GPF Lotus 123 Version 4

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Running Lotus 123 Version 4 on a 486 using Windows 3.1 I have a medical office accounting program that is set up using lots of buttons to run highly complicated macros. Let me describe it a bit, just as backgraound. The secretary pushes a button, picks a patient in the database.enters a charge, or an adjustment, or views a ledger, or prints a bill, or looks for charges that haven't been filed yet, or does an EOD balance. During the run, it opens and closes other worksheets where I keep archived data or balance sheet data, etc. Great little proggy if I do say so myself.

So this program has worked for 3 years. Suddenly, on Jan 3, I began getting a GPF whenever I run a few of the macros, but not all. I cannot find a common denominator.

An older backup copy from last November runs fine. Nothing different about it except the actual data. No size differential. Nonetheless, I reinstalled the application. No change.

The interesting thing is that I can take a copy of the program, and put it on another computer with a release 9 version of 123, and the thing works fine. I don't really want to use it this way, because it will require a lot of resizing and reformating to look good and I don't really want to use the realese 9--it sucks generally. (And, BTW, why can't you use Edit/Go To to find a query any more. All blank But that's a secondary question.)

I know that no one out there can pinpoint my problem. It's too complicated unless you were to look at it. But some one may have a very good idea as WHERE to tell me to look for a problem. I cannot find (so far) any difference between the old one that works and the new one that doesn't.

I'll take any thoughts, and thank you so much for your consideration. I have no one to ask, I am self taught and have been using 123 since about 1986, but I am definitely the only one in my neck of the woods who still does so.

Thank you,
Susan Steele
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[DaleWatson123321]

Susan,

As a fellow longtime Lotus 123 (Release 5) user, I can appreciate your concerns about NOT wanting to upgrade to a more recent version. I too have become VERY disenchanted with Lotus/IBM basically turning the later version of Lotus 123 into "clones" of Microsoft Excel.

This was a VERY POOR DECISION, because I can confirm from FIRST hand experience from using Excel, that Lotus 123 Release 5 is STILL FAR SUPERIOR than the latest version of Excel.

That was "MY background", and now to your problem.

First, if "all else fails", consider upgrading to Release 5. It is THE BEST VERSION. And it shouldn't cost much. It should run on Windows 3.1, and you can probably find a copy for "very little". Try searching the 'net.

As for &quot;troubleshooting&quot; your problem... Have you ever tried &quot;stepping&quot; through a macro ? I'm not sure about Release 4, but in Release 5, it is activated by using <Alt> <F2> to activate, and the same to de-activate.

In Release 4, there should ALSO be a means of VIEWING the macro code at the same time you &quot;step&quot; through the code. In Release 5, using the menu, you choose &quot;Tools&quot; - &quot;Macro&quot; - &quot;Trace&quot; to open a small window for viewing the code.

Once you are in &quot;Step&quot; mode and the &quot;Trace&quot; window open, you would then activate one of your problem macro buttons, and proceed to &quot;step&quot; through it until you come to the point at which is &quot;bombs&quot;.

This will hopefully help identify the source of the problem.

Depending on how the macros and dates were set up, there could potentially be a problem related to the &quot;Year-2000&quot; issue. I know that Release 5 doesn't present a problem, but one still has to be careful in dealing with date-related issues.

I hope this has been of some help. Please advise.

Regards, ...Dale Watson dwatson@bsi.gov.mb.ca
or home: nd.watson@shaw.ca

 

[Guest_imported]

Using Lotus 123 V5 I am having problems starting to program a macro. I am able to record and see the transcript of a macro but unable to name it and therefor run it. HELP

 

[DaleWatson123321]

Gerry,

The &quot;transcript&quot; window in ONLY intended to show you what you have recorded - i.e. you CANNOT name a macro or run a macro from the transcript window.

After recording the macro, you need to copy the recorded macro (or whatever portion of it you want), and then paste it into a worksheet. Preferably, you should create a separate sheet (call it &quot;macros&quot and paste the data there.

You should place your macros in column B, and save column A for entering a label opposite each of your macro components, or subroutines. These labels will later help you in easily identifying the location of your various macros and subroutines.

You'll be able to attach a macro to a &quot;button&quot;, but you can ALSO attach a macro to a keyboard LETTER. To assign the macro to the letter A, for example, you would place your cursor on the starting cell of your macro (in column B), and assign (create) the Range Name &quot;\A&quot;. To create a Range Name, you can use: SLASH (/) Range Name Create, type the &quot;\A&quot;, then Enter that name, and Enter a second time for the location (the cell you are on).

The above should enable you to get started.

Appreciate, however, that, while some macros can be recorded, you'll ALSO have to spend some time learning some of the other macro functionality that cannot be recorded. For example, most projects require setting up macros that perform various operations based on &quot;conditions&quot;. You'll therefore have to look at Lotus 123's built-in HELP (which is WONDERFUL especially in comparison to Microsoft Excel).

If Lotus 123, for example you can write a condition such as the following:

{IF your_condition_here}{your_subroutine_here)

Examples of conditions would be...
{IF @DSUM(data,3,mth_sales)>=target}{target_met}
{IF @DSUM(data,3,mth_sales)<target}{target_notmet}

In the above examples, it uses a database formula to test whether the database (called &quot;data&quot has monthly sales greater than or equal to the amount entered in the call named &quot;target&quot;.

If the target is met, then the subroutine &quot;target_met&quot; is executed.

If the target is not met, then the subroutine &quot;target_notmet&quot; is executed.

The database formulas themselves are EXTREMELY POWERFUL, and MUCH more powerful and DYNAMIC than Microsoft Excel's.

I don't have the time nor the space to get into the specifics here, but ANYONE who bothers to compare the two, will have NO PROBLEM in confirming that Lotus 123 - especially version 5 - is EXCEEDINGLY MUCH MORE POWERFUL than the latest version of Microsoft Excel.

I have been bold enough to make this claim BEFORE, more than once, and I have yet to have any &quot;challengers&quot;.

I have also been working with Microsoft Excel for the past couple of years (ONLY because my employer made the decision to convert to Microsoft Office), and I have been learning FIRST HAND the specific differences - which BACK UP the above claim.

Anyway, &quot;all the best&quot; on your &quot;learning curve&quot; with Lotus 123 macros. I can only assure you that you are working with an EXTREMELY POWERFUL programming language, and in my opinion, THE BEST programming language on the market. The reason is simple... it combines POWER with EASE-OF-USE.

A final note: One of the reasons for Lotus 123 not doing well in competition with Excel, is because Lotus Corporation (now IBM) &quot;forgot&quot; to give Lotus 123 programming language a NAME. By default, it was referred to as &quot;macros&quot;, which in some other software ONLY refers to very simple programming.

Because of the EXTREME POWER of Lotus 123 macros, I have opted to give it my own name. I call it &quot;SNAP&quot; - for two basic reasons. It's a &quot;SUPER NATURAL APPLICATION PROGRAMMING&quot; type of language, and a “SNAP” to learn and use, in comparison to all other programming languages.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Regards, ...Dale Watson

HOME: nd.watson@shaw.ca
WORK: dwatson@bsi.gov.mb.ca