text_io.fopen error in menu

Developer/2000 Forms 4.5

OK folks, this one is really strange. I have a menu option that allows a user to run SQL*Plus. We have a file (called "AppName.ini" for lack of any other ideas) that contains the path to Plus32.exe. I'm using the code straight out of the examples found in HELP. What is weird is that this code works on my machine (developer's machine) but it doesn't work on my tester's machine. getting this error message when it tries to perform the second line: "FRM-21011: PL/SQL unhandled exception ORA-30200." isn't that helpful.

the lines in question:

in_file text_io.file_type;
in_file := text_io.fopen('AppName.ini', 'r');

I know it's dying on the second line because I put in messages before and after that line, got the first message, but not the second. i'm getting both messages when i run this code on my machine and no errors.

things i've tried: changing the name of the file trying to read, copied the f45run32.exe from my machine to her machine (thought it might be a version thing), taking the code out of the menu option and put it in a program unit and then called the procedure from the menu.

any other ideas? Oracle support seems to be stumped.

-- 
Beth Powers
Fiore Industries Inc.
bpowers_at_fiore-ind.com