A data corruption issue has been identified that can occur when undoing a column data type change on a column that uses the Value Labels property.
What Causes the Problem?
The issue occurs when all of the following conditions are met:
- A column has the Value Labels property assigned.
- The column's data type is changed (for example, from Numeric to Character).
- The change is reversed using Edit → Undo.
- The data table is then saved.
Under these circumstances, the saved data table can become corrupted.
What Are the Symptoms?
Once a table has been corrupted, attempting to reopen it can lead to unexpected behavior. In JMP® versions earlier than 19.1.5, opening the table may cause JMP to crash.
Because the corruption is written to the saved file, the issue persists across sessions and affects anyone who opens the table using an affected JMP version.
How Can You Avoid the Issue?
If your workflow involves columns with Value Labels, avoid using Undo to reverse a data type change.
Instead, if you need to restore the original data type:
- Open the column's Column Info dialog (Cols → Column Info...).
- Change the data type as desired.
- Click OK.
Alternatively, upgrading to JMP 19.1.5 or later eliminates this issue.
Can Corrupted Tables Be Recovered?
Yes. If you already have a corrupted data table, upgrading to JMP 19.1.5 or later can help recover the data.
When a corrupted table is opened in JMP 19.1.5 or later, JMP should:
- Detect the corrupted Value Labels column property.
- Remove the invalid property.
- Display a warning message.
- Successfully open the table.
After opening the table, save it again. The repaired table should then be accessible in earlier JMP versions without causing crashes.
Recommended Action
We recommend upgrading to JMP 19.1.5 or later as soon as possible. Until then, avoid using Undo to revert column data type changes and instead make those changes directly through the Column Info dialog.
If you have questions or need assistance recovering a table, please contact JMP Technical Support.