Field Rules lockup

[EJR]

I'm using v10.5, Build 3432-3608, MS C Compiler v1200.

Each time I try to add a new item during data entry, Alpha Five locks up. The attached database shows how the field rule does not work. This is a very simple database I put together yesterday afternoon, nothing complex, just an issue that seems to be with field rules. Maybe I did something wrong, but I don't see what.

How to replicate bug:
First, make sure to close whatever else you're working on in case this locks up your system. On mine (Vista Home Premium 64-bit), it locks up and I have to shut down the application with the Task Manager.

Run the Main Menu, select Add Stuff to add items. Enter whatever information you want, but then go to the drop-down menu of 'First Attribute' and select 'Add new entry to list' and the system freezes every time.

More info about the bug:
Look at the Field Rules for the 'Att1name' field for the 'things' file. In the Lookup tab, the option 'Form layout to edit records' points to my simple form, 'Enter Type'. If I change this to 'Default form' then Alpha Five does not lock up.

Has anyone else experienced lockups like this? I plan to report this as a bug if somebody can confirm the same lockup on their system.

Thanks.

[markmoss]

Re: Field Rules lockup

EJR

Must be something with your machine, I just ran your application and had no problems adding an item to the list.

I also just downloaded the current version of Alpha5 Build 3432_3608


Mark Moss
:)

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Mark, thanks for trying that out. I currently have only one computer setup to run this; I guess I'll set up another with XP or 32-bit Vista to see if there's a difference. And I'll keep trying other tweaks to see if I can get it to work, or if I can find another clue as to why this doesn't work on my computer.

Edit: I just tried this on a second computer, a 32-bit Vista Home Premium system, same error - it locks up the same as my other 64-bit Vista computer. So I wonder if this is a Vista problem. Mark, what OS did you use? And did you to try this more than once?

To anyone else who is willing to try this out: This is not a big thing for me, as I spent less than an hour setting this up and can use a different method. It's just that I think I've found a bug and wanted some confirmation that others see the same thing. It apparently works on Mark's computer, but not on the two where I have Alpha Five installed. And I want to help make A5 rock solid.

And just so we're on the same page, the error does not occur when adding an 'Item', but only when selecting an 'Attribute Name' that doesn't yet exist in the list (the field rule allows adding records to the types.dbf file, and that's when the error occurs). On both of my computers, the error occurs when I run the 'Main Menu' form, click on either button to add a new item, and then move the cursor to the 'First Attribute' row in the 'Attribute Name' column. I then click on the drop down menu for that field that provides the list of attributes, starting with 'Account No.' and then 'Brand', 'Combination', etc. I then click on the underlined entry 'Add new entry to list' at the very top, and that's when Alpha Five locks up. I didn't program any specific logic for this, I only edited the field rules. And, this DOES NOT OCCUR if I use the default form for the 'types.dbf' form, which has only one field.

Thanks again.

[markmoss]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Eric

I just tried it again on my Windows XP Service Pack 3 computer and it again worked fine.

I followed your directions exactly.

You might try to set up a Virtual PC under Windows Vista and load Windows XP into it.

Check it out at

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/vir...c/default.aspx


Mark Moss

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Mark, thanks again. I'll install A5 on my XP-sp3 machine and see how that works.

And I'm hoping somebody else can try this, preferably on a Vista machine.

Thanks.

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

New Information:
On my Vista computers (64-bit Vista Home Premium, SP2) when I use the field rule to use a form I created to add an entry to a lookup list, the computer appears to lock up, but I've found that the form is simply invisible or unavailable. Pressing Alt-F4 brings control back, but there's no way to see the form. I can actually enter a new item (I can't see the input form or anything I type), and when I press Alt-F4, then A5 asks me to confirm that I want to save the change in progress, and all is well. I just can't see the form.

I created a new database with a new field rule, same type, same problem. This is a bug that I'll report.

[Ton Spies]

Re: Field Rules lockup

.... when I use the field rule to use a form I created to add an entry to a lookup list, the computer appears to lock up, .....

Hi Eric,
Please take a look at http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ad.php?t=89288

Although it is different because of the form that disappears, do you recognize this as an similarity to this thread?

Ton

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Field Rules lockup

This is a bug that I'll report.

While this may or may not be a 'bug', it can be fixed by eliminating the registry entries for Alpha and then restarting Alpha.

See this post.

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Ton, that seems to be a bit different. In my situation (I have video showing what it going on here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/qk7qz9 -careful, 'cuz it's a 79mb avi!), I've realized the form actually exists but is hidden. On the video you can see the 'a5_lookup_window' tab at the bottom of the screen next to the Control Panel tab that appears when I follow the steps, but the form is apparently invisible. But I can actually type (invisibly) a new item, and then if I press Alt-F4 I'm asked to confirm my change. If I say 'yes', what I typed has been entered and things work from there.

Al, thanks for the tip. I sent the above video to Selwyn who's looking into this. (And I sold millions of copies of software decades ago, and so I know exactly how this "I swear it does this crazy stuff on my machine even though it is clean on yours" thing is so hard to track down.) I don't want to clean the registry just yet, in the event it might help track down this issue.

But I will eventually do as you suggest, great idea. I'm still in "learning mode" on some development stuff.

And thanks again to everyone for being willing to help - this is a great forum!!

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Al, I exported the register entries first, then cleared them all for A5 v 10, restarted A5, re-entered my license number, and the problem still occurs. I cycled through this twice, no change.

I decided to export the entries for v8 and v9 and then delete those, which I did. Still no difference after relicensing A5. I wonder if there are other files, maybe I should try a clean install (I don't relish the though of doing that!).

Since it makes no difference on my system, I'll reimport the registry entries so I have my system preferences et al back where they were. I'll play with Alpha Sports to see if the bug raises its head there.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Are you sure the registry entries went away? Doesn't sound like they did...

Also I'm not sure why you have 2 different forms for adding types. You can call the same form from 2 different lookup fieldrules....

Does this ever lock up on the second attribute field?

Cal will chime in soon about naming objects... ;)

Start with a letter, letters - numbers - underscores only. I also use that rule in directory names that hold the Alpha db - all the way down from the root folder of the drive it's on..

and what build are you on?

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Al, this is simply a test program where I was trying out the lookup feature, so once I ran into the roadblock I tried various other solutions. I found none that would work other than using the default form, yet I wanted to have a better-looking form. I've given up trying other forms or other solutions. I'm using v10.5, Build 3432-3608, MS C Compiler v1200.

As to deleting the registry entries, yes they were fully deleted. A5 asked for the license again, and it knew nothing about the preferences or history. And when I re-ran A5 and inspected the entries, the total entries was a small fraction of what they were before I deleted them. I figured when I had some more time I'd redo it.

In fact, I just tried it again, deleting the entire Alpha Software tree, plus deleting the Alpha Five printer entries. I closed regedit and then fired it up again, there was no Alpha Software tree. Then I ran A5, it requested my license which I entered, then I opened the database and the problem is still there.

[EJR]

Re: Field Rules lockup

Selwyn just emailed me that this bug has now been fixed and the fix will be in the next update.

You know, this is just awesome how the AlphaSoftware team will jump on these things to make and keep Alpha Five clean and stable, even crazy little bugs like this one that nobody else's computer would duplicate. I'll sleep much better tonight.

And this forum is awesome, too!