Thread: [Aimmath-developers] Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

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Is anyone hunting for the "Sporadic Validation error: bad name x" bug
currently?
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id
=44411

Gustav

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 12:14
Message generated for change (Tracker Item Submitted) made by Item Submitter
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 12:14
Message generated for change (Settings changed) made by monks
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
>Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 16:14
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by gustav_delius
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Gustav W Delius (gustav_delius)
Date: 2003-09-01 19:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=737246

This bug is hitting me too. The problem is reproducible as long 

as the quiz is not changed. However deleting other unrelated 

questions of the same quiz can make the problem go away.

The bug shows up when trying a whole quiz as administrator. 

For me it is still there if I click on "Try separately". However if 

I then press "New Version" or "Mark" on the single-question 

page the error goes away. Pressing "Mark" or "New Version" 

on the page with the whole quiz does not make the error go 

away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 16:14
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by npstrick
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Neil Strickland (npstrick)
Date: 2003-09-01 21:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=430681

This error means that when `aim/SafeParse` is called to parse

the student's answer, the global variable x has somehow 

acquired a value.  This is not supposed to happen, even if

the relevant question file assigns a value to x, because of the

way that the functions `Local/Save` and `Local/Restore` are

used.  However, it is possible that this mechanism is faulty.

If you are seeing this error, please let me know whether the

relevant variable occurs in the local variable list for your

question, and whether it gets assigned a value.

Please also replace the line

 report['BadName'] := nam;

in SafeParse.mpl by the line 

 report['BadName'] := sprintf("%s has value %A",nam,eval

(convert(nam,name)));

This modification is not safe against hacking, so it should only

be inserted temporarily.  However, it will at least report what

value has been assigned to the bad name, which should help

to pinpoint where the assignment occurred.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Gustav W Delius (gustav_delius)
Date: 2003-09-01 19:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=737246

This bug is hitting me too. The problem is reproducible as long 

as the quiz is not changed. However deleting other unrelated 

questions of the same quiz can make the problem go away.

The bug shows up when trying a whole quiz as administrator. 

For me it is still there if I click on "Try separately". However if 

I then press "New Version" or "Mark" on the single-question 

page the error goes away. Pressing "Mark" or "New Version" 

on the page with the whole quiz does not make the error go 

away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 12:14
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by monks
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Ken Monks (monks)
Date: 2003-09-02 22:49

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=766386

After much trial and error I narrowed the problem down to the 

following reproducible error. 

If you make a quiz that contains the following two questions 

in the order given:

nm> Question1

l> x

h> x:=1;

t> x is defined here!

a> 1

end>

nm> Question2

l> x

t> But we still have x=1 here, even though x prints as @x@!

a> x

end>

When you Try this quiz as an administrator, the value of x 

from the first question is reported by the second question in 

the validation error (using Neil's suggested modification in this 

thread to view its value) even though the teacher's answer 

and the @x@ both report their values correctly as x.

Note that this error doesn't occur if you attempt the same 

quiz as a student and enter the same answers that are 

provided in the Try quiz page, nor does it occur if you try the 

second question separately.

Also this error occurs on my system using Maple 9 and the 

latest development version of AIM, but it doesn't occur on my 

Maple 8 system using version 2 of AIM.  So either it is 

something new with Maple 9, or something we introduced into 

the current development version.  Can someone with Maple 8 

installed see if the error occurs with Maple 8 and our 

development version of AIM?  That would at least narrow the 

problem down somewhat.

Suggestions?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Neil Strickland (npstrick)
Date: 2003-09-01 17:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=430681

This error means that when `aim/SafeParse` is called to parse

the student's answer, the global variable x has somehow 

acquired a value.  This is not supposed to happen, even if

the relevant question file assigns a value to x, because of the

way that the functions `Local/Save` and `Local/Restore` are

used.  However, it is possible that this mechanism is faulty.

If you are seeing this error, please let me know whether the

relevant variable occurs in the local variable list for your

question, and whether it gets assigned a value.

