Inconsistent Compile Error

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Hi guys,

I'm getting an inconsistent error when I try to compile my script.
The error is inconsistent given that it does not always appears.
Essentially, it seems Igor does not recognizes my string list I use for a PopupMenu.

String DataTypeList = "Duration;Area;Magnitude;Velocity;Frequency (Hz);Frequency (bpm);Gap Time"
String SectionList = "Whole Event;Contraction;Relaxation;Ratio (C/R)"
DoUpdate
   
//TOP ROW
   
//GRoup0
PopupMenu SelectData0 title="Data Type", bodyWidth=80, pos={370,2},value=DataTypeList
PopupMenu SelectSection0 title="Section", bodyWidth=80, pos={490,2},value=SectionList


I attach an image to illustrate and you can see the error message, and the DataTypeList string list
If I indicate a literal string, such as  "this is a literal string" instead of a string variable as the value for SelectData0 PopupMenu, then a similar error will occur for the next PopupMenu in line: SelectSection0 - and SectionList string variable will return error at compile time.

I cannot understand why this does not compile, let alone why it is not consistent.

Anyone with any ideas?

 IgorCompileError.jpg (834.21 KB)
Note that, in your screen dump, you do not have:
String DataTypeList

but rather
String/G DataTypeList

Don't create global variables except for things that have to persist from one invocation of a function to the next.

When posting a question, if possible, it is best to create a minimal self-contained function that illustrates the problem. For example:
Function Test()
    String DataTypeList = "A;B;C;"
    PopupMenu SelectData0 value=DataTypeList
End


I can test this and see that it does not compile.

Looking at the help for PopupMenu, I see that the documentation for the value keyword refers me to the "Setting The Popup Menu Items" section. In that section, I see a number of options, but I do not see "the name of a local string variable" as an option. From that section I can see that this compiles:

Function Test()
    String DataTypeList = "A;B;C;"
    PopupMenu SelectData0 value=#DataTypeList   // # followed by a local string variable specifying items
End

October 21, 2017 at 03:02 pm - Permalink

Thank you!

This was very helpful. The use of # was not intuitive for me. In addition, I realized the need to express "\" as part of the list string. I was in part confused by the fact that if the string had previously been created by a previous run (with /G flag) then there was no error. Hence I was under the impression that the statement was correctly written - it clearly was not!

The following now works well:

Function PanelTest()
   
    String DataTypeList

    String quote = "\""

    DataTypeList = quote + "A;B;C;" + quote
   
    NewPanel /W=(0,0,1100,565) /K=1 /N=DCR0 as "Results Display Panel"
   
    PopupMenu SelectData0, title="Data Type", bodyWidth=80, pos={370,2}, win=DCR0, mode=1, value=#DataTypeList
End


Cheers,

R.

October 23, 2017 at 09:15 am - Permalink