HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

[back4more]

We are running A5V5 on a peer to peer network and have Win2K and also WinXP - We have had trouble with Alpha not releasing memory when we close the program.

After running Alpha and then closing the program the task manager shows that it is gone but system info shows it still running. Shutting down windows we get the screen that says that Windows is trying to shut down Alpha but it will not respond. In windows the System Information window shows that Alpha is still running and is using 99% of the CPU time. All other programs slow to a snails pace.

I've downloaded the latest build of Alpha and it has had no effect. This has been happening on both the WinXP and the 2K machine.

We need to get this resolved as we want to put Alpha Back online here.

Has anyone else had this problem or a solution to it?

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Dan

Normally this problem occurs when something in the code leaves a form or table open. In every case where I have seen the problem, it has been a problem in the code, not Alpha.

Some areas where you might see this

Dialog forms opened but not closed explicitly
Tables opened in xbasic and not closed
A form left in edit mode
A user function with an error that doesn't complete the function code and leaves the function open
A unending loop in the code or a circular process
Any unresolved error in the code anywhere in the database

This is not very explicit, but then these problems can be hard to trace. The big problem is that frequently the problem is intermittant. I had one form that would cause this problem if I closed the form before a script on a save button was completed. Depending on how quick the code ran, the problem would come and go.

Jerry

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Dan,

To confirm Jerry's on the right track (as ususal) you might try opening and then closing the AlphaSports application... leaving your custom app closed the entire session.

What does TaskManager report ?

-- tom

[back4more]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Task manager reports nothing running. All tasks closed.

System information however shows A5 running.

Based on the Jerry's and your response, is there any way to assure everything is shut down before closing A5 ?

If I go back to the control panel before shutting down and make sure all windows are closed, would that insure that everything was complete? Often times I just hit the big "X" in corner of the main window to leave...maybe this isn't the best way to go?

I'll try a few things here and see if it makes a difference.

Dan

[martinwcole]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

this may or may not apply - but I can't get alpha to work properly when I open a form as a dialog

this should work:

f=form.load("someform","dialog")
f:someobject.value="now is the time"
f.show()
f.activate()
f.close()
'the form should now be closed - but it isn't
'the work around I am using is to add:
if is_object("someform")
:someform.close()
end if
'now it is closed
'if the form is not closed you may get error messages when trying to close and/or compact the database, etc.
so if you are opening forms as dialogs - this may be the problem.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Dan,

Have you disabled the automatic refresh for the Control Panel ? It's an option in the Advanced section of View / Settings.

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Martin

I think the problem is in your code syntax. One issue is that it appears the code is placing the form in edit mode but not saving the change.

f=form.load("someform","dialog")
f:someobject.value="now is the time"
' that line will probably put the form in change mode
f.show()
f.activate()
' this line shown below should force the form to save
f.commit()
f.close()

I frequently will add a commmit() or cancel() line before the form is closed in xbasic to force the form to do one or the other.

Also try removing the activate() as it isn't needed. The show() command makes the form visible and stops processing of the script. When the form closes, the activate() command tries to activate it again, leaving the form open. If you want to use the activate(), it should be before the show()

Dialog forms are very picky about correct syntax. A small error can have big consequences.

Jerry

[[email protected]]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

I have a similar problem. I have an application with no code, just forms written by wizards. I close the application and then Alpha V. I am using Windows 2000 and the Task Manager shows nothing. Nevertheless, when I close down, I get a screen saying "Closing Alpha V" followed by another screen saying "Cannot close Alpha V. Terminate application? You may lose unsaved data. Close now? y/n." I say yes and the system shuts down. I repeat the question asked by another, how do I make sure Alpha V is fully closed? Naturally this problem is intermittent. Thanks Ed

[martinwcole]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

thanks Jerry
as soon as did as you suggested, it closes correctly - thanks

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Martin

Like many users, I struggled with dialog forms until I learned a few simple rules like the ones in my message, and constantly reminded myself to be very exact in syntax. Now I find them very useful and reliable. I use them frequently.

Jerry

[back4more]

RE: HELP!!! Alpha 5 not releasing on shutdown

Tom,
I will check that on all the computers although one of the problem ones is a runtime version so it just goes right to the menu and gets shut down with the close window "X".

I also noted that when I was trying to duplicate the problem on my laptop after getting the input from here I couldn't get it to happen on that computer...go figure huh?

Same code but no problem so I will compare settings and give it a go.

Dan