Ini File KEYS and Respective VALUES Deleted

[Anthony_L]

Hello:

I use LabVIEW ini file read/write functions at various places. 

I have this [Main] section where most things get written-to and read-from. 

At some point, however, a bunch of KEYS and their respective VALUES get mysteriously WIPED OUT (DELETED). 

I have hunted for a process that does this to no avail. 

Does anyone know how this can happen? 

When this happens other Keys remain. The truncation happens from a specific Key downwards. 

[GerdW]

Hi Anthony,

---

@Anthony_L wrote:

When this happens other Keys remain. The truncation happens from a specific Key downwards. 

---

What is this "specific" key?

Can you replicate the behaviour with a small test VI?

Are there additional comment lines in your INI file? (Lines with semicolon at the start…)

Are there non-ASCII chars in the INI file? (ASCII is defined as 7-bit values from 0x00 to 0x7F!)

Any non-readable chars other than "usual" (TAB, LF, CR, Space)?

[Yamaeda]

Without seeing any code we can only speculate, but from your description:

You read the file in many places, maybe remember in a control (bad design) or shift register (then, why have several). You then add and write back from several places, each overwriting the previous change thus "removing" keys.

Sound about right?

[Anthony_L]

Hello Gerd:

Thank you for taking time to look at my issue. I am at the beggining stages of troubleshooting this issue. 

what happens is as if when a certain set of keys is written, it reSETS the file to have only those keys. 

All keys have simple ASCII strings. 

I am wondering about the TRUE default boolean on this INI CLOSE File VI. 

will that RESET things? 

I will continue troubleshooting and will report back further findings. 

[Anthony_L]

Thank you Yamaeda: 

For taking time to review my issue. For example: Does it mean that if I have 15-keys, 

Then if one process writes 5 keys does it mean that 10 keys will be deleted?

I am wondering if this is what us happening.’

for example what does boolean true do here?

[GerdW · Accepted solution]

Hi Anthony,

---

@Anthony_L wrote:

For taking time to review my issue. For example: Does it mean that if I have 15-keys, 

Then if one process writes 5 keys does it mean that 10 keys will be deleted?

I am wondering if this is what us happening.’

---

The INI file functions internally buffer the keys. So you should not open the same INI file more than once in your app otherwise you create a race condition!

---

@Anthony_L wrote:

for example what does boolean true do here?

---

It will do what the help says: write the INI file when a key has changed…

You don't need to create two messages to answer. And you don't need to attach the same image twice…

[aputman]

Have you accidentally used the "Remove Section" VI? 

[paul_a_cardinale]

The reference wire for a .ini file isn't a real reference.  It actually contains the contents of the file.

If you have forked that wire, that would account for the behavior.

[Anthony_L]

No I did not.

Looks like it was caused by a race condition as Gerd pointed out.

[Anthony_L]

True!

A parallel same ini file read/write process was causing it.