Q28048: Repeated SOUND Statement Causes System Clock to Lose Time

Article: Q28048
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | B_BasicCom buglist4.00 buglist4.00b fixlist4.50 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 31-JAN-1990

If the following program is run for two or three minutes, the system
clock will lose time, that is, four to six seconds:

   starttime=TIMER
   WHILE (1)
      locate 1,1 : print using "#####.##"; TIMER-starttime
      ss=INT(201*RND)+37
      SOUND ss,3
   WEND

The problem occurs whether compiled with BC.EXE or the QB.EXE
environment. Further testing indicates that a duration of less than
one second will stop the clock completely.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in QuickBASIC Versions
4.00 and 4.00b, and in Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and
6.00b for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 (buglist6.00, buglist6.00b). This problem
was corrected in QuickBASIC Version 4.50 and in Microsoft BASIC
Professional Development System (PDS) Version 7.00 for MS-DOS
(fixlist7.00).

A similar problem occurs with the PLAY statement.

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