weird error message

[SmartMLMer]

I am working in a database (the only one open) and trying to edit field rules and the message comes up

The table/set is being used by another user or in another session and could not be opened in exclusive mode.
Field rules can be viewed but no changes can be saved.

I even rebooted the computer and started over and am still getting the message.

Any ideas???

[Tbaker]

Re: weird error message

Bruce

You can get that message if you have opened a form as a dialog and have not issued a <form>.close() from the calling form. The form would be hidden but still open and therefore the table that is connected to that form will still be open causing the error message.


FWIW

Tom Baker

[SmartMLMer]

Re: weird error message

Thanks for responding Tom.

I am not sure what to do with the info you sent though. Can you explain "what to do" to a novice who is in the very early learning stage, like where do I go and then what do I do.

Thanks again.

[Tbaker]

Re: weird error message

Bruce


First of all, are you using any code that would open a form as a dialog?

Second - you know which table is open since you get the message when trying to edit field rules. Make a list of the forms that use that table that is open.

Then from the control panel select the interactive window and then type the names of the forms 1 by 1 in the interactive editor.

If you find you have two forms that belong to the table that is open - say form1 and form2 then in the interactive editor you would type the following

:form1.close() ' press enter 

:form2.close() 'press enter

after you type :form1.close() then press the enter key

That will close the corresponding form if it is open.

If you have used a dialog and have not closed the form from the calling form, you may have more than one entry for the form with a number after the form name. You would have to close those also.


However, I just re-read your post and you said that you shut the application down and then rebooted the computer and it still is showing an open table - that could be caused by code on an event on a form.

You could try, shutting down the application, then rebooting the computer. Load the application holding down CTRL-Shift and then selecting do not load start up form do not run autoexec script.

That will open you up directly to the control panel. Now from the File menu select database information and you will then see a dialog appear that tells you what tables are open in your application. If you have shut down your computer and have done the ctrl-shift sequence as above, there should be no files open.

If you still have the problem, you could zip a stripped down version of your application so we can have a look at it.

Hope I made this clear enough.

Tom Baker

[SmartMLMer]

Re: weird error message

This was good BUT I actually have been creating a new database and I don't have any forms in it yet and so none are open. And I just closed the DB again and reopening it says that the table/set is being used by another.

So???

[Tbaker]

Re: weird error message

Bruce

Have you tried compacting the db?

Tom Baker

Edit: Are you saying that you can't get to the control panel or can you get to the control panel and are trying to open the table's field rules? In other words you close the database and then try opening the adb file to open the database and you get the message? or - you can open the database but cannot open the table(s) to edit the structure or the field rules?

Are there any records in your table(s).

I guess I am misunderstanding what is happening.

Tom Baker

[SmartMLMer]

Re: weird error message

Hello again Tom,
I believe the zip file might be attached but not sure as I haven't done this before. If it is not attached that is where we will need to start.

Thank you for your time and knowledge on this.
Bruce

[Tbaker]

Re: weird error message

Bruce

Zip file was attached - just downloaded it - will have a look and let you know

Tom Baker

[SmartMLMer]

Re: weird error message

Thank you.
The table that was giving me the problem was main. It is the one that will not allow me to change anything in the Edit Field Rules area.

My main concern is with the letters and being able to use them. I lost the first four and the eleventh one which is major problems for me and something I have to handle before I give this to others.

Also, in this database the Freedom table disappeared and I put up the one field Freedom so the letters wouldn't disappear.

Again Thanks.

[Tbaker]

Re: weird error message

Bruce

Seems like you have a corrupted table "maindb"

In the zip file that you sent me the main table is the only one that I could see, all the other tables were not there "activities etc". See the thumbnail.

I doesn't matter since I could not get the maindb to work.

What I did though was open the structure of maindb (read only since it was showing as being used by another session) and I copied the table structure to Lotus. The I created a new database (newmain.adb) and created a table called main_tbl and copied the structure to that table. I then went back to your database and copied the letters that were there to the new table so that you didn't lose them.

I then copied the Data Dictionary files over to the new database so the field rules would be intact - I could do that since the table structure was identical .

The only table there will be the main_tbl (same as your old main) the others were not there.

Unzip this to its own folder so you dont overwrite your other tables. You can then copy the other table to the new folder with the main_tbl. Don't copy the main.dbf it has a problem.

There is one record in the main_tbl table so I could test your letters. I noticed that some of your letters have fields listed that are not in the main table but I just thought your database was a work in progress.

Hope this helps.

Tom Baker