We just upgraded to version 5.3.3 from 4.3.6 and the problem I'm having is that after I create a HOLD file, I cannot go back and read it. Its as if the file disappears into space once the program terminates.

So, I can't do a -GOTO to skip to the middle of my fex because it cannot find the HOLD file. I have to run the program from the beginning EVERY time.

We haven't really gotten a straight answer from support, so I thought I'd ask other users.

The question is: Is this normal, or if we have something set up wrong.

Has anyone else run into this? Are there people in this forum that are able HOLD without the problem I have?

I'M NOT ASKING FOR A SOLUTION, JUST SOME GENERAL FEEDBACK. DOES THIS HAPPEN TO YOU? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?????

ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

This is normal for WebFOCUS. Unless you allocate the files (with FILEDEF) elsewhere than the default, the files are deleted at the end of the WebFOCUS call.

There are APP commands that stop the files and Masters from being deleted.

I will post that shortly.

In 5.x, Dev Studio submits each request to WebFocus Reporting Server, which (by default) erases its Temp files as soon as a request completes.

You can achieve a measure of the persistence you had in earlier releases, by specifying
SET TEMPERASE = OFF
in edasprof.prf of your personal copy of the WebFocus Reporting Server, and keeping only a single agent running.

APP HOLD TEST
SET TEMPERASE=OFF
-RUN
TABLE FILE CAR
PRINT *
ON TABLE HOLD AS HOLDXX
END
-RUN

APP HOLD TEST puts the HOLD files and Masters in the App TEST (C:\ibi\apps\test).

SET TEMPERASE=OFF stops the files from being deleted from the temp diretory (C:\ibi\srv53\wfs\edatemp\ts000001).

Use one command or the other.

Note that I don't think you'll be able to read the data in a second WebFOCUS request, because your second WebFOCUS request may run using a different agent, hence the temporary subdirectory (ts000001) may be different (ts000002).

Note also that if you want to do this for more than debugging, if several people will be running the same request, they will clobber the HOLD file, unless you FILEDEF it to a unique name.

I hope this helps.