved changes.
Re-load VFP8. The DBC is fine. The Members table is fine (no structural errors). All newly added fields are of course lost. I start again and on a hunch I try the same thing on purpose. A crash again.
Is there a problem with a fieldname ending in underscore? Not that I would use that as a valid fieldname but why would that fail?
Note: I tested from the command box, without SDT. Typed CREATE and got the table structure dialog for a new table. Added a field ending in underscore and saved w/o problem.