#Help-Modula2-Disk-error
24 messages in this thread
I am not sure of policy on this. After much frustration, I have
succeeded in compiling the Phonedb example on the GRID disk. Then the link
failed because I have a read error on easyGadgets.lnk. Argg!!!!. Is it
ethical or possible for someone to load the .lnk for me to enable me to
continue my Modula2 efforts without having to wait, (again), for TDI to
send me a good copy of the disk. If it is I would appreciate it, if it is
improper, I would appreciate a reply so I can mail off my bad disk.
Thanks,
Dennis W. Jones
Welcome to the club! Two of my friends who received M2 3.00 ran into the same
problem (I'm still wating for my package). I know that TDI was informed of this
problem, and I expect that they will unload that file ASAP. They've been very
good that way…….Richie
Richie,
I have just uploaded fixed link modules for EasyGadgets, MenuUtils,
DOSCodeLoader, and PrtBase as M2Fix1.ARC in DL10. – It is incredible, that TDI
releases a link module (DOSCodeLoader) without fixing the bug, they have
published a fix for here on the forum some months ago !
Joergen
Joergen, Thanks a lot!! I just got my V3.00 package (I got the commercial
version). So I'll get use the fixes. The "easygadgets.lnk" file was broken on
only some disk. I suspect that TDI had some problems with disk duplication. By
the way, have you figured out all the cases in which TDI editor looses memory?
…..Richie
Richie,
Yes, I have found out how to recover all memory, that the editor uses. I
have also found out, that it will not allow me to write my own name in it.
It is using the characters above 300C as error markers and my native 'oe'
vowel happens to be between those. A nice editor as UE also makes use of
the special characters in an unauthorized way. Now that we have got a
machine which supports a large character set, why do we have to suffer from
narrow minded programmers, sigh ! I am still using Ed. – I think, however,
that by cutting the max number of displayed error messages displayed in the
TDI editor down from 60 to 28 and using the characters 128-159, it should
be possible to use the full character set. (128-159 are not used).
I'll see, it I get around to uploading a file with my changes to the editor
this weekend. I also, changed the window sizes to get a split screen.
Joergen
PS. I also now have a test file which produces the "insert spaces at start"
bug. I'll have to insert some debug statements to find that bug.
Hi Joergen! Thanks for the info. I'll wait for your uploads. Compiling some of
the editor files on a 512K machine takes to long.
I can't believe you still use ED! Have you tried Micro-Emacs? I use Emacs at
work, so uEmacs is a natural for me. As it turns out, M2error still works with
the new compiler, so I don't think I'll be using the "editor" too much. I
believe that in uEmacs will aloow you to insert any character into your file.
What I used to do is to have Emacs run as another task and switch between
compiling and editing. Unfortunatly the new compiler is too large to do that.
I'm looking into getting more memory. Anyway, check out uEmacs it's worth
learning…….Richie
I'll try uEmacs out some time. I have been too busy with the upgraded version
of my PrtDRvGen program to really do anything else. It has been a larger task
than anticipated. The TDI M2 rel. 3.00a forced me into compiler debug mode. If
only M2Error did not forget to close its window quite frequently I would also
use that.
Joergen
Joergen, what was that bug in DOSCodeLoader?
Steve,
LoadSeg crashed the system.
UnloadSeg took a BPTR as input. I found it more appropriate to let LoadSeg
return a standard pointer.
More specific LoadSeg did not load the address of DOSLibrary into A6 before
jumping to a procedure in the library.
Joergen
This is exactly why I'm waiting a few months to get the new version of M2. When
they start shipping uncorrupted disks with the most blatant bugs fixed, then
they get my $50.00.
I supposed you're right. However, some of us enjoy (in a perverse kind of way)
debugging compilers and the stuff….Richie
The Version that I seeem to have the worst of errors taken care of But if
Borland comes out with Turbo pascal that is the last $50.00 they get from
me!!!!!!! I have a serious distrust of a company that calls an Index in their
Manual a Luxury!!! and the only docs I go where the def files on disk. and I
didn't even get the source code that I got with my first version. I go an
useless editor and a medioce Post Mordum debuger. with no docs except what came
on disk. If I haden't had 4 years of experiance with pascal I would have gotten
two ulsers in steed of th one I have.
Tim,
I wouldn't call the Post Mortem Debugger mediocre, but I partly agree with you.
TDI is very messy with its releases. They have not made a total recompilation
of the library modules. They have not fixed bugs reported by themselves and the
Easy.lnk module uploaded as a fix is exactly the same as the previously
released one. Furthermore the documentation of rel. 3.00a does only mention
improvements, not which bugs have been fixed and which have not. I have
reported bugs (late, I admit) which have not been fixed in the compiler.
Joergen
I can understand your frustration. However, don't give up on the language.
Modula-2 is nice step up from PASCAL. I use another compiler on the VAX that is
much nicer. I think that TDI would have a lot less problems, if they had some
people around here do some Beta testing…….as for editors, try MicroEmacs or
UEDIT…….Richie
Richie,
I agree about more Beta testers and Les actually aired the idea after I mailed
him a lot of bug reports and comments, but he never came up with a Beta version
for me to test. I hope that TDI has learned something now.
Joergen
Yes, I asked to be a Beta tester for this latest version of TDI but nothing
came of it. I've also mailed a lot of fixes to TDI….Let's hope that next time
it will turn out a little better……Richie
Hear! Hear! Me too!
– Steve –
Tim – You will be glad to know that our new manual (available in about three
weeks) will have a complete index with page numbers.
This is our first pass on the Editor and the symbolic debugger. They are not
perfect, but several users have actually called to say they were very pleased
with both.
One of the advantages of our package is that you may purchase all of the
source. If you don't like our editor, you can make it anything you wish. If
there is a bug in a module, you can easily fix it yourself. I prefer to have
control over my destiny rather than to wait for some Company to bring out a bug
fix.
As to your commment about Turbo Pascal – I have it on the Mac, and it is an
excellent product. Turbo Pascal is strong in some areas and weak in others.
The same is true for our product. There are always tradeoffs. It is faster to
compile with, but our resulting code size is smaller and faster. Our real
number functions are about 6 times faster. Our arrays can be up to 4GB and are
not limited to 32K. Their user interface is much more friendly and Mac-like.
And so on. Turbo is better for some people, Modula-2 for others. Regards, Les
EXIT
I'm very pleased with the Post-Mortem debugger, Les!! It already saved me
countless hours of hair pulling!
– Steve – P.S.
And now, for your next trick you should come up with a source-level
(runtime) debugger!
Obviously, I'm relying on people like you to do the dirty work before I reach
into my wallet. It's just that I have a limited amount of time to spend
programming, and working with a bug-filled compiler wastes time. I spent a
whole Saturday afternoon figuring out that the AMIGAX module in V2.20 was
poisoned.
I know what you mean. It's very discouraging to have to deal with these errors.
I wish that TDI would have more Beta testers (I volunteer!!)….Richie
Richie….ME TOO!! Jim
Count me in!
Dennis,
Check the M2Fix1.ARC file in DL10. – Joergen