KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q27142: ON X GOTO Line-List Allows Only <= 59 Line Labels or Numbers

Article: Q27142
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 3.00 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | docerr B_BasicCom | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 12-DEC-1989

An ON <expression> GOTO <line-list> statement allows only 59
line-numbers or line-labels in the line-list.

Using more than 59 labels gives you the error message "Too Many
Labels" when run from a QuickBASIC Version 4.00, 4.00b, or 4.50
executable .EXE file. The limitation does not occur when run in the
QB.EXE Version 4.00, 4.00b, or 4.50 editor.

The following manuals incorrectly imply that you can have up to 255
line-numbers/line-labels in the ON <expression> GOTO statement: "Too
Many Labels" error on Page 502 in "Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0: BASIC
Language Reference" for Versions 4.00 and 4.00b for MS-DOS, and Page
502 of "Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.0: BASIC Language Reference" for
Versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.

The program below works without errors in Microsoft GW-BASIC Version
3.22.

The program below gives the error "Too Many Statement Numbers" in the
QuickBASIC Version 3.00 editor. In QuickBASIC Version 3.00, the
limitation occurs both in the editor and from an .EXE file.

The following code demonstrates the 59-label limitation:

t% = 62
ON t% GOTO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,_
 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,_
 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63
END
1  '
2  '
3  '
4  '
5  '
6  '
7  '
8  '
9  '
10 '
11 '
12 PRINT "here we are"
13 '
14 '
15 '
16 '
17 '
18 '
19 '
20 '
21 '
22 '
23 '
24 '
25 '
26 '
27 '
28 '
29 '
30 '
31 '
32 '
33 '
34 '
35 '
36 '
37 '
38 '
39 '
40 '
41 '
42 '
43 '
44 '
45 '
46 '
47 '
48 '
49 '
50 '
51 '
52 '
53 '
54 '
55 '
56 '
57 '
58 '
59 '
60 '
61 '
62 PRINT "line 62"
63 '

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.