Case of the Phantom Codes
jason_the_adams
Posts: 108
I'll admit, AMX tech support loses a bit more of my confidence in them each time I call.
I was working on cleaning up port and code use in TPD4, when I began to notice oddities throughout the function map. It was replications of codes and other codes going to random pages with button names such as semi-colon. I'd double-click on the code to follow it, and it'd open up the correct page, but not select anything, as it simply didn't exist. When I tried to delete these codes within the function map, it'd give me an error message, concluding with line, "please call tech support." I felt this was a reasonable idea.
I get a hold of someone from tech support and describe the situation as I did above. He surprises me with his nonchalance of the subject; it's an obviously well known issue, and it had been "fixed" in the latest TPD4 version. I asked when the last patch was, he was it was some months ago, and I rebutted that I have that version and this panel isn't that old. This didn't seem to phase him.
It was at this point that he gave me the line which I'm sure if I recorded, would save me a lot of time with them; if I have a problem, just load up the file and listen to the immortal words: "the solution for this is to create a new panel file, then copy the pages and popups over to the new file." I always want to snap back, "that's a work-around, not a solution!"
At this point, I figured it might just not be a big enough issue to handle, so I asked if these phantom codes actually cause any problems, or if they're just an annoying bug. He quickly responded that they were definitely a problem, and had a tendency to freeze up and crash panels, especially during the process of transferring the files and sending the Manifest file. I just didn't know what to say to this. But no problem, I'll just dump my panel content in a new file every time I have a problem - that's the solution!
Alright, so that turned out a bit more of a rant than I'd intended. However, I was initially curious if anyone else had this problem at all, and if a pattern has been noticed on when these phantom codes tend to occur.
Thanks!
I was working on cleaning up port and code use in TPD4, when I began to notice oddities throughout the function map. It was replications of codes and other codes going to random pages with button names such as semi-colon. I'd double-click on the code to follow it, and it'd open up the correct page, but not select anything, as it simply didn't exist. When I tried to delete these codes within the function map, it'd give me an error message, concluding with line, "please call tech support." I felt this was a reasonable idea.
I get a hold of someone from tech support and describe the situation as I did above. He surprises me with his nonchalance of the subject; it's an obviously well known issue, and it had been "fixed" in the latest TPD4 version. I asked when the last patch was, he was it was some months ago, and I rebutted that I have that version and this panel isn't that old. This didn't seem to phase him.
It was at this point that he gave me the line which I'm sure if I recorded, would save me a lot of time with them; if I have a problem, just load up the file and listen to the immortal words: "the solution for this is to create a new panel file, then copy the pages and popups over to the new file." I always want to snap back, "that's a work-around, not a solution!"
At this point, I figured it might just not be a big enough issue to handle, so I asked if these phantom codes actually cause any problems, or if they're just an annoying bug. He quickly responded that they were definitely a problem, and had a tendency to freeze up and crash panels, especially during the process of transferring the files and sending the Manifest file. I just didn't know what to say to this. But no problem, I'll just dump my panel content in a new file every time I have a problem - that's the solution!
Alright, so that turned out a bit more of a rant than I'd intended. However, I was initially curious if anyone else had this problem at all, and if a pattern has been noticed on when these phantom codes tend to occur.
Thanks!
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Comments
Anyhow, thanks for the suggestion; it's definitely better than having to recreate the whole panel.
Some do, some don't. My experience with AMX tech is that 95% of them know the product inside out and backwards, and are an excellent resource. The other 5% are still learning ... but you do get them from time to time. It's inevitable. Most of the time, they seem to be honest about it, at leas with me, but once in a while you do seem to get someone who is either unwilling to admit he doesn't know something, or unaware he doesn't know as much as he thinks he does.
This is inevitable with tech support for specialized products like this. I too have generally had very good experience with AMX tech support.
Ditto - had great experience myself. Gotten me out of many a jam.