Errors with Global Variables

[LaKisha1]

For those of you who use global variables in your projects, is there anyone who has come across the following error, probably after renaming a project?

"ERROR: Variable (the variable name is displayed here in parentheses) is undefined."

For each software version, I simply rename the project for the new version...e.g., 2.1, 2.2. In 2.2, I noticed the above error on several pages (had started using RH 7 with that project). I contacted RH technical support and they said something was wrong in my project. I went about the task of accessing every page where the errors were located, typed a character, deleted it, and that fixed the problem. After all was fixed, then I renamed the project to 2.3 and all of a sudden, I have the errors AGAIN and they're not even on the same pages as before! I have no idea what's going on, but I don't want to waste time every time I rename the project for a new version.

Any ideas anyone? Is there a better way to do the versioning than what I'm currently doing?

[Peter Grainge]

I just tested renaming a project and did not hit this problem.

Take a copy of the supplied Customer Care project and try renaming that.

Post back what happens.

I was impressed that TechSupport said there is something wrong with your project. Was that perhaps why you contacted them?

[LaKisha1]

Hi Peter,

I tried what you said and no, there were no global variable errors. However, this isn't really a good example to use. My project has over 600 variables and over 400 html pages. I'm not getting the errors on every page - only on 116 of the pages have the problem.

After I fix the 116 pages, I'm going to copy and rename the project again and see if the problem happens again.

Yes, a couple of months ago I contacted tech support about this issue and they tested a sample project and since there was no issue in the sample, they said it's not the software, but something's wrong with my project and they had no idea what it could be. So here I am...stuck it seems.

[Peter Grainge]

OK. Test it again first. Then would you like me to try it on a different PC?

[LaKisha1]

I'm doubtful that a different PC will make a difference...after my fixes though, if you want, I could send you the fixed project, then you can rename it and see what happens for you vs. what happens for me...

[Peter Grainge]

Who knows? But if it breaks here as well, maybe I can poke around a bit and might just spot something.

Send me an email via my site when you are ready and include the size of the zip file. I'll reply with instructions based on the file size.

[LaKisha1]

ok, i'll get back to you

[LaKisha1 · Accepted solution]

OK, after I fixed all the errors and renamed my project again, no problems resurfaced. This leads me to believe that something happened to the files when a developer and I were moving files around in Visual SourceSafe, and I was checking stuff out of one location, checking it into a different another location, etc. In doing all of that, something must have happened to the global variables on 116 of my 400+ Help pages. At least hopefully it's fixed for good now, because we won't have to move files around anymore, and I'll always be checking in/out from the same, new location.