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DECdx Version 1.0
+-----------------+
| Release Notes |
+-----------------+
Release Date: May 1984
Operating System and Version: TOPS-20 Version 5.1
Software Version: DECdx Version 1.0
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
Maynard, Massachusetts
The information in this document is subject to change without
notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Digital
Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no
responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
The software described in this document is furnished under a
license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the
terms of such license.
No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of this
software on equipment that is not supplied by DIGITAL or its
affiliated companies.
Copyright (c) 1984 by Digital Equipment Corporation. All rights
reserved.
The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation:
-----------------------------TM
| | | | | | | |
| d | i | g | i | t | a | l |
| | | | | | | |
-----------------------------
DEC DECdx RSTS
DECnet DIBOL RSX
DECsystem-10 MASSBUS UNIBUS
DECSYSTEM-20 P/OS VAX
DECUS PDP VMS
DECwriter Professional VT
DECmate Rainbow Work Processor
DECdx
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Contents
1: Preface
2: Problems and Solutions
General Problems
1. DECmate II users with modems logged off host
2. Error message when several users access same area
3. File or document name disappears after using CTRL/C
4. Typing ahead before prompts appear disrupts transfer
Document-to-File (DF option)
5. Documentation error concerning DF tab conversion
6. Word wrap returns not maintained after conversion
7. Confusing error message after multiuser access collision
8. Misleading error message caused by exceeding disk quota
File-to-Document (FD option)
9. Word wrap returns inserted into document after conversion
Index (I option)
10. Document remains locked
Old-to-New (ON option)
11. Old document cannot be converted
12. Converted document is corrupted
Print (P option)
13. Document not printed on system printer
14. Files interleaved when printed
Read (R option)
15. Read does not display some WPS-format features
Transfer (X option)
16. Connection to host not established
17. Partial menu displayed after transferring document
DECdx
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1: Preface
PRODUCT: DECdx
VERSION: 1.0
These Release Notes identify known problems in the DECdx software or
documentation and provide solutions to those problems.
Problems are classified according to the menu option under which the problem
occurs. See the Table of Contents for a short description of each problem.
The Release Notes are intended primarily for the system manager or the
person responsible for handling questions about DECdx problems.
Digital is aware of the problems cited in these notes. Software Performance
Reports, therefore, should be reserved for reporting problems not listed
here.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
For the system manager:
DECdx/TOPS-20 Installation and Information AA-P150A-TM
For the DECdx user:
DECdx Getting Started AV-P146A-TK
DECdx User's Guide AA-U153A-TK
DECdx
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2: Problems and Solutions
The problems in this chapter are listed according to the menu option
under which the problem occurs.
The first category, General Problems, covers errors pertaining to
two or more options.
GENERAL PROBLEMS
1.
Problem: DECmate II users, connected to the host with modems, are
disconnected after selecting Finished from the WPS menu.
Solution: The automatic disconnection is part of the DECmate software.
DECdx completes any procedures in progress and then logs the user
off the host system. No additional action is required.
2.
Problem: User 1 cannot read a document or use the Document-to-File option
while User 2 is trying to read User 1's index. This problem
occurs only if User 1 and User 2 press RETURN simultaneously after
choosing options that access the same area.
The first sign of this problem is when User 1 has to wait longer
than usual at the "Processing document number ___" screen. Then the
following error message appears:
?RMISER An internal error was found in routine "GPAGE"
at 605231. Error is: LAST ROUTINE RETURNED A FALSE VALUE
When User 1 tries to view the index, the following error message
appears:
There is a problem with the current index and General Error.
Unable to change default. Press RETURN to try again. FFFFFEO.
Solution: User 1 must select Finished to exit DECdx and then try again.
3.
Problem: The user presses CTRL/C to stop a Top, Bottom or Overwrite procedure.
Either the target document (if the FD, Add or Transfer options were
interrupted) or the target file (if the DF option was interrupted)
disappears from the user's directory. A temporary file, in the
format TMPnnn.DX or BTMnnn.DX, appears in the directory.
Solution: Rename the temporary file. For a detailed explanation, refer to the
discussion of temporary files in the DECdx/TOPS-20 Installation
and Information manual.
