FIX: Overflow Error If Print Long String to Form or Printer

An "Overflow" error message may occur when you print a long string in Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows.

When a character is printed using the Print method, the CurrentX and CurrentY coordinates are also updated for the object being printed to. If the string being printed is long enough to cause the value of the CurrentX property to exceed 32,767 twips, an "Overflow" error will occur. This behavior is by design.

"Overflow" can be caused by printing a single long string or by repeatedly printing shorter strings that are appended onto the end of the last string -- using the Visual Basic semicolon (;) operator.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Visual Basic versions 1.0 and 2.0 for Windows. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start Visual Basic or choose New Project from the File menu.
2. Place a label control on Form1.
3. Add the following code to the Form_Click event:

           Sub Form_Click()
               For index% = 1 to 1000
                   Print "A";
                   Label1.Caption = Str$(CurrentX)
               Next
           End Sub
   						

4. From the Run menu, choose Start.
5. Click Form1.

An "Overflow" error will occur. You can examine the label caption to see that the value of Form1.CurrentX plus the TextWidth of "A" exceeded 32767 at the time of the error.