Re: Re: ncar error codes -107

On May 21, 2007, at 10:32 AM, Rick Roberts wrote:

>
> I'm having a LOT of trouble deciphering an NCAR error code,
> which appears to be the ultimate nanny-nanny, boo-boo error
> code.
>
> You know, "I'm not running and I'm not telling you why; 'nanny-nanny,
> boo-boo.'"
>
> All I get is
> GKS ERROR NUMBER -107 ISSUED FROM SUBROUTINE :
>
> and that's all. No subroutine name, no hint why, no core file.
> Can't get the program to attach to dbx. Can't get it to compile and
> link with the -g debug option.
>
> all I have is a code that won't run and a mandate to make it run.

Rick,

The GKS error message of -107 is supposed to mean that you
have exceeded the maximum number of error messages allowed
for this run (default is ten). However, when this message
is issued as it is here, it usually means that blockdata has
not been loaded (the variable storing the maximum number of
error messages has not been set). We have external statements
in various places trying to force the load of blockdata, but
some compiles don't honor this.

This problem has come up before and we have never traced its
source so that we can improve the error message. We will do
that in the near future. It is probably the case that, when
blockdata is not loaded, the maximum number of allowable errors
is zero and error -107 is triggered immediately. In the meantime
Mary Haley has provided a detailed analysis of the current
situation which follows:

This problem has surfaced in situations when a
non-g77 compiler is used, like Absoft or Intel.

The only thing we can suggest is not to use those compilers,
or to ask the vendors what they can do for a work-around.

A remote possible work-around is to compile the "ncarbd.f"
subroutine in $NCARG/ncarg2d/src/liboptional/ncarbd, and try loading
this on the compile line every time you compile an NCAR Graphics
program. (I think it needs to be included on the compile line
*before* any NCAR Graphics libraries.) This doesn't always fix the
problem, however.

There is a simple blockdata test that can be run to see if your
compilers have a problem with loading and/or initializing blockdata
variables. It doesn't depend on NCAR Graphics at all. It is attached.

To generate and run the tests:

     tar -xvf Blockdata_test.tar
     cd Blockdata_test
     make main.good
     make main.bad
     ./main.bad
     ./main.good

If the compiler is not correctly initializing blockdata
variables, then "./main.bad" (and maybe even "./main.good") will
produce output like:

    TESTSUB: WK = 0...it should be 20

If "main.good" gives the correct results:

    TESTSUB: WK = 20...it should be 20

and "main.bad" doesn't, then this probably means the Intel
compiler is being used. This compiler correctly initializes blockdata
variables as long as you don't load them in via a library. In other
words, you would have to compile NCAR Graphics programs by linking in
every single *.o file in the NCAR Graphics library source tree, rather
than linking in the libraries with "-lncarg_c -lncarg_gks -lncarg".
Of course, this is an unacceptable and impractical work-around, because
we have hundreds of *.o files.

The simple answer is to use the g77 compiler, if you aren't doing so.
If you are, then we have an unexplored problem on our hands.

Fred Clare

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> CURRENT DATE IS 21-May-07 AT 12:30:31
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>
> Rick Roberts
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