I am having an odd problem. The following code may have bugs, but I cannot tell, as this is what keeps happening: whenever I try to compile this code ( Alt + F9 ) something flashes very fast on the screen and then FreePascal abruptly closes down! (Incidentally this code is from a tutorial I am reading, though I've changed its name.)

Program JustInCase (input, output);
        var
                invalid_operator : boolean;
                operator        : char;
                num1, num2, result : real;
        begin
                invalid_operator := FALSE;
                writeln('Enter two numbers and an operator in the format');
                writeln(' number1 operator number2');
                readln( num1 ); readln( operator ); readln( num2 );
                case operator of
                        '*' : result := num1 * num2;
					   '/' : result := num1 / num2;
                        '+' : result := num1 + num2;
                        '-' : result := num1 - num2;
                otherwise invalid_operator := TRUE;
                if invalid_operator then
                        writeln('Invalid operator')
                else
                        writeln(num1:4:2, ' ',operator,' ', num2:4:2, ' is
',result:5:2)		{this line isn't wrapped on my screen}
        end.

I have tried writing any other program, some simple calculation, and it compiles fine, giving me error messages where necessary, but it doesn't rudely shut down. But every time I try to compile the above it rudely shuts down. Is there something in this code as written that is telling it to shut down??

Thanks for any advice,

Jonathan Gold

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----- Original Message -----

It's a bug in the compiler that it crashes. Please try a snapshot, that should not crash.

operator is a reserved keyword in FPC. You should replace it by some other name like 'oper'

Here a line with 'end;' is missing to terminated the case statement.

HI Jonathan,

I think it is Lazarus which is closing down abruptly not Freepascal. Have you tried to compile it by hand at the command prompt.

Kind regrads
Andrew Higgs