Silly debugging question

Is there any reason any one can think of why a program would generate a different response when it is run straight (i.e., run without break points) as opposed to when it is stepped through.

I think that I have that situation right now. I don't believe that I am doing anything differently, but when I execute it straight through, a cursor in a masked text box invariably goes backwards 3 spaces, whereas when I step through it, it executes correctly and moves to the next space.

I'd love any ideas.

the only thing I can think of is that when you debug and hit a breakpoint the program stops running. However, if you just run straight through it you program simply progresses. It seems like you might have an event that is occuring that is causing your program to do more than you want. Look into using DoEvents to see if it helps.

Generally adding breakpoints and stepping through your code shouldn't effect program operation, in a case like this however, because you are taking to focus away from the form and then replacing it, possibly the cursor is being manipulated?

Just a thought

Regards

Okay, I appreciate the above input, but, unfortunately, I am still getting different results depending on whether I execute the program straight through or step through after setting a break point. I have peared down the control and the code to the following snippet used in conjunction with a form on which there is a single Masked Edit Box named "MaskEdBox1".

Here is the code

Code:

---


Private Sub MaskEdBox1_GotFocus()
    MaskEdBox1.Mask = "99 Minutes \and 99 Seconds."
                      '01234567890 123456
    Dim Minutes As Long
    Dim Seconds As Long
    Dim Time As Long
   
    Minutes = 0
    Seconds = 0
   
    Time = 360 ' Ordinarily I would get value from
              ' a class designed to hold durations.
   
    ' Calculate Minutes and Seconds from raw Time   
    If Time > 3600 Then
        Time = 3600
    End If
   
    If Time > 3600 Then
        Time = 3600
    End If
   
    Do While Time > 59
        Minutes = Minutes + 1
        Time = Time - 60
    Loop
   
    Seconds = Time
   
    ' Format the Minutes and Seconds for Display
    If Minutes > 0 Then
        If Minutes > 9 Then
            MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
            MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 2
            MaskEdBox1.SelText = CStr(Minutes)
        Else
            MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 1
            MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
            MaskEdBox1.SelText = CStr(Minutes)
        End If
    Else
        MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
        MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 2
        MaskEdBox1.SelText = "00"
    End If
   
    If Seconds > 0 Then
        If Seconds > 9 Then
            MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
            MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 2
            MaskEdBox1.SelText = CStr(Seconds)
        Else
            MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 16
            MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
            MaskEdBox1.SelText = CStr(Seconds)
        End If
    Else
        MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
        MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 2
        MaskEdBox1.SelText = "00"
    End If
    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
End Sub

Private Sub MaskEdBox1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
    Dim TempLong As Long
    TempLong = 0

    ' If user presses spacebar move cursor to next valid
    ' data entry point and if user is in first column when
    ' the spacebar is pressed adjust the data in the digit
    ' columns accordingly (I know that the code is written
    ' will not format correctly if there is already old
    ' data in the field)     
    Select Case KeyAscii
        Case 32
            Select Case MaskEdBox1.SelStart
                Case 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    TempLong = MaskEdBox1.SelText
                    MaskEdBox1.SelText = "0"
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelText = TempLong
                    TempLong = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 16
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    TempLong = MaskEdBox1.SelText
                    MaskEdBox1.SelText = "0"
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 16
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelText = TempLong
                    TempLong = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case Else
                    If MaskEdBox1.SelStart > 1 And MaskEdBox1.SelStart < 15 Then
                        MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
                        MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    Else
                        MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
                        MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                    End If
            End Select

        ' If user inputs a valid numeric key write it to
        ' to the control and move the cursor accordingly.
        Case Else
            MaskEdBox1.SelText = Chr(KeyAscii)
            Select Case MaskEdBox1.SelStart
                Case 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 1
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 15
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 16
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
                Case 16
                    MaskEdBox1.SelStart = 0
                    MaskEdBox1.SelLength = 1
            End Select
        End Select
    KeyAscii = 0
End Sub

---

If I set a breakpoint in the MaskEdBox1_KeyPress() subroutine any where before the Case Else statement intended to handle numeric input, and step through, the code executes correctly; otherwise, I get strange results.

I appreciate anyone's input. Thanks.

I don't have time to go through all the code and look at it for you,

However i still think that it is probably being caused by the focus changing when you swap into debug mode

If you need to debug could I suggest that you use a series of debug.print statements around your code, I have used this sucessfully in the past where I want to examine what a function has done after it has executed.

The data will be printed in the immediate window.

In my case the project worked perfectly when stepped through but when run crashed out with locking errors.


To do with opening and closing multiple Excel files. When stepping through Excel had the time to close down, when run was getting confused with multiple open sessions.

I caren't see the same problem occuring with your code, try out Debug.Print and see if that makes a difference, or call the sleep api to put the prog to sleep for a few nano seconds between operations and see if that makes a difference????

I had problems (and still have) understanding VB's asyncronus behavior. You have to remember that even if you have step over a line in VB it still can be working on it. Take the shell command as a simple example. If you have this in your VB vode "Shell word" you will be continuing down to next line before word have finished starting.

The focus shifting can also be a problem. I just now had a bad placed breakpoint so that I instead of debuging my apps right click popup menu I received the right click popup menu in the VB code instead.

I don't relay understand the goal with your MaskEdBox1_KeyPress coding. Why can't you use the default behavior of it.

I also have another suggestion.

Replace

Do While Time > 59
Minutes = Minutes + 1
Time = Time - 60
Loop

Seconds = Time

with

Minutes = Time \ 60
Seconds = Time Mod 60

Geting the whole number and the fraction part.