Debugging Your Code: Types of Errors

Errors are a part of programming. Knowing how to find and fix your mistakes is as important as knowing how to write the code in the first place. Logical Errors occur while your code is running. Syntax Errors occur while your code is compiling. The following is a more detailed description of the types of errors you will likely encounter while programming in Sesame. For debugging techniques, see this Knowledge Base article.

Syntax Errors
These are caught by testing your program in the Programming Editor. Syntax Errors occur when a section of code has been mistyped/misspelled, causing Sesame to misunderstand your instructions. A syntax error does not prevent you from saving a program. You can save your work - errors and all - and close the editor, the return to it later for further work. (Any programming is automatically, temporarily saved when you exit/close the Program Editor window. To permanently save all of your programming changes, click Save Layout Design on the Commands menu.) Examples of syntax errors include:

• Misspelling an Element name
• Misspelling an SBasic call
• Leaving out a parenthisis
• Calling a procedure with the wrong number or type of arguments

Logical Errors
Logical Errors occur when Sesame is doing exactly what you told it to, and that is the problem. These include :

• Dividing by zero
• Checking an incorrect condition
• Incorrectly bracing conditionals
• Looping forever

Type of Error	Error	Description	Incorrect	Correct
Warning	Warning: layout element name [name] contains operator characters.	The layout element name contains characters which make it illegal for use in programming. This is only a warning. If the layout element is not referred to in programming, this will not cause an error.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Missing closing quotes in String.	Strings must have both opening and closing quotes.	vStr = "Sesame	vStr = "Sesame"
Syntax/Compile	Missing close comment.	Comments opened using /* must be closed.	/* This is a comment	/* This is a comment */<?td>
Syntax/Compile	Unclosed character constant.	Characters (Chars) must have both opening and closing single quotes.	vChar = 'A	vChar = 'A'
Syntax	Declaration expected.	Error occurs on or before the referenced line.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax	Statement expected.	Error occurs on or before the referenced line.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax	Statement or End-Of-File expected	Error occurs on or before the referenced line.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Subroutine name expected.	A subroutine declarations is missing the name.	Subroutine()	Subroutine MySub()
Syntax/Compile	Function name expected.	A function declaration is missing the name.	Function() as Int	Function MyFunc() As Int
Syntax/Compile	Variable declaration list expected.	The program contains "var" without completing the declaration.	var	var vInt as Int
Syntax/Compile	Static declarations after dynamic declarations are not allowed.	All declarations of static variables must occur before any declaration of dynamic variables	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Static declarations in functions and subroutines are not allowed.	Static variables may only be declared outside of a function or subroutine	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Variable name expected.	Program uses a for-next loop with an invalid or missing index variable.	For = 1 to 20	For vInt =1 to 20
Syntax/Compile	Expression is expected.	Program is missing an expression.	vTotal =	vTotal = (Unit * Price)
Syntax/Compile	Parameter declaration expected.	A procedure declaration has a trailing comma in the parameters area.	Subroutine TestMe( var a as Int, )	Subroutine TestMe( var a as Int, var b as Int
Syntax/Compile	Formal parameter declaration expected.	A procedure declaration has an incomplete parameter.	Subroutine TestMe( var )	Subroutine TestMe( var a as Int )
Syntax/Compile	Subroutine or label expected.	GoTo used without specifying target.	GoTo	GoTo CalculateMe
Syntax.Compile	Label expected.	GoTo used without specifying target.	GoTo	GoTo CalculateMe
Syntax/Compile	Assignment operator expected.	Statement missing an equal sign (=).	vInt Units	vInt = Units
Syntax/Compile	Term expected	Program contains an incomplete expression.	vInt = 3 +	vInt = 3 + 5
Syntax/Compile	Symbol expected [symbol], symbol found [symbol2].	Usually indicates that an open symbol, such as (, occurs without a matching close symbol. [symbol] shows the found open symbol. [symbol2] shows the symbol found instead of the expected close symbol.	If(vInt = 5 Then ... produces the error: Symbol expected [)], symbol found [THEN].
Syntax/Compile	Direct reference for var parameter expected.	The program attempts to pass a static value to a function or subroutine which is expecting a variable to be passed by reference.	Example: Function TestMe(var vInt as Int) as Int Return 5 End Function Var vInt2 as Int vInt2 = TestMe("test")
Syntax/Compile	Label used as jump target but label definition is missing.	GoTo statement references a label which does not exist in the procedure.	Example: If there is no label defined as GoHere:, the following statement would produce this error. GoTo GoHere
Syntax/Compile	Type expected.	A declaration is missing the type.	var vInt as	var vInt as Int
Syntax/Compile	Type mismatch error (operation is not defined for the types of the operands).	Program attempts to perform an operation which is illegal for the types of the operands.	Example: if vFullName and vLastName are both type String, the following statement would produce this error because Strings cannot be subtracted from each other. FirstName = vFullName - vLastName
