Reproduceable Bug that crashes IDE

mdown · Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas

After a compile, while downloading, if you move you mouse cursor over the bar/seperator that divides the code from the debug/output tabs the IDE will crash hard causing :

spamiam · Joined: 13 Nov 2005

I have always had an occasional, but frequent, crash that has defied explanation. It has been attributed to some oddity in my XP implemenentation.

I will see if it is related to mouse position. I have noticed that if I do not do ANYTHING for a little while between compiling and running, then the crash is less frequent.

-Tony

pjc30943 · Joined: 02 Dec 2005

Yes, I've had the same issue as well...
Now my ritual is when downloading, take both hands off and DON'T touch anything until a second or so after downloading. Because inevitably it always crashes right as I accidentally move/bump the cursor over that bar;)
Luckily the IDE is extremely quick to load, in case of force quit. XP isn't the issue, since I use 98SE.

mikep · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Location: Austin, TX

JC · Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Location: Hudson,OH

Yup, I've experienced it also. Makes me save a lot more, and not touch the cursor ntil the verify is complete. XP, SP2.
JC

spamiam · Joined: 13 Nov 2005

I have been having "my" crash in the IDE ever since the beta release of the ZX. Don gave me Visual C and some source code to try to trace down the problem, but I was never able to pin it down. I am not experienced enough with Visual C and debugging the project to be able to figure it all out.

Don was not able to reproduce the problem at all, and we decided that it was a vagary of my XP. I had been running Win98, and upgraded to XP home. In doing so, I may have introduced some problems that are not typical of a clean XP install, but it was guess work.

It seems as if I move the mouse while the compile is in progress that there is a hang. Usually, the compile seems to go find, but when I try to download and run, then it instantly crashes. It does it only once in a while.

After the crash, If I just re-load ZBasic IDE, and try to download and run, it will crash again. It will do this repetetively.

I have to open ZBAsic IDE, Close the IDE in a normal way, then re-open it, compile again, and then download and run. This way it will virtually always work fine.

I will experiment more with clicking "compile" then move NOTHING for a few seconds after it is done, then downaload and run.

While the crahs has been annoying, it is pretty quick to re-load and get running again. Just a few seconds.

Since I still have Visual C, I could try to do more debugging. But I do not have the new source code, so I can't really do much.

When I do try to debug, Visual C says it can't do it. I have not tried to get it to work. I just cancel-out.

-Tony

dkinzer · Site Admin Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Location: Portland, OR

I have been unable to reproduce this error. I used two different computers, both XP, one with SP2 and one without.

Tony, the reason that you couldn't debug the problem with Visual C is that the image doesn't contain any debug information. The final build for each release is done debug information suppressed.

If someone would like to investigate the problem, I can send or post the full source tree. You would need to have Visual C, preferably VC6. You could use a later version of Visual C but you'd have to convert the workspace/project file.

I sent the source tree to another person that was having a similar problem. After rebuilding the app at his site the problem disappeared. Unfortunately, he has not had time to investigate what was causing the original problem. This sounds suspiciously like a problem from "DLL hell".

spamiam · Joined: 13 Nov 2005

dkinzer · Site Admin Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Location: Portland, OR

I'd like to collect some information about installed DLL versions from those of you that have been having the access violation problem discussed in this thread. That information may shed some light on what is causing the problem and suggest how it might be resolved.

It may also be helpful to get the same information from those of you that haven't had the problem occur.

To collect the needed information, perform the following steps.

1) Download the ListDLLs utility from SysInternals.
2) Extract the executable LISTDLLS.exe from the Zip file downloaded in step 1 to a convenient directory.
3) Launch the ZBasic IDE.
4) Execute the LISTDLLS.exe program from a DOS command box using the following command line:

mdown · Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas

Here is my dll list.

-Mike

spamiam · Joined: 13 Nov 2005

I have emailed this to DON, but I also post it here for interest of other list members.

My Kernel32 is the same as Mikes, and I get a crash as it attempts to "Go" after a compile, occasionally. Using Sin XP Home which was upgraded over Win98SE

-Tony

mdown · Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas

Along the same lines as before I have more data they may help Don. Just after downloading, the same bug occurs. Now that I am running Visual Studio i get more detailed info as to where and why. see attached pics.
I get the first error then i click ingore and then get the second.

-MikeD

pjc30943 · Joined: 02 Dec 2005

Exact same output as mdown; this crash occurs about a dozen times a day and is quite frustrating.

In general it occurs when downloading, and in particular, during verification of the download.

dkinzer · Site Admin Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Location: Portland, OR

GTBecker · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Location: Cape Coral

> ... describe in excruciating detail the exact keyboard, mouse and
display interaction that leads to the problem ...

Sounds like a great legitimate application for a keystroke recorder,
normally reserved for spying. There are many free ones, it appears,
although I can't vouch for any of them. Also, doesn't Microsoft Media
Encoder take a screen as input? Perhaps one can record a "video" of the
necessary path to failure.

Tom