Different report results from same tables

[Mike Painter]

I have identical front ends on two machines C & D. The back end resides on
C.
Money is recorded and invoices generated on C.
The front end on C is shut down when they print the invoices from D.
Some of them are wrong.
They say the amounts are reasonable. $5.00 when it should be zero as
opposed to 12 million or 35.9869876 cents.

I've not been able to actually look at the system yet but does anyone know
of a system error that might cause this type of problem?
Thanks.

 

[Jim Carlock]

Overloading a variable can create some strange effects. Er, I
don't think it's called overloading... For instance, not that you
use Long variables for your math calculations, but if the first
bit is set on a Long variable, that bit is the 2^32th bit... <g>
The number turns out to be -1, which in turn literally
translates to True. And if it's true, it's not 0. And -1 expressed
one way means 2^32 in other ways.

There's a carry flag that's supposed to get tripped if go beyond
the bounds of a variable.

But that's here nor there. Are you doing any data conversions?
I've noticed some problems with double variables when used
in calculations. I have confirmed this in the past to be a problem
but I didn't save the results. I tend to stick with forcing all decimal
variables to a Single (!) format.

I'm sure someone else will be a little later on to confirm the data
conversions and might present an argument to use Doubles
instead of Singles. Just take a look at anything that's doing data
conversions.

--
Jim Carlock
http://www.microcosmotalk.com/
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I have identical front ends on two machines C & D. The back end resides on
C.
Money is recorded and invoices generated on C.
The front end on C is shut down when they print the invoices from D.
Some of them are wrong.
They say the amounts are reasonable. $5.00 when it should be zero as
opposed to 12 million or 35.9869876 cents.

I've not been able to actually look at the system yet but does anyone know
of a system error that might cause this type of problem?
Thanks.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

avoid currency/decimal types if you can, but my bet would
be on human error rather than code failure......

(david)