Syntax/Compile	Type mismatch error (types of formal and actual parameter must match for VAR parameter).	The program attempts to pass a value to a function/subroutine which is of a different type than is declared for that function or subroutine.	Example: The following code would produce this error because the type of the variable being passed is not the same as the type declared. Function TestMe(var vInt as Int) as Int Return 5 End Function Var vStr as String Var vInt2 as Int vStr = "Test" vInt2 = TestMe(vStr)
Syntax/Compile	Type mismatch (both operands must be of the same type).	Both operands (specifies what data is to be manipulated or operated on) must be of the same type.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Boolean expression expected.	Program expects an expression or value of the specified type.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	String expression expected.	String expression expected.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Numeric expression expected (int, double, char, bool, date, time).	Program expects an expression or value of the specified type.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	String type expected.	Program expects an expression or value of the specified type.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	String expected	Program expects an expression or value of the specified type.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Unknown identifier.	Identifier does not exist or is undeclared. Identifiers must be declared before they are used.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Loop invariants (FOR-NEXT-counter) must be simple local variables.	Variables used to index loops must be declared locally.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	GOTO not allowed here.	Program attempted to use a GoTo to jump out of the current function or subroutine.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Navigation programming not allowed here.	Navigation programming is not legal if running SBasic standalone.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Redefinition of identifiers is not allowed.	Indentifiers may only be declared once within any particular scope.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Variable or function not defined.	Variable or function does not exist or is undeclared. Variables and functions must be declared before they are used.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Array name expected.	Program attempts to access a generic array using = instead of a generic array call, such as SetIntElement.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Number of dimensions does not match definition.	The number of dimensions in the array does not match the array declaration.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Number of formal parameters does not match number of actual parameters.	The number of parameters used does not match the procedure declaration.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Syntax/Compile	Indexing operator [ ] not allowed on generic arrays.	Program attempts to index a generic array instead of using a generic array call, such as SetIntElement.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Runtime Error	Function does return a value.	A function must return a value.	Function MyFunc() as Int End Function	Function MyFunc() as Int Return 1 End Function
Runtime Error	Illegal type (operation not allowed).	The operation is illegal for the data types.	Example: vString = "FirstName" / "LastName"
Runtime Error	Division by zero.	Program attempted to divide by zero.	Example: Bonus = Salary / 0
Runtime Error	Array not dimensioned.	An array was declared, but not dimensioned.	&nbsp	&nbsp
Runtime Error	Wrong number of dimensions in array access.	Program uses an array accessor function using a different number of dimensions than the array being accessed.	Example: var MyArray as Array[10, 2] of Int MyArray[5] = 3
Runtime Error	Max. array index negative while creating array.	An array has been declared with a negative dimension.	Example: var MyArray as Array[-1] of Int
Runtime Error	Array index zero while accessing the array.	The program attempted to access an array using an index of 0 (zero).	Example: vInt = vaMyArray[0]
Runtime Error	Array index negative while accessing an array.	The program attempted to access an array using a negative index.	Example vInt = vaMyArray[-1]
Runtime Error	Array index overflow.	The program attempted to access an array using an index larger than the array dimension.	Example: var vaMyArray as Array[10] of Int vInt = vaMyArray[15]
Runtime Error	Runtime type mismatch while accessing an array.	Program attempted to access a generic array using an accessor function for a different data type.	Example: Attempted to access an array of type String using SetIntElement.
Runtime Error	@CGR: pv and fv must have the same sign.	Present Value and Future Value must have the same sign.	vCGR = @CGR(100, -500, 10)	vCGR = @CGR(100, 500, 10)
Runtime Error	@FV: i must be >= -1; @PMT: i must be >= -1; @PV: i must be >= -1.	Program attempted to use one of these financial functions with an interest rate parameter of less than -1	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Constant pool overflow.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Runtime stack overflow.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal error: Runtime stack underflow.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal Error: Call stack empty while looking for invocation record.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal Error: Invocation record not found on call stack.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal Error: jump target not defined.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal Error: variable name could not be defined.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp
Internal Error	Internal SBasic Error. Contact Technical Support.	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp	&nbsp

For information, see "Using the Programming Editor" in the Sesame Programming Guide.