Please also replace the line

 report['BadName'] := nam;

in SafeParse.mpl by the line 

 report['BadName'] := sprintf("%s has value %A",nam,eval

(convert(nam,name)));

This modification is not safe against hacking, so it should only

be inserted temporarily.  However, it will at least report what

value has been assigned to the bad name, which should help

to pinpoint where the assignment occurred.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Gustav W Delius (gustav_delius)
Date: 2003-09-01 15:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=737246

This bug is hitting me too. The problem is reproducible as long 

as the quiz is not changed. However deleting other unrelated 

questions of the same quiz can make the problem go away.

The bug shows up when trying a whole quiz as administrator. 

For me it is still there if I click on "Try separately". However if 

I then press "New Version" or "Mark" on the single-question 

page the error goes away. Pressing "Mark" or "New Version" 

on the page with the whole quiz does not make the error go 

away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-02 00:14
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by gregg0
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Greg Gamble (gregg0)
Date: 2003-09-03 15:01

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=766524

I can confirm the problem does occur with Maple 8 and the 
latest development version of AiM.

Regards,
Greg

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Ken Monks (monks)
Date: 2003-09-03 10:49

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=766386

After much trial and error I narrowed the problem down to the 

following reproducible error. 

If you make a quiz that contains the following two questions 

in the order given:

nm> Question1

l> x

h> x:=1;

t> x is defined here!

a> 1

end>

nm> Question2

l> x

t> But we still have x=1 here, even though x prints as @x@!

a> x

end>

When you Try this quiz as an administrator, the value of x 

from the first question is reported by the second question in 

the validation error (using Neil's suggested modification in this 

thread to view its value) even though the teacher's answer 

and the @x@ both report their values correctly as x.

Note that this error doesn't occur if you attempt the same 

quiz as a student and enter the same answers that are 

provided in the Try quiz page, nor does it occur if you try the 

second question separately.

Also this error occurs on my system using Maple 9 and the 

latest development version of AIM, but it doesn't occur on my 

Maple 8 system using version 2 of AIM.  So either it is 

something new with Maple 9, or something we introduced into 

the current development version.  Can someone with Maple 8 

installed see if the error occurs with Maple 8 and our 

development version of AIM?  That would at least narrow the 

problem down somewhat.

Suggestions?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Neil Strickland (npstrick)
Date: 2003-09-02 05:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=430681

This error means that when `aim/SafeParse` is called to parse

the student's answer, the global variable x has somehow 

acquired a value.  This is not supposed to happen, even if

the relevant question file assigns a value to x, because of the

way that the functions `Local/Save` and `Local/Restore` are

used.  However, it is possible that this mechanism is faulty.

If you are seeing this error, please let me know whether the

relevant variable occurs in the local variable list for your

question, and whether it gets assigned a value.

Please also replace the line

 report['BadName'] := nam;

in SafeParse.mpl by the line 

 report['BadName'] := sprintf("%s has value %A",nam,eval

(convert(nam,name)));

This modification is not safe against hacking, so it should only

be inserted temporarily.  However, it will at least report what

value has been assigned to the bad name, which should help

to pinpoint where the assignment occurred.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Gustav W Delius (gustav_delius)
Date: 2003-09-02 03:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=737246

This bug is hitting me too. The problem is reproducible as long 

as the quiz is not changed. However deleting other unrelated 

questions of the same quiz can make the problem go away.

The bug shows up when trying a whole quiz as administrator. 

For me it is still there if I click on "Try separately". However if 

I then press "New Version" or "Mark" on the single-question 

page the error goes away. Pressing "Mark" or "New Version" 

on the page with the whole quiz does not make the error go 

away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

I will try to sort it out over the weekend.  (Unfortunately, I have
lost a whole day moving offices today, and a whole day on stupid
computer problems yesterday).

Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aim...@li...
> [mailto:aim...@li...]On Behalf Of
> Gustav W Delius
> Sent: 05 September 2003 15:40
> To: AIM developers
> Subject: [Aimmath-developers] Sporadic Validation error: bad name x
> 
> 
> Is anyone hunting for the "Sporadic Validation error: bad name x" bug
> currently?
> https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=79864
> 0&group_id
> =44411
> 
> Gustav
> 

> I will try to sort it out over the weekend. 

