[Scummvm-tracker] [ScummVM :: Bugs] #17250: DIRECTOR: ROBINSON: Fatal "Builtin 'count' did not return value!" when loading chap0.Dxr (FileXtra DirectoryToList returns VOID)

[ScummVM :: Bugs]

#17250: DIRECTOR: ROBINSON: Fatal "Builtin 'count' did not return value!" when
loading chap0.Dxr (FileXtra DirectoryToList returns VOID)
---------------------+------------------------------
Reporter:  philmeth  |      Owner:  (none)
    Type:  defect    |     Status:  new
Priority:  normal    |  Component:  Engine: Director
 Version:  gsoc      |   Keywords:
    Game:            |
---------------------+------------------------------
 Robinson Crusoe (Tivola, Director 5, German Windows CD, target `robinson-
 win-de`) can't be played: right after
 start-up ScummVM switches to `chap0.Dxr` (the book, i.e. the actual game)
 and immediately stops with a
 fatal Lingo error. The game never becomes playable.

 Reproduced with:
  * ScummVM 2026.2.0 (release)
  * ScummVM 2026.3.0 (release)
  * ScummVM 2026.3.1git31949-gabd1ca3e317 (daily build, Sep 30 2026), with
 a clean config

 == Steps to reproduce ==
  1. Add the game (detected as "Robinson Crusoe (Standard
 Version/Windows/German)", engine director, gameid robinson).
  2. Start it.
  3. After ~5 seconds the debugger opens with:
 {{{
 ERROR: Builtin 'count' did not return value!
 }}}

 == Cause (from a --debugflags=lingoexec --debuglevel=5 trace) ==
 In the `new` handler of the parent script `prefFileObj` (script 233), the
 game builds a preferences
 folder path, creates the folder, lists its contents and calls `count()` on
 the result:

 {{{
 cb_call "getOSDirectory"
   STUB: FileIO::m_getOSDirectory()                -> ""
 c_stringpush "\rcpref\"  / c_ampersand            -> "\rcpref\"
 cb_theassign "ppreffolderpath"
 cb_list  / cb_theassign "pusedbookmark"           -> []
 cb_call "DirectoryToList" ("\rcpref\")
   WARNING: FileXtra::m_DirectoryToList(): directory not found: \rcpref\!
   -> <Void>
 cb_varassign "myfiles"
 cb_call "count" (<Void>)
   WARNING: BUILDBOT: b_count: list arg should be of type ARRAY, PARRAY, or
 OBJECT, not VOID!
   ERROR: Builtin 'count' did not return value!
 }}}

 Earlier in the same run:
 {{{
 STUB: FileXtra::m_CreateDirectory("\rcpref")
 }}}

 So:
  * `FileIO::getOSDirectory()` is a stub and returns "".
  * `FileXtra::CreateDirectory("\rcpref")` is a stub, so the folder is
 never created.
  * `FileXtra::DirectoryToList("\rcpref\")` therefore finds no directory
 and returns VOID instead of a list.
  * `count(VOID)` is fatal.

 On a real Windows machine the folder exists (created a moment earlier), so
 `DirectoryToList` returns a list
 (empty on first start) and `count` returns 0. The folder is used to store
 bookmarks (`pusedbookmark`).

 == Possible fixes ==
  * Make `FileXtra::m_DirectoryToList()` return an empty list instead of
 VOID when the directory doesn't exist, and/or
  * implement `FileXtra::m_CreateDirectory()` (e.g. as a virtual folder in
 the save path), so the bookmark
    files can also be saved later.

 == Other observations (possibly separate issues) ==
  * `intro.Dxr` is loaded but left again almost at once (a few trace lines
 later `chap0.dir` is set as the
    next movie). No intro is visible. The intro probably uses QuickTime
 video.
  * CD check: `STUB: FileXtra::m_FileExists(":\data\gyoza.dxr")`.
  * Unimplemented xlibs: `qtvrw.qtc`, `qtvrw`, `qtvrw32.qtc` (QTVR, only
 used by the Deluxe version's panoramas).
  * On a native Windows 11 machine the original projector doesn't run
 either (crash in winmmbase.dll with
    Win95/98 compatibility mode), so ScummVM is the only way to play it on
 modern systems.

 == Game files ==
 Game folder: Crusoe8.exe + icon.Cxt + xtras\ (fileio.x32, fileio16.x16,
 filextra.x16, filextra.x32,
 qtvrw.qtc, qtvrw.x16, qtvrw32.qtc, qtvrw32.x32) + data\ from the CD (190
 files).

 As reported by ScummVM on start-up:
 {{{
 CHAP0.DXR:   aadcec84ebb2745dfeb90af3af517b12, 1111380 bytes
 CRUSOE8.EXE: c1db9e4179da862f253fc3c757cacd83, 1398787 bytes
 }}}

 Full-file MD5s:
 {{{
 Crusoe8.exe   1398787  2895f89a920bab024665139df372bce4
 icon.Cxt      7410602  9586a9e4deb177884cd379d7cb7208e0
 intro.Dxr      288856  894b94412909d0b4ae860d4b6a014412
 chap0.Dxr     1111380  1a5146952114aef6f3e704e8d06403e1
 pages0.Cxt    5834800  e0ec77e66ae270ea5389ed2d69f393cb
 }}}

 I can provide the full Lingo trace or test builds if that helps.
-- 
Ticket URL: <https://bugs.scummvm.org/ticket/17250>
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