Re: CL prompt in STRCODE session hangs

>> Well, the 5250 session is also stuck - only a white backgorund. maybe an
issue with Client Access (or whatever it's called now)?

Hi Vern!
I assume you are on iSeries V5R2.  You are correct in your suspicion that
Client Access (iSeries Access) for V5R2 is the problem.  The problem occurs
in iSeries Access service packs >= SI05853.  PTF SI08895 for APAR SE09006
is supposed to fix this problem and is available for download.  Make sure
you check out the pre/co-requisite PTF's for this.  SI07675 and SI08894 are
co-requisite PTF's for this.  I'm not sure what the difference between
pre-requisite and co-requisite is.  My guess is that pre-requisite means
the previous PTF must be applied before the current and co-requisite means
the previous can be applied before or at the same time as current.  Hey, we
don't have these PTF SI08895!  I just found out by a search that it is an
iSeries PTF instead of something in the iSeries Access product.  Time for
us to get updated.  I had been distributing a temporary fix that IBM had
given me that replaces a file on the PC.  The temporary fix has worked like
a champ ever since I applied it several months ago.  I will go ahead and
e-mail you that but I would suggest getting that PTF as a long-term fix.  I
guarantee the file won't have a virus.  :)  See my previous posts from back
in February below for a description of the problem and IBM's answer.  As
you can see, I expected it to be in the iSeries Access for Windows SP as
advertised.  Apparently, they changed their minds.  What got me searching
was when they said it should be in the next SP expected June 20th. Well, we
have the latest SP from maybe a month ago and no fix.  Now, it is already
past June 20th.
I never received any responses from this list about getting the fix since
that post so I figure either most people are on an old version of an
iSeries or they don't do CL prompting with the STRCODE session or they
ignore my posts (him again?) :).  I personally like the STRCODE session for
CL prompts rather than GUI because it is stable and has more functionality
(help, prompt within a prompt, tags, etc).

Thanks,
Craig Strong
craigs@xxxxxxxxx


** Craig wrote:
The problem with CODE lockups and iSeries Access service packs >= SI05853
will be fixed in the next iSeries Access SP.
Wayne Bowers from IBM e-mailed, "The APAR SE09006 on this problem has been
closed.  The fix will be rolled
into the iSeries Access for Windows SP that is expected to be available by
June 20th, 2003".

If any of you need the fix before then, e-mail me and I can e-mail the fix
to you.

Thanks,
Craig Strong
craigs@xxxxxxxxx

** Craig wrote: **
As many of you know about and have been eagerly anticipating, iSeries
Access now has a patch to fix CODE/400 lockups.  Without the patch,
CODE/400 would lock up and hang when prompting to STRCODE, saving during a
compile, etc at service pack >= SI05853 for V5R2.  IBM sent me a test fix
last night and I beat up on it this morning and it worked great.  Someone
else tested it and said it was fine too.  I expect this fix to appear in
the next iSeries Access service pack after SI06631 for V5R2.  I have not
heard back yet as to when to expect the fix but if you are about ready to
wet your pants, e-mail me and I can get that out to you soon.  It is just a
274 KB file (zipped at 100KB) that is a fixed version of C:\Program
Files\IBM\Client Access\Emulator\pcswsapi.dll.
If anyone reading this was involved in this fix, I want to say thank you
and good job.

Craig Strong
craigs@xxxxxxxxx

** Craig wrote:
Service pack SI05853 of iSeries Access 5.5 DOES cause the CODE/400 STRCODE
session and ultimately the Editor to hang.  There is not a problem with
TurnOver.  IBM knows about and has been able to reproduce the problem.
They are working with the iSeries Access team on a solution.  I was hoping
I could post with results by now but all we can do is give them the time
they need to fix the problem.  The simplest way to reproduce the problem is
to prompt a CL command to the 5250 STRCODE session, exit, and prompt a CL
command again to the STRCODE session.  This causes the STRCODE session and
the Editor to hang.  Then perform your step #4 below but CODE/400 still has
your member locked.  So you have to shut down the server, log off, and
start the STRCODE session up again.  Notice that with the SI05853 service
pack, applications do not steal focus, even when Tweak UI has "Prevent
applications from stealing focus" unchecked.  I noticed this difference
right away after installing SI05853.
The easiest workaround is to uninstall service pack SI05853 and revert to
the previous service pack of iSeries Access.
If you still want that new service pack, I would suggest:
1. Select Extras -> GUI CL Prompting.  I have heard this GUI CL prompting
is still being refined and I will post about that in my next post.
2. Save your member before compiling instead of letting the compile save
for you.
3. Compile members with REPLACE(*YES) instead of *NO.  If you have
TurnOver, set the default (F18) on the PWL to replace object "A".  This
will keep the STRCODE session from popping up and asking you if you want to
replace the member.

Craig Strong

** Darren wrote:
I regularly use the following software combination: Turnover, a STRCODE
sessions, and CODE on Windows 2000 with V5R2.  I'm also using Access 5.5

When I recently applied the SI05853 service pack to Client Access my
STRCODE session began hanging when it would normally come up with
Turnover's compile options.  After further testing I was able to reproduce
the problem reliably.

1. I select 32 in Turnover which activates the CODE editor through my
STRCODE session.
2. I change something about the source, maybe add a blank line.
3. Go to the Turnover menu in CODE and select Compile- No Prompt and it
appears that the change is saved but the STRCODE session locks up without
displaying the "Do you want to delete the existing source?"  Because the
STRCODE session is still looking for a response, CODE is locked up as it
normally is until STRCODE is done, so I cannot end either CODE or the
STRCODE normally and both behave as lock-ups.
4. Right clicking on CODE in the task bar and hitting "X Close" then frees
up the STRCODE session and I can select "Y" I want to delete existing
source and the compile occurs normally.

Anyone else use this combination and have you seen this problem?  Do you
know what might be causing it and more importantly is there any way to make
it work with this service pack?