What's happening?

[Harry Akers]

I have a PB 9.0 (Windows) application that reads about 60 text files, concatenates all data into a table, sorts the data via pointers, and writes a single formatted output file. The program is about 16K, there are about 7000 lines of data, with some lines as long as 240 characters, and the output file vis about 418K. Everything works, but there is a mystery - - I launch the program in a DOS window, and the C:\ prompt returns almost immediately. However, it takes approximately half a minute before the output file appears in the directory. It simply isn't found for the first half minute or so!

What's happening?

For comparison, the PB program is an attempt to replace a substantially equivalent Intel Fortran 90 program that is 484K in size -- quite typical for a bloated application. The Fortran program returns in about 5 seconds, and the output file IS there.

BTW, results of both programs are satisfactory, but I'm wondering what's going on with the PB.

[Lee Bergeron]

Windows programs do not run in DOS windows so this is why the DOS prompt returns immediately. The windows program, however, continues to run until it is finished (I assume the 30 seconds). My guess is you are not creating a visible Windows Dialog. Insert a MSGBOX at program exit to give you a clue as to when it is completing.

[Michael Mattias]

C:\DOS> Start [COLOR="Red"][b]/W[/b][/COLOR] myprog.exe

[Harry Akers]

What's happening?

Thanks. The Start /W gave the solution I was looking for.