Jim:

Background:  R:Base 7.5 for Windows, Windows XP Professional, primary
database size ~1.8 GB, 400+ tables.

My years of experience have taught me to check command files very closely.
More than once it's been pointed out on this list that the newer versions of
R:Base are much stricter on coding.  This is a good thing.

I've had problems with hanging continuation characters, i.e. a "+" at the
end of a command that should NOT be there.  This bit me often enough that I
actually wrote a nifty program that steps through each of my command files
checking for this.  I was surprised at the number of times I'd done this.

Unbalanced quotes can make R:Base a little cranky.  Unbalanced parens in
expressions can bite you unexpectedly, too.  Have you used R:CODE with the
syntax checker?  I'd check any functions you have defined in reports.

Also, check your indexes and the SYS_INDEXES table.  The biggest problem
I've hade with crashes is with indexes.  Autochk doesn't catch index
problems TTBOMK.

I've hosed my SYS_INDEXES table more than once by trying to do simultaneous
data updates and index builds with multiple R:Base sessions open.  Try a
"SELECT * FROM SYS_INDEXES" and see if anything looks strange.  Duplicate
SYS_INDEX_NAME values is bad as well as names with "unusual" characters in
them.  I've had both problems.  R:Base will crash pretty consistently with
index problems.

Columns with lots of null values shouldn't be indexed.  Trust me.  I
struggled with this issue for several months before I realized what was
going on.  And for the record, the problem with indexes has typically been
from my own doing, not R:BASE.

Once I corrected the various issues listed above my R:Base runs smooth as
silk.  I run upwards of 150 R:Base programs each morning, all unattended,
that do everything from loading data to printing reports.  I've gone months
now without a single crash, hiccup or burp.  (Knock on wood!!!!)

Oh, and one last thing, I really hope you're doing a RELOAD on the database
and not a PACK.  A Microrim programmer back in the day went on for about 5
minutes on why it's better to RELOAD a database rather than PACK it.

Hopefully some of these suggestions will help.

Mike Ramsour
Authorized R:Base Developer
AK Steel Coshocton Works
Quality Department

Phone/VMS:  740-829-4340
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Belisle [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 3:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: 7.6 crash

John,

I will do the autochk when everyone goes home for the day.  I have never
done that so it could be there has been database problem all this time.
I assume I should backup the database before the autock.  

I do however repack the database on a regular basis creating a new
database.  I thought that would care for any problems.  

Jim


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