Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!mtuxo!mtgzy!mtgzz!drutx!druhi!prime
From: prime@druhi.ATT.COM (Anthony Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: dBase III+ bug?
Summary: Delete your index files and re-create them!
Message-ID: <3513@druhi.ATT.COM>
Date: 2 Sep 88 17:09:46 GMT
References: <16834@vax5.CCS.CORNELL.EDU>
Distribution: comp
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO
Lines: 37

In article <16834@vax5.CCS.CORNELL.EDU>, gpoy@vax5.CCS.CORNELL.EDU writes:
>    Has anyone had a problem with dBase III+ whereby the computer
> completely freezes during an operation?  I have.  Aparently it
> occurs during a SKIP operation.  It seems to have something to
> do with the index file, since when I reboot the machine (usually
> by turning it off and back on), the index file that was in use
> contains 0 bytes, although a CHKDSK is able to recover the entire
> thing as a chain of lost clusters.

I have had a problem similar to this, but with dBASE II, and the computer did
not "freeze". What I have found to be effective, is to erase your index files
at the begining of your programs, and then re-create the index file. This
may take some time for large applications, but its better than having the
system lock-up on your customers. Do something like the following:

*** close all open index files - precautionary measure ***
close index	
*
* now see if the index file exists
*
if file('index_filename.ndx')
   erase index_filename.ndx
endif
*
use database_filename
index on field to index_filename
use database_filename index index_filename
*

This is done at the begining of each program that uses this index file.
This way guarantees that your pointers are current and correct, assuming,
of course, that the database is correct. Good luck!!

Tony Davis
AT&T Bell Labs, Denver Co.
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