Latest daily builds don't show error messages with modules

Solar2D Daily Builds and Public Releases
#1

In daily build 2015.2605 when there’s a problem in a module reference by a scene, I get this useful error (I’m using OS X, identifying info elided):

2015-04-17 15:16:43.016 Corona Simulator[22321:507] Runtime error

error loading module ‘X’ from file ‘x.lua’:

x.lua:103: ‘end’ expected (to close ‘if’ at line 99) near ‘if’

stack traceback:

[C]: in function ‘error’

?: in function ‘gotoScene’

In daily build 2015.2616, running the identical code produces this unhelpful error:

2015-04-17 15:19:32.593 Corona Simulator[22363:507] Runtime error

loop or previous error loading module ‘scene1’

stack traceback:

[C]: in function ‘error’

?: in function ‘gotoScene’

main.lua:196: in main chunk

That isn’t useful. It doesn’t reference the actual module where the typo is, or give me a line number.

Can Corona fix this? Thanks.

#2

I can’t see what we might have changed that would cause this and I get the same error (like your first) with 2616 so I guess there’s more to reproducing it than just a syntax error in a required Lua file.  

Can you elaborate a bit on your circumstances?  Alternatively, PM me some code that demonstrates the issue.

#3

Perry: Thanks for your prompt response!

It was an if-elseif-else situation in a module imported into scene1 that triggered that error. I wasn’t paying close attention and typed if-if-else, and when I fixed it, build 2616 worked fine. This is OS X 10.9.5.

Does that help? (Or maybe that’s restating what I already said above. Hmm.) It’s a non-trivial project for a company so I’m limited in the amount of code I can share. Let me try this: Under what circumstances should the error “loop or previous error loading module ‘scene1’” to be displayed?

#4

That error relates to attempts to require files with errors multiple times though the details are a little murky and I would understand if you don’t feel your application is trying to do that.  This thread seems apropos and might shed some light.

#5

Hmm! Interesting. Thanks for the pointer. Perhaps it’s my lack of imagination, but it really doesn’t make sense to me that I’d be getting different error messages with the identical codebase and different versions of Corona. 

I can generate the same “loop or previous error” intentionally by adding syntax errors into the module (syntax errors in the scene importing the modules displayed correctly). I tried introducing errors into other modules with the same “loop or previous error” results, so it’s not a one-off thing.

If this becomes a significant problem for me I’ll have to take the time to generate a test project. But for now let’s leave this thread here and hopefully other folks will come across this and their posts will help track down the root cause. Thanks again!

#6

@Corona273,

I’ve noticed some changes recently too, but I haven’t had time to track this down.

I have introduced one new bit of coding which may or may not be contributing to this.  I learned a useful technique called lazy requireing() (from StarCrunch) here: 

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/56136-two-modules-require-each-other/

Are you doing something like this?

I will post back if I find a proper signature for the recent difference you and (I think) I are seeing.

Cheers,

Ed

PS - If you do work more on tracking, this down.  Finding the last version where it worked the way you expected and the first version where it didn’t will help a lot.  Then the staff will be able to limit their hunt for causal agents.

i.e. when between 2015.2605 and 2015.2616 did it first start happening?

I’m seeing it 2610, so that helps narrow it a bit.

#7

<roaminggamer>: Thanks for your suggestion! I learned something from your lazy require-ing post. Unfortunately, that’s not what I’m doing – in part because I never thought of it before! :slight_smile:

I am seeing correct module error messages with build 2015.2609. I am seeing incorrect (“loop or previous error loading module…”) module error messages with build 2015.2610.

The only change listed in the 2610 daily build log is this, which sounds like a reasonably likely culprit:

Core: Enable Lua-plugin development workflow in Simulator

 

Note I’m only seeing incorrect error messages in the Simulator because, naturally, the project will fail to build if there are lua errors.

#8

Try CoronaSDK 2015. 2617 … there was a change which might have caused the issue you were seeing but we’ve narrowed its scope so hopefully your old behavior will return (sorry to be vague but we weren’t able to reproduce the issue).

#9

@Perry,

Sorry for the delay, but I’m back in business now.  i.e. I’m seeing error messages with ‘more useful’ output once again.  

Thanks,

Ed

#10

I can’t see what we might have changed that would cause this and I get the same error (like your first) with 2616 so I guess there’s more to reproducing it than just a syntax error in a required Lua file.  

Can you elaborate a bit on your circumstances?  Alternatively, PM me some code that demonstrates the issue.

#11

Perry: Thanks for your prompt response!

It was an if-elseif-else situation in a module imported into scene1 that triggered that error. I wasn’t paying close attention and typed if-if-else, and when I fixed it, build 2616 worked fine. This is OS X 10.9.5.

Does that help? (Or maybe that’s restating what I already said above. Hmm.) It’s a non-trivial project for a company so I’m limited in the amount of code I can share. Let me try this: Under what circumstances should the error “loop or previous error loading module ‘scene1’” to be displayed?

#12

That error relates to attempts to require files with errors multiple times though the details are a little murky and I would understand if you don’t feel your application is trying to do that.  This thread seems apropos and might shed some light.

#13

Hmm! Interesting. Thanks for the pointer. Perhaps it’s my lack of imagination, but it really doesn’t make sense to me that I’d be getting different error messages with the identical codebase and different versions of Corona. 

I can generate the same “loop or previous error” intentionally by adding syntax errors into the module (syntax errors in the scene importing the modules displayed correctly). I tried introducing errors into other modules with the same “loop or previous error” results, so it’s not a one-off thing.

If this becomes a significant problem for me I’ll have to take the time to generate a test project. But for now let’s leave this thread here and hopefully other folks will come across this and their posts will help track down the root cause. Thanks again!

#14

@Corona273,

I’ve noticed some changes recently too, but I haven’t had time to track this down.

I have introduced one new bit of coding which may or may not be contributing to this.  I learned a useful technique called lazy requireing() (from StarCrunch) here: 

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/56136-two-modules-require-each-other/

Are you doing something like this?

I will post back if I find a proper signature for the recent difference you and (I think) I are seeing.

Cheers,

Ed

PS - If you do work more on tracking, this down.  Finding the last version where it worked the way you expected and the first version where it didn’t will help a lot.  Then the staff will be able to limit their hunt for causal agents.

i.e. when between 2015.2605 and 2015.2616 did it first start happening?

I’m seeing it 2610, so that helps narrow it a bit.

#15

<roaminggamer>: Thanks for your suggestion! I learned something from your lazy require-ing post. Unfortunately, that’s not what I’m doing – in part because I never thought of it before! :slight_smile:

I am seeing correct module error messages with build 2015.2609. I am seeing incorrect (“loop or previous error loading module…”) module error messages with build 2015.2610.

The only change listed in the 2610 daily build log is this, which sounds like a reasonably likely culprit:

Core: Enable Lua-plugin development workflow in Simulator

 

Note I’m only seeing incorrect error messages in the Simulator because, naturally, the project will fail to build if there are lua errors.

#16

Try CoronaSDK 2015. 2617 … there was a change which might have caused the issue you were seeing but we’ve narrowed its scope so hopefully your old behavior will return (sorry to be vague but we weren’t able to reproduce the issue).

#17

@Perry,

Sorry for the delay, but I’m back in business now.  i.e. I’m seeing error messages with ‘more useful’ output once again.  

Thanks,

Ed