bug report: 5.0.14 all platforms, category/subject UNKNOWN

[John Esak]

Dear FP Tech Support (and pig lovers everywhere!) :-)

Okay, Tony Ryder and I finally nailed this bug down to something
describable... I think. The system I first found this on was Gary Olman's XP
SP2 system, but I have since checked it on all platforms and it is broken in
the same way on everything from 98 to SCO to freeBSD... no matter.

The bug I've mentioned in 4.8 which disallows you from using
3 declare'd variables on a browse lookup line... has ramifications
in 5.+ as well. It is not wholly fixed.

The "pig" code can make it break in 5.1 just as it does in 4.8. It will
only happen *if* you are using the code to browse the *current* file. In
only
that case, filePro exhibits the bug. So, you can do 1 of 3 things
should you want to browse the current file. (and do the special things
the pig code allows you to do...)

1) Use the 4.8 version of browse that does not allow 3 declare'd variables.

2) Do NOT use a declared filename variable that is declared "extern"
   on the CALL table and declared "global" on the calling table. This is
   normally the correct methodology to use, but the 5.0.14 bug appears
   if you do. (Instead, declare the filename variable right on the CALL
   table itself, and the bug won't happen.)

3) Make the declare'd global variable on the calling table edit type
(32,*,g).
   Making it ,g fixes the problem.

For whatever reason, all these fix the filePro bug.  And the bug, simply put
is:

1) If you use 3 declare'd variables on the browse in 4.8, filePro breaks.

2) If you use 3 declare'd variables on the browse in 5.1, *and*
   the filename variable is the *same* as the *current* filename, *and*
   you have declared the filename variable as global on some other
   calling table and extern on the pig CALL table... filePro breaks.

How? It loses the filename variable value when processing hits the WAITKEY.

This is a huge set of circumstances that you can easily avoid by writing
the code any number of ways... I just wanted you to be aware of the new
5.0.14 filePro bug that the "pig" code discloses if you hit all those
things simultaneously. Don't think many of you will. Hopefully, before you
do,
the problem will be fixed anyway. I hope they can do it by v5.6. But,
meanwhile the "Pig in a Poke" still works just like a charm!!!!

(FP Tech, I will send you a copy of the Pig in a Poke under separate cover,
so you can see the new bug quickly.)

John Esak
Visit The FP Room www.tinyurl.com/yuag7 24/7

Take a demo ride on "the pig" at www.valar.com/single you'll be happy you
did. There is a movie describing the whole thing.