Q47060: CodeView Can’t Watch Array Passed to BASIC SUBprogram

Article: Q47060
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 6.00 6.00b 7.00
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | B_QuickBas buglist6.00 buglist6.00b buglist7.00 fixlist7.10 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 20-SEP-1990

When debugging a BASIC program (compiled with BC.EXE versions 7.00 and
earlier) with Microsoft CodeView (version 2.20, 2.30, 2.35, 3.00, or
3.10), an attempt to watch an array passed to a SUBprogram produces
the error "Not an array."

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in QuickBASIC versions
4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 (even though they do not provide CodeView on the
release disks) (buglist4.00, buglist4.00b, buglist4.50); in Microsoft
BASIC Compiler versions 6.00 and 6.00b (which provide CodeView version
2.20 on the release disks); and in Microsoft BASIC Professional
Development System (PDS) version 7.00 (which provides CodeView version
2.35 on the release disks). This problem is corrected by compiling the
program with BASIC PDS version 7.10 and using Microsoft CodeView
version 3.10, which comes with BASIC PDS 7.10.

As a workaround in earlier versions, you can make the array global by
putting it in a COMMON statement and not passing it through a CALL
statement's parameter list.

Note that CodeView version 2.20 is shipped with Microsoft BASIC
Compiler versions 6.00 and 6.00b; CodeView 2.30 is shipped with
Microsoft FORTRAN version 5.00; CodeView version 2.35 is shipped with
Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System (PDS) version 7.00;
CodeView version 3.00 is shipped with Microsoft C Compiler version
6.00; and CodeView 3.10 is shipped with Microsoft BASIC PDS version
7.10.

The following program is CVTEST.BAS, which demonstrates the above
problem when compiled in BC.EXE 7.00 or earlier, and run under
Microsoft CodeView:

   DECLARE SUB test (a() AS INTEGER)
   DIM a(5) AS INTEGER
   a(3) = 3
   PRINT a(3)
   CALL test(a())
   END

   SUB test (a() AS INTEGER)
     PRINT a(3)
   END SUB

To demonstrate the problem, compile and link as follows:

   BC /Zi TEST.BAS;
   LINK /CO TEST;

Load the program into CodeView (CV.EXE) and set a Watch (CTRL+W) on
the variable a(3), then single-step the program (by pressing function
key F8) until you execute the PRINT a(3) statement inside the
SUB...END SUB procedure. At this point, the "Not an array" error
message appears.

Additional article reference words: S_CodeView

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