Q64424: LINK "Stack Plus Data Exceed 64K"; 7.00 BC /Fs Forces /S

Article: Q64424
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 7.00 7.10 | 7.00 7.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 6-AUG-1990

In Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System (PDS) version 7.00
for MS-DOS and MS OS/2, the BC /Fs (Far Strings) option forces the
compiler to also perform a /S. If you use many quoted strings in your
program, this BC /S option places extra overhead in the .OBJ file
that could (in some cases) overload the linker and give a "Stack plus
data exceed 64K" error (L2041) at LINK time. Compiling without /Fs
(using near strings) will not force /S, and the program may then LINK
without the L2041 error.

BASIC PDS version 7.10 is enhanced so that the BC /Fs option no longer
forces an automatic /S option. This enhancement can help avoid the
"Stack plus data exceed 64K" error as in the above case when you need
to compile with the /Fs option.

BC /S Option
------------

The BC /S option helps you only at compile time. You only need to use
the BC /S option when you get an "Out of memory" error message at
compile time due to too many quoted string constants in the source
program. Compiling with BC /S increases DGROUP usage at link time, in
some cases contributing to the cause of the linker error "Stack plus
data exceed 64K." Compiling with BC /S normally does not affect the
size or speed of the final linked .EXE program.

BC /Fs Option
-------------

The BC /Fs (Far Strings) option gives you more space for
variable-length string variables at the cost of increasing the size
and slowing the speed of .EXE programs.