Script help

[Terry Morgan]

I am having illegal operations with the following script - I believe it occurs if the "Postcode" index is corrupt can a trp be put in to warn the index needs fixing to avoid the illegal ops. If so what are the script lines?

dim flag as l
flag = key_exist("Postcode",var->pcde)
IF flag = .t. THEN
PARENTFORM.close()
:Form.view("SQPOSTCODE")
ELSE
flag = exist(var->pcde,"Shopas","Postcode")
IF flag = .t. THEN
PARENTFORM.close()
:Form.view("SHOPASPOSTCODE")
ELSE
PARENTFORM.new_record()
END IF
END IF
end

Thanks
Terry

[Robert Adler]

RE: Script help

Terry:

Flag is a logical field. Is var->pcde logical?
then you are trying to put text into the flag field. this is probably where the error is.

run with debug and test.

I hope this helps.

bob adler

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Script help

key_exist returns a logical result so i do not think this is the problem. The script will work for hours and then suddenly give the ilegal ops. If the indexs are rebuilt the illegal ops cease.

Terry

[Peter.Wayne]

RE: Script help

What's the context in which you have put this script? Usually key_exist() would be put in a field rule for a table, but I doubt that is the context in which you have the script. Is this a button script, a form-level event, a table-level event, a field rule? What is the current table? Is var->pcde guaranteed to be defined and non-null in all cases?

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Script help

Peter
Nice to have your help
this is a button script working on the current table.
I have 14 identical buttons which work fine on the smaller tables but on the larger tables where indexes are inevitably less stable it gives the illegal ops.
Thanks
Terry

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Script help

Terry,

I notice that in your script the parentform is closed before another form is opened. In my own work I steer clear of such constructs. I don't want the current form to ever close if other commands remain to be executed in the script being run from that form, or an object on that form. So, what I do is to reverse the sequence. Open the new form, then close the current one.

I have no clue whether this is or may be related to the issue you're addressing, but thought I'd mention it since it's the only thing I see that struck me as a bit odd.

-- tom

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Script help

Terry,

Now, on to your question.

Have you tried putting an error trap on either side of the key_exist() line? If the error is trapped you could branch to a subroutine that rebuilds the index and invites the user to try again.

A larger question to me is why are your indexes getting corrupted? In normal usage this should not be happening unless you're experiencing power outages or network hardware glitches.

What version of Alpha Five are you running?

Are you using filtered indexes? Do the filter expressions rely on values that are not found in the current table? i.e. on global variables, or values in other tables...

-- tom

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Script help

Tom
Will an error trap fire to stop an illegal operation - if so what lines of script are required?
Indexes have always been a problem, so much so that I have structured things so there are now only two indexes required, each of which is based on a field value with no filters.
I am running v4.50
can you help me further?
Terry

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Script help

Peter
Is it safer to use exist with a pointer to the current table rather than key_exist.
Terry

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Script help

Terry,

The discussion of 'On Error GoTo' in Chapter 9 of the Xbasic Reference Manual is pretty straightforward, and includes examples. My thought is that you'd put an 'On Error Goto' command statement at the top of your script, and then add some errorhandler commands at the end. The errorhandler would simply popup a message box telling the user to reindex the files and try again.

I can't test your script without corrupted indexes to trigger the error.

-- tom

[Terry Morgan]

RE: Script help

Having put the error traps in I have now established that illegal operations have and are still occuring as soon as the button is pressed.
The action script attached to the button first runs a global script the code for which is as follows:-

ON ERROR GOTO error_handler
goto selection
selection:
tmppcde = ui_get_text("POSTCODE SEARCH","Enter the FULL POSTCODE for the PREMISES","","l&&&&&&&")
var->pcde = upper(remspecial(tmppcde))
IF var->pcde = ""
end
ELSEIF LEN(var->pcde)pcde)>8
ui_msg_box("INVALID POSTCODE","The Postcode you have entered is too long !", 48)
goto selection
end
ELSE
var->pcde1 = if(len(var->pcde)>=7,left(var->pcde,4),if(len(var->pcde)=5,left(var->pcde,2),left(var->pcde,3)))
var->pcde2 = right(var->pcde,3)
END IF
end
error_handler:
err = error_code_get()
msg = error_text_get(err)
ui_msg_box("Error report to TRM & run a FIX IT", msg)
END

Is there an obvious problem with this script or does anyone have any refinement suggestions.

Thanks
Terry

[Peter.Wayne]

RE: Script help

it sounds as though the problem occurs with key_exist() or exist() when your index gets corrupted. although there is no way i know of for alpha to report a corrupted index, you can prevent the crash by avoiding key_exist() as follows:

t=table.current()
t.index_primary_put("postcode")
rec=t.fetch_find(pcde)
if rec

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Script help

Terry, I don't see anything at first glance. If your script uses the variable you get from the user to do a find by key against your table, the index key you use must match the type of variable you are using. So, for example, if your index key is numeric, and you use your var (which is character) each attempt to do a find by key will fail.

If that's not the issue, how about posting a working model ofyour database here, so we can see the complete picture? (include a text file of instructions describing which form, and which button, you're working on, and what it is that you're trying to accomplish with the button push)

-- tom

[CraigSchumacker]

RE: Script help



Terry:
I don't see anything that would trigger an error here. The script you
posted can be thinned out a bit, though. Below is the same script without
the goto selection (not needed) and the templete on the ui_get_text obliterates
the need for the other elseif. I'll try to format this... Craig
ON ERROR GOTO error_handler

selection:
tmppcde = ui_get_text("POSTCODE SEARCH","Enter the FULL POSTCODE for the PREMISES","","l&&&&&&&")
var->pcde = upper(remspecial(tmppcde))

if var->pcde = ""
end

else if len(var->pcde)"5
ui_msg_box("INVALID POSTCODE","The Postcode you have entered is too short !", 48)
goto selection

else
var->pcde1 = if(len(var->pcde)>=7,left(var->pcde,4),

if(len(var->pcde)=5,left(var->pcde,2),

left(var->pcde,3)))

var->pcde2 = right(var->pcde,3)

end if

end

error_handler:
err = error_code_get()
msg = error_text_get(err)
ui_msg_box("Error report to TRM & run a FIX IT", msg)
END

[CraigSchumacker]

RE: Script help

Terry:

Well, as usual, I forgot to do something and this board swallowed some characters!

There needs to be a forward slash at the end of every line in the else statement to continue the line in XBasic (If you choose to format it as shown...).

Craig