unexspected and unrecoverable error

[dwild]

textpad 5 generated an "unexspected and unrecoverable error" with a large data file of mine and at first i though it was due to length. (1280 lines, 188kb) but there are much bigger data files involved. (5 to 6000 lines and >30000 characters in one) it gives out e dmp file and "unexspectedly" closes without message. no other tried out file did this, nor did any other version of textpad (3) or any other editor. (notepad, notepad++…)

i was able though to load the file as admin and navigate through to the last line, at which textpad crashed in the same manner, so i had a clue; said line had only spaces as invisible characters and no special characters that made any problem elsewhere that i know of -i'm using textpad for at 15y now-.

i didn't figure it out, but if i only typed an x as last character and saved, the error did not occur again -testing several times- because when i erased it, textpad crashed again. also i could erase the whole line (success!) and retype it bit by bit whithout changing a single character and it will crash again; i transferred the line to another place in the file and that worked for me but now i'm convinced textpad 5 is buggy.

i also changed logon and started system several times to no avail.

[JamesCherrill]

I don't know why this is in the Java section, but...
TextPad 5 is commercial software so either:
a) You have purchased a licence, in which case you should upgrade to the current version (7.1), then, if the problem is still there, get on to their tech support to fix it.
or
b) You are using it but haven't purchased it, in which case you're violating DaniWebs T&Cs by asking for help with it. Your best option in that case is to remove it from your computer and install a legal free editor such as the excellent and highly recommended notepad++

[dwild]

1. textpad can be used without purchasing it because it only displays a short launch screen.

2. the tech support didn't answer to my question because of that.

3. i did not know that i violated your -whatever it is that censors demoware users at your site- and i apologize if i did so. please acknowledge that solutions for problems found by demoware users also help everybody.

4. it's not wise to go from demoware to buying if the software is found to have a consistent bug. as soon as i find that textpad support is working with demoware users that complain about their bugs, i will surely consider to buy it, having purchased a whole lot of other software before. if textpad 7's demo is usable in the same way, i'll test it and come back to tell all of you about this.

5. notepad++ is not as practical -if you use it with your csv files for instance- as textpad is.

6. the reason why i opened the thread was that i found the same problem on your site, but that thread was 3y old and closed -and from the java section, for which (java fe) i use textpad-.

7. if you do not like demoware users please feel free to erase my account and that of all other demoware users justly, if you can do that. but do please acknowledge also that that might have unintended consequences.

i do realize though that this is not a site for complaining about commercial software only, so i apologize for contributuing an unsatisfying workaround to a problem that was posted two times on your site, thus potentially helping some users. also a complaint by a buyer could have been an outcome. but i realize now that i have come to the wrong place!

please no hard feelings.

[JamesCherrill]

Please understand that I'm not trying to be difficult here.
DaniWeb is, and must be seen to be, fully compliant will all applicable law.

TextPad is NOT "demoware" - here's what TextPad.com has to say: "You are welcome to download a copy of TextPad for evaluation, or to upgrade from an earlier release. There is no charge for the download, but you must pay for the software if you decide to keep it."

I repeat "you must pay for the software if you decide to keep it."

It seems your use of the software is not legal, so that's why we can't host any discussion of that here.

[dwild]

if the term demoware (the term illustrating the fact that i use it for evaluation purposes only; looking if it works correctly…) is not correct, (the right term might then be "demo") i just want to say that it does just what a demoware does:

there is no restriction whatsoever to the use of it, only that you should pay for it after a short period of time if you discover that it is the tool of choice. (which it is not) for my everyday purposes i use notepad++. textpad should have used better restrictions in order to show that they have problems with people (i am not aware of that) who are testing it within a long period of time.

i am not aware that there is a time limit on the use of my textpad version, so please do not name my use illegal. in my view abiding by the terms given by textpad i am allowed to use it for short time spans if i deinstall after i tested it.

i must once more point out that i have not "decided to keep it" at all! i am far away from that point and i discovered a coherent bug!

i hardly ever use it.
but i use it -now and then- (inside a time span of ~15y) for rarely needed functions of it when i feel like it, which i -again- hardly ever do.

in order to do this i usually only install the demo version for a very short period of time. i just don't see where is the problem with that.
since when is it illegal to probe a software (that in order to use it more consistently you have to pay for.) now and then to see if it really helps you with a special problem?

and -like you saw- it didn't! this is a hen/egg problem: in order to evaluate something, you have to have it. part of evaluating is to seek out bugs. if you find one, send it to the maker.

and then: if the maker's not interested and you find others that have the same problem, try to contact them. this contact is what your site does. please write into the policies of your site: "problems occuring with software that is used for evaluation purposes only cannot be discussed here. even if this may help others and the original distributor refuses to help, please don't blame us that our service cannot be used to further discuss the problem. we are sorry."

…and no misunderstanding will take place ever again.