Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ihcup.UUCP!pax
From: pax@ihcup.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.icon
Subject: (none)
Message-ID: <8909181359.AA18860@megaron.arizona.edu>
Date: 18 Sep 89 13:59:42 GMT
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Ralph, Cheyenne,

I know that you are not really very interested in the 640K DOS
situation with Icon.  But, I have customers running Icon programs
that I've written for them and they sure don't want to trash their
existing 640K machines - at least not right now.

Any help at all you can give me on memory management will be most
appreciated.  Especially some words specifically on how to best
trim the size of tables and lists as the items are no longer needed.

Also, I believe I can recreate dependably a problem with the
system() function in DOS Icon.  Depending upon how large the
program is, system() may or may not do anything.  No error
or failure return - it's just as if the call was skipped.

I have a large program that is made by combining the .U files
of six, translated with -c, subprograms.  When they are all put
together the system() function disappears.  I can leave off
most any of them and system() works again.

Is it possible that some DOS system buffer is getting clobbered
by a very large icon executable?

I put a simple DOS comand:

	system("copy a b")
	stop()

at the very beginning of my large program and then tried all
kinds of combinations of .U's with it.  Leaving off just one
of the subprograms seems to be enough to clear up the problem.

When it works, I get the normal DOS standard output:

		1 File(s) copied

and the file is copied.

When it fails, I get NOTHING on standard out from the DOS
command and there is no copy made.

Can you offer any assistance?

jth