☜	Error Code M56 M[UMPS] by Example					☞

M56, Name length exceeds implementation’s limit

Approved for inclusion in a future M[UMPS] language standard.

In the 1977 ANSI M[UMPS] language standard, the length of a name (for routines, as well as local and global variables) was restricted to 8 characters. Implementations were not required to interpret any characters beyond the 8th while determining the unique meaning of a name.
in a future M[UMPS] language standard, the length of a name is no longer restricted. For portability, a maximum of 31 characters is specified, but implementations may allow for longer names. If an application uses a name that is longer than the number of characters that a specific implementation allows (i.e. more than 31 characters), this error will occur.

The purpose of this error is to warn about possible portability problems: if an application has taken advantage of an implementation that offers names longer than the portability limit, and subsequently is run on an application that binds names to a lower limit (either the portability limit, or a number between the portability limit and the ‘roomier’ implementation’s limit), this error will occur, rather than that different variables are mapped onto the same internal unique identifier.

Copyright © Standard Documents; 1977-2024 MUMPS Development Committee;
Copyright © Examples: 1995-2024 Ed de Moel;
Copyright © Annotations: 2003-2008 Jacquard Systems Research
Copyright © Annotations: 2008-2024 Ed de Moel.

The information in this page is NOT authoritative and subject to be modified at any moment.
Please consult the appropriate (draft) language standard for an authoritative definition.

Some specifications are "approved for inclusion in a future standard". Note that the MUMPS Development Committee cannot guarantee that such future standards will indeed be published.

This page most recently updated on 14-Nov-2023, 21:16:40.

For comments, contact Ed de Moel (demoel@jacquardsystems.com)