Mysterious error message

[norbert doerre]

At the end of an already dozen times compiled code of exactly 9014 lines I simply add another SUB. It's original trial content is:

Sub blahblahblah()
Local lRet As Long
Local Hwnd As Long
End sub

The thrown out error message is:

Statement expected
Line 9017: Local lRet As Long

Statement expected - A PowerBASIC statement was expected. Some character could not be identified as a statement, metastatement, or variable.

Replacing the added four lines with any other sequence gives always back the same error.

How can interpret this?

[Eric Pearson]

What is the column of the error (row:column)?

Is lRet defined elsewhere in the program?

What happens if you add the SUB to the beginning instead of the end?

-- Eric

[norbert doerre]

Eric, I can in fact add the code elsewhere just with the SAME result.
lRet is a standard variable in all my functions and subs.
I also edited the four lines with TOPGUN, a very small ASM coded text editor, just to examine it for occurrence of unwanted chars. But all seems to be correct.
It's just as if PB compiler were at it's limit.

[norbert doerre]

FOUND THE BUG!!!

Sub blahblahblah()
    Local lRet As Long
    Local Hwnd As Long
End sub

It seems to be unbelievable, but it's in fact as I describe here:
The line "Local lRet As long" was preceded by three spaces instead of one tab.
I replaced the spaces by the tab - and the compiler is working again!
Replacing the tab with three spaces again results in no error, too.
So, what could have been the cause?

[Eddy Van Esch]

So, what could have been the cause?

My guess is some (invisible) control character in the code line.
I've had this in the past, where looking at the code with a disk hex editor (Frhed) would reveal some invisible control character that would cause the error.
Most of the time this was due to copying code from some place else (like a help file, internet forums, etc.).
Deleting and retyping the offending line would help in that case.

Kind regards

[Bob Zale]

So, what could have been the cause?

The alleged "3 spaces" were "not 3 spaces". Perhaps one of them was a CHR$(&HA0) which displays as a blank space. Some text editors add the hi bit as an internal marker. Perhaps something else... but you can take the phrase "not 3 spaces" to the bank. {smile}

Bob Zale
PowerBASIC Inc.

[Cliff Nichols]

One of the "Spaces" may have in fact been an unprintable character. So if you can't see it, you can't find it.

[norbert doerre]

Bob, I was shure that something was wrong with the source code, because I could move it anywhere in the whole code, and the error was always the same. Next time, I'll use WinHex. But it was already too late to use it. Now I know at least that my editor can be used to progam binaries.
Thanks!

[Cliff Nichols]

Norbert,
Where is WinHex? In downloads maybe?

If it does what I am hoping I would love to take a look at it.

Guessing it scans your code to show non-printable characters?

[norbert doerre]

Cliff, pls have a look into Your private forum msg.