Q58043: PLAY "Illegal Function Call" for "B+","C-","E+", and "F-"

Article: Q58043
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 1.00 1.01 1.02 2.00 2.01 3.00 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | buglist4.00 buglist4.00b buglist4.50 B_BasicCom B_GWBasicI | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 20-SEP-1990

The PLAY statement causes an "Illegal Function Call" error when given
any of these notes: "B+", "C-", "E+", or "F-". These are valid notes
(since they are the equivalent of natural notes) and should not cause
the error.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in QuickBASIC versions
1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50; in
Microsoft BASIC Compiler versions 6.00 and 6.00b (buglist6.00,
buglist6.00b); in Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System
(PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS (buglist7.00, buglist7.10);
and in Microsoft GW-BASIC versions 3.23, 3.22, and 3.20 (buglist3.20,
buglist3.22, buglist3.23). We are researching this problem and will
post new information here as it becomes available.

To work around this problem, check for those notes and use their
natural equivalents (listed below).

The following table lists the errant notes and their equivalents for
the workaround:

   Errant Note  Equivalent
   -----------  ----------

       B+           C
       C-           B
       E+           F
       F-           E

By using the workaround listed above, the following statement would
changed as follows:

   PLAY "B+C-E+F-"    'changed to PLAY "CBFE"

Additional reference words: buglist1.00 buglist1.01 buglist1.02
buglist2.00 buglist2.01 buglist3.00 SR# S900117-43

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