Database Problems

By Ron Goad

Originally published in EUG #36

Hi there fellow members,

I wonder if anyone can help. I am on the look out for a Database program for the BBC Master which will enable me to store and recall a series of telephone numbers, names and addresses. Either a printed listing or a 5.25" 40/80 Track disk would be fine.

To date, I have been experimenting with a listing from the Acorn Electron Programming Book by Neil Cryer (page 278). It started off life as a Computer Club release, and I have modified it slightly by replacing the "Computer Box" with "Phone" and, also on this section, increased the number of digits sufficient for a 12-digit phone number. The program works in general, but when asked to 'find', it first of all requests "Please enter search string" and then, after the input, prints up "No such variable at line 1880".

I have carefully checked out the entire listing many, many times for errors, all to no avail, and have got to the "Woe is me!" stage. I wonder if any readers have possibly experimented with this program and perhaps either

  1. found it to work correctly for them, or
  2. encountered the same problems, and
  3. solved them.

Having now spent so much time playing with the beast, I am curious to try and find out whether there is a genuine listing fault or whether yours truly is just being plain thick!

Ron Goad

Have you tried the Database from EUG #15? It is very good and EUG #15 only costs a pound.

Can you send your modified version of the program that you mentioned. I know a number of readers would be interested in having a look at it, and some might quickly spot why the error occurs. Please remember to put a REM statement at the beginning stating where you found the original and, if possible, the original author and of course that you've modified it.

Gus Donnachaidh, EUG #36