If you use vDosPlus to run XyWrite for DOS in Windows, you may have
encountered a disconcerting error message -- "Maximum number of Windows
search handles exceeded" -- whereupon vDosPlus-XyWrite crashes and any
unsaved data in open files is lost. I, for one, run into it all too often,
usually when I'm editing actively and likely to lose valuable data when
(not if) XyWrite crashes. I have no idea whether other vDosPlus users have
this experience, and I would very much appreciate hearing whether you do or
do not suffer from these crashes.
I decided to investigate and found that, in the course of a XyWrite editing
session, vDosPlus creates -- but does not subsequently close -- a profusion
of file handles. This "handle leak" destabilizes the session and eventually
causes it to crash without warning. In my experience, a crash becomes
imminent when the number of extraneous handles reaches 500.
My new utility, vHandles.bat, a Windows batch file, is not exactly a cure
for this sudden death, but it does offer preventive care. vHandles.bat
issues a one-time warning message when your editing session is close to
crashing, giving you an opportunity to save open files and quit & restart
XyWrite in an orderly way. You can even, if you choose, configure
vHandles.bat and XyWrite-DOS (any version) to SAve open files and Quit &
Restart XyWrite automagically when the risk of crashing becomes imminent.
This is done via a new XPL program, QUITS.PM, which is designed to work in
all extant versions of XyWrite and NotaBene for DOS.
I'd be grateful if users of vDosPlus would give vHandles.bat a try. Even if
you do not experience these crashes, I'm very interested to know how many
open handles vHandles.bat reports while your vDosPlus-XyWrite session is
active.
Download it here:
https://ammaze.net/xywwweb/dls/vhandles.zip
Unzip all included files into a directory of your choosing. At a Windows
command prompt, switch to the directory with vHandles.bat and START
vHandles.bat with:
start "vHandles" vHandles.bat
You will get an error message if you are not located in the directory with
vHandles.bat when you issue this command.
The zip file includes a ReadMe, vHandles.txt, which has more-detailed
information on setup and use. If you choose to enable the Quit & Restart
option -- recommended! -- QUITS.PM itself has pertinent instructions (read
it in XyWrite, in eXPanded view).
--
Carl Distefano
cld@xxxxxxxxxx