4.
Problem: A procedure fails after the user types several commands in a row,
which include \R Gold MENU and CX or DX, without waiting for the
DECdx Transfer screen to appear. The following are two problems
that can occur:
1. The transfer procedure stops at the message "Status - Trying to
Connect". Instead of a connection to the host being established,
this message is displayed:
Other user returned to Main Menu
When the user returns to the host, the following message appears:
LINK DISCONNECTED - PROTOCOL ERROR
At this point, pressing Gold MENU displays the DECdx Menu.
2. Half the DECdx Transfer Menu appears on the screen. To continue,
the user must press Gold MENU to return to the WPS Main Menu.
Solution: Do not type \R Gold MENU CX or DX until the DECdx Transfer screen
is displayed. That screen instructs you to type \R Gold MENU
DX <RETURN>.
DOCUMENT-TO-FILE (DF option)
5.
Problem: The DECdx User's Guide has an error concerning tab setting changes
after a document-to-file conversion. Under the keyword Spacing is
the following statement: "If you use the DF option, DECdx matches
each tab mark in the document to the next occurring system tab
position." This statement is no longer true.
Change: DECdx now converts the tab stops in a document to the same number
of spaces in the host file. Consequently, the document and its
corresponding host file look exactly alike.
You will not be able to see that tab marks have been replaced
with spaces unless the file is converted back into a document,
using the FD option, and then transferred to the WPS for viewing.
If you anticipate extensive editing of tabbed text in the
converted host file, removing individual spaces rather than tabs
could be time consuming. If you use either the host default ruler
or one of the optional rulers given below, DECdx will convert
tab stops. Therefore, to expedite the editing of tabbed text,
particularly in columnar format, use the host default ruler, or one
of the optional rulers, when creating the WPS document.
The following ruler is the host default ruler:
1 9 17 25 33 41 49 57 65 73 79
L-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------TTTTTTR
The following are optional rulers also recognized by DECdx. Use any
of these rulers on the WPS document to retain tabs after a document-
to-file conversion.
1 9 17 25 33 41 49 57 65 73 79
L-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------T-------TTTTT-R
L W T T T T T T T TTTTT-R
L T T T T T T T T R
L T T T T T T T R
L T T T T T T R
L T T T T T R
L T T T T R
L T T T R
L T T R
L T R
L W R
6.
Problem: Word wrap returns are not maintained after DF conversion.
Solution: There is no solution to this problem. The host file is in
ASCII format and ASCII code does not have a way to represent
word wrap returns.
However, if you convert the file into a document again using
the FD option, word wrap returns will be inserted by DECdx.
See the first problem in the File-to-Document section of these
Release Notes for more information on word wrap returns.
7.
Problem: Confusing error messages are received when two users attempt to
do a document-to-file conversion at the same time.
If two or more users attempt a DF conversion on different
documents at the same time, one of the following error
messages is received:
?RMISER An internal error was found in routine "GPAGE"
at 605231. Error is: last routine returned a false value.
or
ERROR OCCURRED CLOSING DOCUMENT. SEE YOUR SYSTEM MANAGER.
This problem occurs only when two or more users press RETURN
at the same time to begin a DF conversion.
Solution: Begin the conversion again. The documents can be accessed without
further problems.
8.
Problem: The user exceeds the disk quota when using the Top or Bottom options
under the DF option. The error messages that inform the user of the
problem are misleading. The following is the first error message:
?RMOSE Stream I/O monitor call failed with Status Code
Then this message follows:
ERROR OCCURRED UPDATING FILE, ERROR DURING TBO PROCESSING
A temporary file, TMPnnn.DX (where "nnn" is the document number),
appears in the user's directory.
Solution: Create more disk space by whatever means are appropriate. The
temporary file does not have to be deleted.
For more information on temporary files, see the DECdx/TOPS-20
Installation and Information manual.
FILE-TO-DOCUMENT (FD option)
9.
Problem: Documentation omission: Word wrap returns are inserted after
a FD conversion.
