Calculated columns - avoid trouble that plagued us (OpenInsight Specific)
At 24 MAR 1998 10:25:42AM Jeff Word wrote:
We are converting from RevG straight to OI. Over 12 years we wrote some symbolics like this:
Enrollment dictionary item called LAST_NAME
Id=@Id ; Dict=@Dict ; Record=@Record
@Id={STUDENT_NO}
Open '','STUDENT' to Student else null
Open 'DICT','STUDENT' to StudentDict else null
Read @Record from Student, @Id else @Record='
@Ans={LAST_NAME}
@Id=Id ; @Dict=Dict ; @Record=Record
We ported all our dictionaries. OI creates dictionary dependencies and uses the formula of the symbolic to figure this out. OI must assume that you are using the default dictionary and not opening other dictionaries. Because the {LAST_NAME} was in the formula and LAST_NAME is the actual dictionary name - it appears to have created a dependency on itself. This caused major problems as this entered an endless loop and blew the engine sky-high every time it hit on of these.
The moral of the story is: Use the Xlate function and live "happier" ever after.