Unexplained Boolean change...help!

[bassist695]

I have a 3-tiered FTP application going. I need to pass a success boolean from the app to the web service, to the back-end layer that does all the work. If the FTP is successful, I need the success to be sent back to the app, but I can't even get it to retain its True value when it goes back to the web service. It is 'True' up until right before control returns to the web service at which point it becomes 'False'. For the life of me I can't figure out why. Should I check on some other state from the Web Service, then change the success variable accordingly? It seems quite unnecessary to me...

I have no problem with the flow of control between the layers. The FTP is working, and I'm even going so far as sending a confirmation e-mail based on the value of the success variable, but why would it be changing values between the back-end (Interop) and web service?

Success is initially defined in the app and is passed from the app to the web service to the Interop, and back up that same chain. Even that is probably redundant. Can I just define the success variable in the Interop layer then pass it back?

Thanks,
Mike

[daveStudent]

If its False, does it get changed to True. Or does it only change if the value is True?

[bassist695]

No,

If it's False, it stays False.

I think my problem is the fact that I initially define it at the app level, then carry it down two tiers, then back up to the top. I think that when I bring it back to the web service, it is being redefined somehow, since the function to which control is returned takes 'success' as a parameter.

I should be alright if I don't define 'success' until the Interop layer, then pass it back to the app level. Does that seem feasible?

[bassist695]

Also...I am taking 'success' ByVal...should it be ByRef instead? I'm also finding that if I get to the web service and manually change 'success' to True, it becomes false when I get to the app level...