In the DECdx User's Guide, under the keyword File-to-Document,
is this statement: "Any text that is not set flush left (tabbed
or indented text) is converted with hard returns at the original
line ending."
Change: After a file is converted to a document, word wrap returns are
placed at the end of every line in a paragraph except the last.
The last line will end in a hard return if the line is followed
by a tab or carriage return in column one. Paragraphs may be
indented with spaces or a tab.
Single lines, indented with a tab, such as items in a list or table,
will end in hard returns after conversion. For example, all the
lines in the following text would end in hard returns after
conversion.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Subtopic
Subtopic
"Table of Contents" may begin in column one or be indented. The
line will end in a hard return under both conditions. However, if
"Chapter 1" begins in column 1, both "Subtopic" lines must be
indented with tabs for all three lines to end in hard returns after
conversion.
Reminder: After a document-to-file (DF) conversion, all line endings
are converted to hard returns.
INDEX (I OPTION)
10.
Problem: A document remains locked when no one is using it.
A user who attempts to use the document when it is locked sees
this error message:
That document is being used by someone else right now.
Solution: Verify that no one is using the document. Then unlock the
document at the DECdx Menu by typing:
CORRECT documentname
Check the File Lock column for the document in the DECdx Index
to make sure "Locked" has been replaced with "Free".
See the DECdx/TOPS-20 Installation and Information manual for more
information.
OLD-TO-NEW (ON OPTION)
11.
Problem: During an old-to-new conversion, the error message "OLD
DOCUMENT IS CORRUPT" appears. Only part, if any, of the old
file is converted.
The conversion is more likely to fail on longer documents.
Shorter documents may be converted without problems.
Solution: Send the old document back to the WPS with WPIP, then
resend the document with DECdx. If the index is inaccessible,
select Finish to exit DECdx and then resume the procedure.
12.
Problem: An old document is converted to the new DECdx format using the
ON option. When the user attempts to transfer the document to
the WPS, the following message appears:
Illegal character encountered, continuing...
This message indicates null characters have been encountered
in the converted file.
Solution: If the old file exists in a backup area, transfer the file to the
WPS using the WPIP program. Then transfer the document to the host
using DECdx.
If the old file is not available, use an editor to remove all non-
printable ASCII characters from the converted file.
PRINT (P OPTION)
13.
Problem: The TOPS-20 system does not print DECdx documents. Only a
CTRL N appears on the printout. This problem occurs infrequently
and the cause is unknown.
Solution: Restart the LPTSPL spool. This is a TOPS-20 system problem
that cannot be handled by the DECdx software.
14.
Problem: Files may be interleaved when printed.
When several users are printing several documents at the
same time, the text from one file may print in the middle
of another document.
If the document is queued again, this error message appears:
Error opening list file. Error trying to create an existing file
Solution: To print the document a second time, delete the print listing
from the main directory.
READ (R OPTION)
15.
Problem: The DECdx Read option does not display all of the WPS-format
features in the original WPS document.
The following WPS features are not displayed by the Read
option:
- Rulers and ruler settings
- Bolding and underlining
- Control commands
- Superscripts and subscripts
- Composite characters
Solution: The missing features cannot be represented in ASCII format. If
you print the document using the DECdx Print option, the bolding
and underlining are present and control commands are executed.
TRANSFER (X OPTION)
16.
Problem: The user is notified of a BAD CONNECTION at the Document Transfer
(DX) Menu, so that connection cannot be established.
Solution: If the message "ERROR - BAD CONNECTION - TRY AGAIN" occurs at the
Document Transfer Menu, press Gold MENU to recall the WPS Main Menu.
Select the CX option and return to the host. Then select the X
(Transfer) option, and try the transfer again.
17.
Problem: Part of the DECdx Menu is missing when the user returns to DECdx
after using the X (Transfer) option, or when the user exits DECdx
by typing \R Gold MENU. Up to half of the DECdx Menu may be
missing, depending upon the type of word processor used.
Solution: When the partial menu appears, press RETURN. The full menu
should appear. If not, type M and press RETURN to display
the second page of the menu.
There is no need to display the entire menu. The menu options may
be selected although they do not appear.