Bugs fixed in Suprtool 4.0.01


Suprtool version 4.0 was distributed to US and Canadian customers in May'97, since then we have made the following corrections. Customers with version 4.0 are welcome to request version 4.0.01, International customers will be receiving version 4.0.01 from their local distributors.
Some of the new 'Year 2000' features were not functioning correctly, large sorts would sometimes fail due an incorrect NMHEAP value and an obscure MPE bug was found then a workaround developed.

Bad NMHEAP size

  1. Suprtool would intermittently fail on certain sort operations with Data Memory Protection Trap. This was due to Suprtool 4.0 having an unusually large NMHEAP value.
         >in icx20x11
         >sort sched-delv-date
         >out bla
         >xeq
         **** Data memory protection trap (TRAPS 68).
    
         ABORT: SUPRTOOL.PUB.ROBELLE
                PC=151.003c5d44 p_heap:p_rtnheap+$150
         NM* 0) SP=41848e70 RP=151.003c1dfc p_heap:?p_rtnheap+$8
                export stub: eb0.001e8774 heap_rtn+$1a8
         NM  1) SP=41848df0 RP=eb0.00091c5c robsort_end.deallocate_heap+$88
    
    
    In order to insure that you do not run into this problem you can alter the NMHEAP value in version 4.0 by doing the following.
    1. Sign on as MGR.ROBELLE
    2. Run the Linkedit utility:
      Linkedit
    3. Alter the NMHEAP value:
      > altprog PROG=SUPRTOOL.PUB.ROBELLE;NMHEAP=1000000
    4. Exit the Linkedit Utility
      > exit
    This must be done while no one is accessing Suprtool.

'Year 2000' feature bugs

  1. Suprtool's if command did not abort when doing a compare against a date beyond 1999 when being entered interactively. The following task will cause an error message (correctly caused by the new set date cutoff 10 default value), but it does not reset the IF command. The error will cause a job to abort but it does not stop interactive tasks from completing.
         >in data
         >def a,1,6
         >item a,date,yymmdd
         >if a <= $date(09/12/31)
    
         Error:  Cannot use a date beyond 1999 for this date format
         >o*
         >x
         051231
         IN=3, OUT=1. CPU-Sec=1. Wall-Sec=1.
    
  2. Suprtool's if command did not produce an error if a relative $date or $today function was specified beyond 1999 for yymmdd or yymm dates.
    Relative dates that resolve to values that are into the next century did not cause an error message when compared against dates without centuries.
         >item deliv-date,date,yymmdd
         >if deliv-date > $date(*+5/*/*)
           or
         >if deliv-date > $today(+1500)
    
  3. Suprtool's if command did not abort when doing a compare against a date with a two digit year and Set Date ForceCentury was on. The error was generated but it was ignored when run interactively.
         >item deliv-date,date,yymmdd
         >set date forcecentury on
         >if deliv-date < $date(99/01/01)
    
         Error:  You must specify the century or Set Date ForceCentury off
         >v if
         IF deliv-date < $date(99/01/01)
    
  4. Suprtool's extract command did not stop the extract when extracting a date with a two digit year and Set Date ForceCentury was on.
    The Extract command produces a nice error message when Set Date Forcecentury On and you only specify a two-digit year. Unfortunately, the extract is still accepted, despite the error. Reproduced as follows:
         >input    file1sd.suprtest
         >item     dbl-field,date,ccyymmdd
         >set      date forcecentury on
         >extract  dbl-field = $date(97/01/01)
         Error:  You must specify the century or Set Date ForceCentury off
         >verify   extract
         Extract (extracted record size is 4 bytes)
         Byte    Source/    Len      Type    Itemname                Type
         Offset  Constant
              1  19970101               C    DBL-FIELD               INTEGER
    

MPE/iX intrinsic

  1. Suprtool now uses the procinfo intrinsic instead of getprocinfo to check to see whether or not Suprlink or Stexport are still alive as son processes. This is to workaround a bug in MPE/iX.

Updated May 28, 1997
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