FWD: Additional bugs(?) in SQR 2.5.7 on DEC AXP

[Edward Forman <FORMANEL@SNYONEVA.CC.ONEONTA.EDU>]

I have 2 other items in SQR programs which ran fine on our DEC VAX under Oracle 
6 and SQR 2.11 and now act differently on our DEC AXP under Oracle 7 and SQR 
2.5.7.

1. Reading data files:  I had to remove the ':fixed' clauses in all the 'open' 
statements in the SQR programs which read normal data files (so called 'flat 
files') or else each record was read incorrectly.  Once this was done all the 
programs tested so far have worked OK.  

This is probably platform specific, and the ':fixed' clause had never really 
been needed for anything we do; it was more documentation than anything else.

2. I have one SQR which has a DEFINE PRINTER and 2 #DEFINE statements in the 
BEGIN-SETUP paragraph.  The SQR compilation produced error messages dealing 
with the variable in the second #DEFINE statement.  I tried reversing the two 
#DEFINE statements and got similar results.  I solved the problem by placing 
the DEFINE PRINTER statement after the #DEFINE statements.

Original code:

BEGIN-SETUP
  declare printer
     BEFORE-BOLD =<27>[1m
     AFTER-BOLD = <27>[22m
  #define page_length 80
  #define page_width 80
  page-size {page_length} {page_width}    <==== This is line 87
END-SETUP

Result: Error messages like

Error on line 87:
   (SQR 4707) No value found for substitution variable: {page_width}
 {page_width}

Error on line 87:
   (SQR 4102) Bad number found.
  page-size 80 {page_width}


Changed to:

BEGIN-SETUP
  #define page_length 80
  #define page_width 80
  page-size {page_length} {page_width}
  declare printer
     BEFORE-BOLD =<27>[1m
     AFTER-BOLD = <27>[22m
END-SETUP

Result:  No error messages.

I tried to reproduce this error in a small, test program but could not.


I just thought people should be alerted.

Ed Forman
Associate Director, Computer Services
SUNY - College at Oneonta
FORMANEL@SNYONEVA.CC.ONEONTA.EDU
(607)436-2706