Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!rex!mandel@vax.anes.tulane.edu
From: mandel@vax.anes.tulane.edu (Jeff E Mandel MD MS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: MacsBug makes my code live!?
Message-ID: <5918@rex.cs.tulane.edu>
Date: 30 Jan 91 15:49:13 GMT
Sender: news@rex.cs.tulane.edu
Organization: Tulane University School of Medicine
Lines: 18

This is so strange I had to share it. One of my residents wrote an XCMD in
Think Pascal (v 2.0.3) to do some futzy thing, which it appeared to do
flawlessly. I suggested another feature that would make it do even more futzy
things, but rather than requiring 4 parameters (mode plus the IDs of 3 fields)
required only 2 parameters (mode plus the ID of one field). He implemented it,
and it worked just fine, until we put it on a machine which did not have
MacsBug installed, then the bomb (Error 11, Misc error). We tracked down the
problem; his code didn't check for the number of parameters, and was doing
ZeroToPas and StringToNum on a nonexistant parameter. Checking for parameters
before converting them solved the problem, but left me mystified. How can
something generate an exception without MacsBug but not with MacsBug. As far as
I can tell, MacsBug is not "falling on the bit bomb". OK people, impress me
with your erudition.

Jeff E Mandel MD MS
Asst Professor of Anesthesiology
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, LA