Summary

Symptoms

When building an InstallShield project, the following error may occur:

Error -6264: A record in the [1] table is using string ID [2] for column [3] but this string is blank and the column is not nullable.

[1] is a placeholder that contains the name of the table, [2] contains the specific string ID, and [3] contains the specific column generating this error.

Cause

When a project is built, the values contained within the string table are built into various tables within the MSI database. This error is known to occur when the string ID specified in the error message is blank, and the column specified cannot contain a blank value. For example, the string ID IDPROP_ARPCONTACT is written to the Property table during the build process, and if it were to contain a blank value, this error would result.

The only known instances of this error occurring are when the setup author manually removes values in the string tables, thereby causing this error.

Resolution

To resolve this error message, use one of these options:

Modify the String ID

1. Select the General Information view.

2. Expand the String Tables option in the center column, and select the desired language.

3. Scroll through the string table in the right panel and locate the string ID specified in the error message.

4. Enter a value for this string ID.

5. Rebuild the setup.

Modify the Entry in the Table

1. Select the Direct Editor view.

2. Click the table specified in the error message in the center panel.

3. Locate the column referenced in the error message within this table.

4. Scan through the column and locate the blank entry.

5. Enter a value into this field, so the field is no longer blank.

6. Rebuild the project.

All entries in this column should contain a value, as this ensures the build completes successfully.

Additional Information

Additional information on the particular table specified in the error message, including the values each column can accept, can be found in the Microsoft Windows Installer Help Library.