Runtime Error 5 - Need help please

[jsavoor]

Hi

I have a procedure which I have pasted below. I am using the VBe Enterprise environment and all test machines are Windows XP Pro SP2 with the latest hotfixes. On my machine (the one with the dev env) I have no issues running the application I have written. The machine is a Sony Vaio.

I have tested it on a Dell Dimension 3100 and it runs there also.

When I try it on another Sony Vaio and also on a couple of other laptops, all of the same XP PRo SP2, I get Error #5.

The line in question is: 470 BigString$ = Left(BigString$, Len(BigString$) - 1) It is always this line. If I move it the error moves.

The routine essentially scans through a INF file and retrieves drivers that are used on the PC.

I have read elsewhere in newsgroups that adding DoEvents solves this. But not for me. I have also tried altering the line to use MID, but that also does not work.

Can someone please help, as I cannot move to .Net due to the fact that users will be foced to install .NET framework just for this app and a lot of them refuse as it is a live network.

Function ReadINF(fname As String, InfSec As String)

      ' !!!!!!!!!!!!! REMEMBER TO PASS INF SECTION VALUE

          Dim LineFromFile$, cfSTR$, cfPOS As Variant, cfTRIM$
          Dim INF$()          ' Load the INF File into this array
          Dim cfCOMPS$()      'define cf components array
          Dim CompFiles$()    ' This is the array that will hold the actual file names
          Dim cnt, cnt2
          Dim j As Variant, i As Variant, k As Variant, L As Variant, M As Variant
          Dim InfSecPos As String, ktemp As String
          Dim foundFlag As Boolean, FirstTimeFind As Boolean
          Dim BigString$  ' Used to make up a delimited String to populate an array to avoid ERR 9
          Dim eqPOS   '  Position of Equals sign in CopyFiles String
          Dim LBoundOfArray, UBoundOfArray, ArrayCounter

10        On Error GoTo ReadINF_Error

20        foundFlag = False
30        FirstTimeFind = False

          ' Attach the []
40        InfSec = "[" + InfSec + "]"

          ' Set up the filesystem object
50        fname = Environ$("WINDIR") + "\inf\" + fname
60        Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
70        Set A = fs.OpenTextFile(fname, 1, 0)

          ' Read the inf file in and start process of query
80        cnt = 1
90        While Not A.AtEndOfStream
100           ReDim Preserve INF(cnt) As String
110           INF(cnt) = A.ReadLine
120           cnt = cnt + 1
130           DoEvents
140       Wend
150       A.Close

          ' First find the section
160       cfSTR$ = ""
170       For Each j In INF
180           If (InStr(1, j, InfSec, 1) = 1) And (foundFlag = False) Then foundFlag = True
190           If (foundFlag = True) And j = "" Then GoTo FoundEndOfSection
200           If (foundFlag = True) And (Mid(j, 1, 9) = "CopyFiles") Then
210               cfSTR = j
220               GoTo FoundEndOfSection
230           End If
240       Next

FoundEndOfSection:

          ' Trim the "CopyFiles = " away
250       eqPOS = InStr(1, cfSTR, "=", vbTextCompare)

260       cfTRIM$ = Mid$(cfSTR, eqPOS + 1)

          'Parse cfSTR into the individual components
270       cfCOMPS$() = Split(cfTRIM$, ",", -1)

          ' ******************************************************

          ' Now find each section at a time and copy the files
280       foundFlag = False
290       cnt2 = 1
300       For Each k In cfCOMPS
310           BigString$ = ""
320           ktemp = k
330           ktemp = Mid(ktemp, 2)
340           InfSec = "[" + ktemp + "]"
350           LBoundOfArray = LBound(INF)
360           UBoundOfArray = UBound(INF)
370           ArrayCounter = 0
380           For Each L In INF
                  '    Form1.Print (L)
390               If (InStr(1, L, InfSec, 1) = 1) And (foundFlag = False) Then foundFlag = True
400               If (foundFlag = True) And L = "" Then Exit For
410               If (foundFlag = True) And L <> "" Then
420                   If L <> InfSec Then
430                       BigString$ = BigString$ + L + ","
440                   End If
450               End If
460           Next
              ' Finished scanning that aection - now remove trailing comma
470           BigString$ = Left(BigString$, Len(BigString$) - 1)

480           If foundFlag = True Then
490               DoEvents
                  '      BigString$ = Mid(BigString$, 1, Len(BigString) - 1)
500               foundFlag = False
                  ' Now pass BigString$ to the FileCopier.
                  '            Form1.Print (BigString$)
510               CopyDrivers regroot$, BigString$
520           End If
530       Next

540       On Error GoTo 0
550       Exit Function

ReadINF_Error:

560       MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & " at line:" & Erl & vbCrLf & " (" & Err.Description & ") in procedure ReadINF of Form Form1"


End Function

In Anticipation

Jay

[purplegerbil]

Hi,

You havent done a check to see if BigString contains anything in it.

lenBigString = len(BigString)
if lenBigString <=1 then 
   msgbox "Invalid String"
end if

pG

[Comatose]

PG's Right. You should test if the string is empty (or how long the string actually is) before trying to get the left value from it....

[jsavoor]

The problem is not that I feel. The way that the previous area of the code works ensures that BIGSTRIN$ has always got the list of filenames seperated by commas. The reason for the LEFT was to remove the trailing comma.

380 For Each L In INF
' Form1.Print (L)
390 If (InStr(1, L, InfSec, 1) = 1) And (foundFlag = False) Then foundFlag = True
400 If (foundFlag = True) And L = "" Then Exit For
410 If (foundFlag = True) And L <> "" Then
420 If L <> InfSec Then
430 BigString$ = BigString$ + L + ","
440 End If
450 End If
460 Next

I have since removed this line altogether and put checking for a blank entry in the array when I split BIGSTRING$.

The issue therefore is something else.

[purplegerbil]

Its a strange one this. I cannot recreate the error on my pc.

what about

lenBigString = len(BigString)-1
BigString = Left(BigString, lenBigString)

have you got BigString defined?

pG

[Comatose]

The problem with the line (470) is without a doubt, the fact that the length is equal to 0 in the left function. Check this:

'BigString$ = Left(BigString$, Len(BigString$) - 1)
BigString$ = Left(BigString$, Len(BigString$))

I removed the -1 (since the length of bigstring$ was 0) and the left function didn't flip out. It flips out (and returns an invalid procedure call or argument) when left is being called with a negative value. The second argument (parameter) to left, MUST BE a positive value (or 0, which I suppose is also positive). Check the length of bigstring$ first, such as: if len(bigstring$) < 0 then if you are having problems after removing that line, then there is more than 1 problem in the code, and I'm guessing it has to do with the length of bigstring$ being less than 0 also....