Tag index not found in AACRT003.DIS: 640

This is a message that should always be investigated. It means that graphics are being controlled by a tag index with blank tagnames (except in OIS 20 and MCS systems). This is dangerous because maintaining a correct set of tag index values proves difficult over the long run.

In most SODG systems, any tag index message means that the tagname is blank. You should consider this to be worth a lot of attention, as it means that you can lose the connection to the intended tag easily.

The value of this message for pop-ups is substantial, as it is the easiest way to find out that pop-ups that have been keyed by index refer to tags that no longer exist.

DBDOC has techniques for finding and eliminating blank tagnames.

--Scanning graphic AACRT003.DIS

Tag index not found in AACRT003.DIS: 640

This means that a display element references a blank tagname with tag index 640, but no tag with index 640 was found in the database. That part of the graphic simply does not work. DBDOC cannot tell you what tag index 640 is supposed to be. You have to find that in your archives. The message tells you that the tag index is used in at least one graphic, and it does not exist in the database.

However, searching for places that the undefined tag TAG_00640 is used might be useful. In the image, that is not the case, because you can see that the problem is simply in a trend group. If you find the tag index used on a graphic that gives you some additional clues, it might help resolve it. DBDOC links directly to all of them. In the example, you might find that graphic AACRT061.DIS contains enough information for you to identify the problem and correct it.

It is for this reason that DBDOC synthesizes an undefined tag TAG_00640 (in the example) and creates the links to it – it might help sort it out.

In INFI 90, a SODG graphic can be controlled either by the tagname or the tag index.

The latter method (tag index) is the only way for OIS 20 and MCS consoles to display graphics. For these graphics, the tag index MUST relate to an entry in the tag database that is meaningful. In those old systems, graphics could be cloned by directly changing the tag index, so that it was no longer related to the tagname in the graphic .DR (or symbol .DY) file. This resulted in many graphics and symbols with mismatched tag names and index values.

In the case of Conductor VMS, WinLDG (WinTools SODG graphics) and PCView / LAN90, the tagname is the correct key to what is displayed. In fact, in PCView / LAN90, the tag index has no meaning as a concept.

When tag index keyed versions of SODG graphics were upgraded, and the tagname did not match the tag index in the .DR or .DY file, some procedures blanked the tagname. From that point on, only the tag index was in the file to tell what tag to display at that position.

The tag index, however, is subject to re-indexing. If this is done, any graphic using tag index only will be affected negatively.

Note, also, that even a few of these errors might show you that a serious problem exists. If index values are not correct for a few that come out here, it can mean that many more values are wrong. There is no message because the tag index points to a tag that exists, but that tag is no longer the correct one. Consider a simple example with tag index values 2 to 5000 in use. If the index values get corrected to be 1 to 4999, all graphics will have been broken.

Finding tags with blank tagname

In a SODG graphics system, search for the text "blank tagname" (without the quotes). If you find any, you know that your system has graphics links being made by tag index instead of tag name. This is not stable in the long term.

This message is likely to show an error in the system configuration. It should be reviewed. The issue raised may be in unused logic or graphics, or have other realities that make it a non-issue.

Please contact us for help resolving your error messages.