PSS ID Number: 93159
Article Last Modified on 1/8/2003
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Visual Basic for MS-DOS 1.0
This article was previously published under Q93159
SYMPTOMS
When you are using overlays and working with a multiple module program, you may have trouble tracking down the location of an error in your code.
CAUSE
This trouble may be caused by the way the LINK linker overlays modules. All the code in an overlay is in the same segment and the offset is from the beginning of the segment.
The way code in an overlay is stored was changed in Visual Basic version 1.0 for MS-DOS. This behavior did not occur in Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) version 7.1 for MS-DOS.
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
MORE INFORMATION
Steps to Reproduce Behavior
- Start VBDOS.EXE.
In the default code window, include a CALL statement to a procedure named "Test", similar to the lines of code below (Main.BAS).
DECLARE SUB test () REM This is the main module. CALL Test
Choose New Module... from the File Menu (Sup1.BAS). Add the following line:
REM This is the first support module.
Choose New Module... from the File Menu (Sup2.BAS). Add the following line:
REM This is the second support module.
Choose New Module... from the File Menu (Sup3.BAS). Add the following code:
REM This is the third support module. SUB test () x = 0 Print 1 / x END SUB
- Compile each .BAS module mentioned above. For example:
BC Main.bas;
BC Sup1.bas;
BC Sup2.bas;
BC Sup3.bas; - Use LINK to link the four modules with overlays. For example:
LINK Main.obj+(Sup1.obj+Sup2.obj+Sup3.obj);
- Once the MAIN.EXE program is created, run it. The following error is returned:
- This address location is incorrect, which makes it difficult to track down the actual location of the error in overlaid modules.
Listed below is a portion of the README.TXT file that explains this limitation in more detail:
1.9 Overlays
Calculating the Offset of Errors
If you are using the assembly listing generated when compiling with /A to debug an overlaid program, you must subtract the start address of the overlaid module from the offset in the error message to get the correct code offset. For example:
Error Message:
Division by zero in line 0 of WILMA as address 9FE9:0129 Excerpt of .MAP File Generated by LINK: Start Stop Length Name Class . . . Overlay 1H 00000H 00053H 00054H FRED_CODE BC_CODE 00060H 000B3H 00054H BARNEY_CODE BC_CODE 000C0H 00154H 00095H WILMA_CODE BC_CODE Overlay 2H . . .
To calculate the actual error address, subtract the start address of the module WILMA (000C0H) from the offset given in the error message (0129):
129H - C0H = 69H
The offset of the error is 0069 in the compiler assembly listing.
Additional query words: VBmsdos 1.00 7.10
Keywords: kbprb KB93159
Technology: kbAudDeveloper kbVB100DOS kbVBSearch kbZNotKeyword3