Inconsistent behavior when compiling code referring to classes

The compiler is inconsistent when compiling a program referring to a class, when that class itself fails to compile. Depending on the error in the class, the compilation of the referring program either gets aborted or completes succesfully.

Nov 18, 2016
Knowledge

Title

URL Name

Inconsistent-behavior-when-compiling-code-referring-to-classes

Article Number

000178001

Environment

Product: OpenEdge Version: 11.6.x OS: All supported platforms

Question/Problem Description

Compiling programs referring to classes.
No pre-existing r-code for classes found.
Code for one of the classes triggers compiler errors.

Depending on errors in the class, the referring program sometimes compiles, sometimes fails to compile.

Steps to Reproduce

Clarifying Information

As example, see following programs:

referring.p

DEFINE VARIABLE myFailCompile AS FailCompile NO-UNDO. 

myFailCompile = new FailCompile().
myFailCompile:test().

FailCompile.cls

CLASS FailCompile: 

DEFINE PUBLIC PROPERTY something AS nonexistingtype
  GET.

METHOD PUBLIC VOID Test(): 

   /* Uncomment one or more of these and the referring.p stops compiling. */

   /* DEFINE VARIABLE notworking AS DECIMAL FORMAT "X(30)" NO-UNDO.*/
   /* DEFINE VARIABLE alsonotworking AS DECIMAL INITIAL "X(30)" NO-UNDO.*/
   /* DEFINE PUBLIC VARIABLE lastnotworking AS DECIMAL NO-UNDO.*/
   /* DEFINE BUFFER something FOR customer. */

   nonexistingmethod().
   FIND FIRST Customer NO-LOCK. 

END METHOD. 

END CLASS.

Every statement in the FailCompile.cls results in a compiler error (assuming no database with a table "Customer" is connected).
As written, the referring.p will compile succesfully. Uncomment one of the commented statements in the .cls and the referring.p will stop compiling as well.

Error Message

Varies.

Defect Number

Defect PSC00352090

Enhancement Number

Cause

When compiling classes, OpenEdge uses a multi-pass compiler. Different errors are caught at different passes during the compilation, even if they appear to be the same type of error (such as errors that occur because a required database is not connected).

If the compiler needs to compile a class on the fly to extract type information from it (so it can continue compiling a program referring to the class), it only does the first pass and skips the rest of the compile for the class.
Errors that are raised in the first pass of the compiler will also prevent the referring program to compile, while errors that would be caught the later passes of the compile don't get the chance to occur and won't stop the compilation of the referring program.

Resolution

Until the fix is available, use the workaround below.

Workaround

Make sure the class compiles before compiling code referring to it.

Notes

Keyword Phrase

Last Modified Date

11/18/2016 2:27 PM

Inconsistent behavior when compiling code referring to classes

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