Thanks for offering to do that!

Bugs item #798640, was opened at 2003-09-01 16:14
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by npstrick
You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Category: Marking
Group: None
>Status: Closed
>Resolution: Fixed
Priority: 8
Submitted By: Ken Monks (monks)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

Initial Comment:
When Trying certain questions or quizzes, AiM 

reports "Validation error: bad name x." where x can be 

any single letter variable name that occurs in the answer 

that is provided by AiM (which is the correct answer).  

The error is not repeatable.  When a question in a Tried 

quiz produces the error, Trying that same question 

separately with the same answer will not reproduce the 

error.  I have only noticed this with AiM supplied 

answers when Trying a quiz or question, not when 

entering answers by hand as a registered student (but I 

haven't tested that as frequently, so it is possible it 

happens there also).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Comment By: Neil Strickland (npstrick)
Date: 2003-09-06 10:48

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=430681

Fixed

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Greg Gamble (gregg0)
Date: 2003-09-03 07:01

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=766524

I can confirm the problem does occur with Maple 8 and the 
latest development version of AiM.

Regards,
Greg

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Ken Monks (monks)
Date: 2003-09-03 02:49

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=766386

After much trial and error I narrowed the problem down to the 

following reproducible error. 

If you make a quiz that contains the following two questions 

in the order given:

nm> Question1

l> x

h> x:=1;

t> x is defined here!

a> 1

end>

nm> Question2

l> x

t> But we still have x=1 here, even though x prints as @x@!

a> x

end>

When you Try this quiz as an administrator, the value of x 

from the first question is reported by the second question in 

the validation error (using Neil's suggested modification in this 

thread to view its value) even though the teacher's answer 

and the @x@ both report their values correctly as x.

Note that this error doesn't occur if you attempt the same 

quiz as a student and enter the same answers that are 

provided in the Try quiz page, nor does it occur if you try the 

second question separately.

Also this error occurs on my system using Maple 9 and the 

latest development version of AIM, but it doesn't occur on my 

Maple 8 system using version 2 of AIM.  So either it is 

something new with Maple 9, or something we introduced into 

the current development version.  Can someone with Maple 8 

installed see if the error occurs with Maple 8 and our 

development version of AIM?  That would at least narrow the 

problem down somewhat.

Suggestions?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Neil Strickland (npstrick)
Date: 2003-09-01 21:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=430681

This error means that when `aim/SafeParse` is called to parse

the student's answer, the global variable x has somehow 

acquired a value.  This is not supposed to happen, even if

the relevant question file assigns a value to x, because of the

way that the functions `Local/Save` and `Local/Restore` are

used.  However, it is possible that this mechanism is faulty.

If you are seeing this error, please let me know whether the

relevant variable occurs in the local variable list for your

question, and whether it gets assigned a value.

Please also replace the line

 report['BadName'] := nam;

in SafeParse.mpl by the line 

 report['BadName'] := sprintf("%s has value %A",nam,eval

(convert(nam,name)));

This modification is not safe against hacking, so it should only

be inserted temporarily.  However, it will at least report what

value has been assigned to the bad name, which should help

to pinpoint where the assignment occurred.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment By: Gustav W Delius (gustav_delius)
Date: 2003-09-01 19:56

Message:
Logged In: YES 
user_id=737246

This bug is hitting me too. The problem is reproducible as long 

as the quiz is not changed. However deleting other unrelated 

questions of the same quiz can make the problem go away.

The bug shows up when trying a whole quiz as administrator. 

For me it is still there if I click on "Try separately". However if 

I then press "New Version" or "Mark" on the single-question 

page the error goes away. Pressing "Mark" or "New Version" 

on the page with the whole quiz does not make the error go 

away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can respond by visiting: 
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=439479&aid=798640&group_id=44411

Thread: [Aimmath-developers] Sporadic Validation error: bad name x

aimmath-developers