Sure its a GPF but (years later)

[Cliff Nichols]

After months of trying to find a reason for a GPF that does not occur if compiled as a EXE, but does if compiled as a DLL for use in another compiler, I finally tracked down the cause.
(and errant handle to a MDI child window, that said did not exist, but still existed, so my loop ran forever)....Or so I think

I kept looking for a better way to find a cause of when the GPF occurs, not when it is noticed and ran into MCM's Sure its a GPF but

Some of the post even mentioned enumerating exported functions....so I wonder how I would do that, and maybe a step farther track down a GPF that I just CAN NOT find?

(good news is, at least now I found my original problem, I can now see it feasible to move on, as long as the dll is not run in interpreted mode in a programming language under Vista....all the others it works fine)

Only reason I ask, is cause I do not believe in code that can not be done, but code that can easily be misunderstood, so all the forums say "You can't do that!!!"

AKA: VB6 can't handle multi-threaded Dll's.....(The heck it can't....its up to the programmer to do it RIGHT though so as to not cause a GPF)

[Michael Mattias]

>Some of the post even mentioned enumerating exported functions.....
> .. so I wonder how I would do that...

Show exports and imports for PB/Win 6x, 7x (original by Torsten Reinow)

In this case it's all Mr. Reinow's code. I just put a pretty face on his work.

[Michael Mattias]

Only reason I ask, is cause I do not believe in code that can not be done, but code that can easily be misunderstood, so all the forums say "You can't do that!!!" .....[e.g., VB6 can't handle multi-threaded Dll's

If I may expand (and expound?) upon that a tad....

When I made the strategic decision to move from primarily mainframe COBOL development to Windows' development, one of the reasons I selected the PowerBASIC family of compilers was it support for calls to the Windows' API.. versus the constraints imposed by certain Microsoft development products.

I have often said that Windows is a terrific platform for development because of its API... and I'm not going to change my opinion now or move to some development environment which limits in any way my use of same.


MCM

[Cliff Nichols]

When I made the strategic decision to move from primarily mainframe COBOL development to Windows' development, one of the reasons I selected the PowerBASIC family of compilers was it support for calls to the Windows' API.. versus the constraints imposed by certain Microsoft development products.

Same, here.....

Which is why I have moved on to all PB.....my only problem is getting the end customer to do the same. But thats where DLL's come in handy....I do the dirty work, and they are non the wiser. (unless I leave a thread open or an invalid handle I missed etc, that we all know I am so fond of doing from time to time and not realizing it).

Point being....the closer to the API you can get without 3rd party assistance the less that can go wrong, unless YOU are the reason its wrong.

Anyways, thanks for the link Michael I am thinking maybe I can find useful as a tool for functions I may have exported over the years and really should not be exported.....I can just go through the list, and check if there is any reason I would export that function / feature, and decide if I really need to have it exported.

[Michael Mattias]

....the closer to the API you can get without 3rd party assistance the less that can go wrong

Well, let's not shortchange the PowerBASIC compiler here. (I sure as hell have never been shy about pointing out problems: so fair is fair).

I did say "API availability" was one reason I selected the PB family for my Windows' work.

I made the move to Windows development in late 1998, by which time I had been using PB/DOS and its predecessor products for eight or nine years across multiple versions and publishers.

Their accumulated track record of nearly bug-free software was a very significant factor in my decision.

And let's be honest, the Windows compilers are also remarkably bug free. I have said before and I can say it again: the PB product line is the second-least buggy compiler software I've ever used.... and for sure the least-buggy of anything I ever had to pay for myself.

(Least buggy? IBM mainframe compilers. Of course, for $40,000 up front plus $10,000 per year maintenance they better be bug-free!)

The only thing that has really changed is sometimes I wonder what the design team was smoking when they decided to do certain things certain ways, or include or omit something.

But AFAIK, #BLOAT (surely the product of a design session involving far too much of what made my hometown of Milwaukee famous) works as advertised.. and so does darned near everything else.

If it works as advertised I am a happy camper.

MCM

[Adrian Verkuil]

MM,

Have to agree with you, PB is nah.. how to put it , just Rock's will do
And one other thing, I know it has been told before, this forum is really one of it's kind!

And that you are a smart... hmmm we all know that, but most love you for that.

Keep on the good work MM

[Cliff Nichols]

Well, let's not shortchange the PowerBASIC compiler here.

True, but I consider PB as NOT 3rd party (my own person pref) because even when there is an actual mistake, they correct it as soon as its possible (and if not possible, they at least research and offer a true viable "work-around")

That said, this is the one compiler I am glad my boss pushed me to try....I have been hooked ever since

The only time I needed #BLOAT was the complaint of the user got a bad download over and over...my response was "HOW big do you want it????"" the reply was "HUH?" and my reply was "How Big???"...they were dumbfounded....and I said "Open the program"...and they said they needed to fit a floppy to carry it to another computer, so I said "1.42 or less then???" and even then they said "Thats too small too...how many floppies?" and I said..."How many floppies ya got?"

It got worse from there till I finally started laughing and got them to try the 1st 24K download...and the response was "Sorry I wasted your time....click"



Glad I was in a good mood that day, or the click would've been a bit insulting, but it was fun watching someone wonder how such power could come from something sooooooo small.

Needless to say the same guy calls back all the time (with or without problems, and wants to only talk to me) and I razz from time to time "Hmmm...lil tweak....you got a few DVD's on ya???" *LOL*