Greetings, In the past year and a half I migrated about 20 years worth command files (100+) from our old Rbase version 2.11 database to version 9.1 (64). My oldest command files were pretty bad examples of coding, most of them didn't even clear variables before running and many of them relied on other command files to set up variables for use in the fashion I think you are describing in your email. In converting my old command files of course I had to get rid of reserved words that Rbase 2.11 had allowed and 9.1 didn't allow. I also had to change a few commands like CONNECT for OPEN and SET POINTER with FETCH commands. Aside from these changes, the commands created using 2.11 are all working well in version 9.1 and it doesn't seem to matter whether they clear variables before running or let the variables sit in memory for later use. Based on my experience so far, I think you can continue to do what you are doing without any trouble in 9.1 but I would certainly defer to Razzak's or any one else's recommendations. Regards, David Fitts State of Maine Risk Management Division 287-3352 1-800-525-1252
________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of William Stacy Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2011 12:40 PM To: RBASE-L Mailing List Subject: [RBASE-L] - setting variables Am migrating, ever so slowly, from 4.5++ (dos) to 9.1 (64). Have a large ap that I've used to run my practice for many years, and use about 1000 cmd files that use and re-use variables. I noticed that Razzak and others seem to have developed a careful set var and clear var procedures in their cmd files, forms, etc. that seem to "start over" with each use of vars. In earlier years I was aware of some memory leaks or something that would over time degrade the performance of rbase, so I made a habit of declaring a long list (about 100) of variables that I would use over and over again, setting them only in this "setvar" cmd file that is always run right between starting rbase and any workstation login file (password control, etc). This works well, and has enabled me (caused me?) to shorten my syntax to the following example: 1. in the setvar file I have this kind of statement: set var t1 text=' ' 2. in the command files I use things like this: t1='Personal health' 3. at the end of each command file I have this: t1=null (unless I want to keep "personal health" in the .t1 for the next cmd file, in which case I just leave it as is. Thereby, in my cleverness, I have a minimum of coding and my variables never get actually "cleared" until the ap actually closes. So my question is, am I just using sloppy programming, not making it clear what is happening at each and every statement, or is this kind of programming dangerous or even disallowed in 9.x? Has the memory leak of old been fixed forever, or is it still happening? And does my system actually help plug or eat least slow the (real or imagined) leak? TIA, and sorry if I asked this same thing a while back in a clumsier way. I am now at the point of major or not so major rewriting of thousands of lines of code. I would prefer the not so major, but can be convinced it needs to be major. I am aware that with the placing of code within forms themselves, many of my beloved cmd files may become obsolete anyway. Bill -- William Stacy, O.D. Please visit my website by clicking on : http://www.folsomeye.net
