A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

[fsi]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

This is posted in the hope it might help Alpha troubleshoot (as in a previous post, it appears Selwyn was requesting video and/or screen shots).

I used Expression Builder to create the Calculated Field.
A screenshot of the Expression Builder with valid expression ("VALID") is attached.

As can be seen in the screenshot, Expression Builder declares the expression valid, correctly interprets the return type as N and correctly calculates the dbsum against the desired column, yielding 33.

I click on OK to close Expression Builder; I then see the correct expression in the Field Properties form ("VALID2"), and click OK to close Field Properties.

NOW I run the form. The field on the form comes up blank (where it should display 33).
I switch back into Design mode, right-click on the calculated field (on the form), and select Properties.

What I then see ("PROPERTIES") makes no sense, as the expression is now prepended with *BAD_EXPR and the KEY_VALUE has been changed to A_CASE->case_id (there is NO table A_CASE).

Then, upon launching the Expression Builder, I see the expression has been changed ("INVALID"), as attached.

P.S. I've also experienced problems of late with Alpha sometimes "forgetting" Global Variables as defined through View>Global Variables. Please note: it's not that it forgets the VALUE of the variable... it forgets that the definition exists. Thus, as I create my Global Variable today, as I open the project tomorrow, the Global Variable will no longer be present!

[Bill Parker]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

With Bill H.s help I have found how the a_case-> problem is generated by A5Doc. If in the A5Doc settings you select to create a New doc table, these commands are executed and then you get the a_case-> problem.

t = table.open(vA5docPath +"doc.dbf")
t.duplicate(A5Doc.AdbPath+"_doc"+A5Doc.Adb+".dbf", 7)	' copy everything
t.close()

Executing this plain vanilla code to duplicate a table from the interactive window in your own database also causes the problem. So lots of xbasic may be generating the same issue.

As far as A5Doc until Alpha gets a fix, on the A5Doc main menu, Settings tab, set the documentation option to Update, vs. New. The first time you document a database the above code will run and you will get the problem. But with Update, you are OK after that (as far as A5Doc generating the problem).

In my testing the form continues to work correctly until is is edited and saved. so if your app is in production the problem may not be noticed.

Bill.

[Raymond Lyons]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

I still had the A_CASE-> problem with 1772-3208 and submitted a bug report with my best guess as to how to replicate it. Got this response from Selwyn: " ok, this should be fixed now. thanks." Of course "now" will mean the next patch. Let's hope the problem will then be history.

Ray

[fsi]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Did I misinterpret release notes for October 30ths 1817-3212?? Was this release supposed to resolve the A_CASE issue for calculated fields (expressions)??

I'm not using A5Doc, have patched to 1817-3212, still seeing same problem.

If this patch really fixes the problem, what more must I do? I have already edited the expressions, removed the A_CASE, and saved again, but issue pops up again immediately.

[CALocklin]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Obviously I have no idea why the new release didn't fix it but don't just delete the A_Case->. Instead, change it to the name of the parent table.

EXAMPLE:
If you have a form based on a set where the parent table is Invoice_Header and a field reference in your expression is A_Case->Inv_Ttlf, change it to Invoice_Header->Inv_Ttlf.

That should give you some relief until Alpha gets it fixed completely. Until that happens, just don't forget to include the table name the next time you build an expression that refers to a field in the parent table.

[fsi]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

I'm getting no relief with that approach.

A5 simply muscles it back to the same old statement:
*BAD_EXPR dbsum("Ledger","Account",A_CASE->Account_Id,"Payment")

I see a manual fetch loop and calculation in my future.

[whanigsberg]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

I must say that the recent patch solves the A->case issue for me. At least the one action by which I was able to reliably reproduce it no longer does so. If you posted a demo others could look at it.

And of course you could send it to the company.

[Ed Merritt]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Cal, I have seen the same problem, as have many others. I turned up a post by someone, don't remember who, that suggested fixing the errors, saving everthing then restarting A5. That seemed to work for me. I also installed the patch this week, and so far haven't seen the A_Case bug.

Seems to be some kind of memory management problem, not that Alpha has ever had that before........Can you say "granular crash" ??

Update:

I've realized this morning that it seems to be the A5_Doc app that is causing the problem. Please read my other response regarding this issue in this thread.

[Ed Merritt]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

William, I've been having the same problem with the A_CASE thing showing up, but just today I realized that the culprit has to be the A5_Doc app. I have a folder of files for my order management system, and have copied the entire folder to another folder where I test out any new changes, etc., before doing it live. I did install A5_Doc in that second folder and that's where I'm seeing the problem. The original production files are fine and have not had that problem.

I would suggest to all who read this to delete the A5_Doc until a solution to the problem is available.

[whanigsberg]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

I tested for the issue by running A5doc against the application and A_case does not recur. There was never a "problem with with A5_doc". Rather, A5doc happened to use a legitimate Alpha5 method which produced the issue which is why I employed it to test the patch.

[Bill Parker]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Bill H. is right. A5Doc is not the culprit, it was just a messenger. A few posts earlier in this same thread, here, I posted the code in A5Doc that triggered the problem. With Bill identifying that the problem could be produced by A5Doc, I traced through to identify the code, and sent it to Alpha. They said they would fix it, and it seems they did.

It now seems there may be other causes of the problem as well. So if anyone can find a way to reliably reproduce it, send it to Alpha and I expect they will respond as positively as they did to this case.

Bill.

[JPFromtally]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Ok..... I think I got it working... Here are the steps:

1. Install latest update... For some reason, A5 was not letting me know in the startup screen that there was an update available.
2. Delete the A_Case statements in the Calc dialog (not the expression builder!)
3. Save and restart a5.

[Michael Humby]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

I've just been hit by the A_case calculations bug, admittedly I am using an October build prior to the supposed fix. (I am using this build because of various other bugs in later builds that have not been resolved.)

What I'd like to know is - does the bug only occur during development, or can this bug re-occur once my application has been deployed using the runtime?

If the bug does only occur during development then I handle that, but if it crops up again during runtime use then I've got problems because there's not much I can do once my customers have the application.

Any help would be appreciated,

Regards,

Michael.

[fsi]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

As for me (and thus my advice), there was no suggestion forwarded that led to a definitive solution. All this talk about A5Doc - and I don't have A5Doc! So, as stated in my last post, I moved toward a manual fetch. Not that big a deal, really, and I wrote it such that it's a general calculation script.

I am well aware of Murphy's Law. I chose to not risk the gamble on A5 to behave properly after deployment. As I said, the manual fetch and fetch next loop isn't that big a deal. In fact, it took less time to create my own calc script than was spent trying to get the built-in calc to work reliably. Now I sleep with confidence.

[Michael Humby]

Re: A_Case-> in calc expressions on forms.

Thanks John, not too sure if I'd be able to use one of your fetch scripts though because these are custom calculations that appear in the properties of my forms/reports, not the scripts.

This bug appeared in the calculations of a specific form. Anyone know if this bug spreads to all other forms or if it is isolated to just the occasional form?

Michael.