diff --git a/pvDataApp/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp b/pvDataApp/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
index da86d70..54e4c99 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
+++ b/pvDataApp/factory/FieldCreateFactory.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ Structure::Structure (StringArray const & fieldNames,FieldConstPtrArray const &
     size_t number = fields.size();
     for(size_t i=0; i<number; i++) {
         String name = fieldNames[i];
+        if(name.size()<1) {
+            throw std::invalid_argument("fieldNames has a zero length string");
+        }
         // look for duplicates
         for(size_t j=i+1; j<number; j++) {
             String otherName = fieldNames[j];
diff --git a/pvDataApp/factory/PVField.cpp b/pvDataApp/factory/PVField.cpp
index 0f6b3b0..4c49b7c 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/factory/PVField.cpp
+++ b/pvDataApp/factory/PVField.cpp
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ void PVField::renameField(String  newName)
     }
     std::tr1::shared_ptr<Structure> parentStructure = const_pointer_cast<Structure>(
          parent->getStructure());
-    FieldConstPtrArray const &fields = parentStructure->getFields();
-    for(size_t i=0; i<fields.size(); i++) {
-         if(fields[i].get()==field.get()) {
+    PVFieldPtrArray  pvFields = parent->getPVFields();
+    for(size_t i=0; i<pvFields.size(); i++) {
+         if(pvFields[i].get()==this) {
              parentStructure->renameField(i,newName);
              fieldName = newName;
              return;
diff --git a/testApp/pv/testPVAppend.cpp b/testApp/pv/testPVAppend.cpp
index 0f2c4b4..f712afb 100644
--- a/testApp/pv/testPVAppend.cpp
+++ b/testApp/pv/testPVAppend.cpp
@@ -66,18 +66,18 @@ static void checkNameAndParent(
 
 static void testAppendSimple(FILE * fd)
 {
-    printf("\ntestAppendSimple\n");
+    fprintf(fd,"\ntestAppendSimple\n");
     PVFieldPtrArray fields;
     StringArray names;
     PVStructurePtr pvParent = pvDataCreate->createPVStructure(names,fields);
     PVStringPtr pvStringField = static_pointer_cast<PVString>(
         pvDataCreate->createPVScalar(pvString));
-    pvStringField->put(String("value,timeStamp"));
+    pvStringField->put("value,timeStamp");
     PVFieldPtr pvField = pvStringField;
     pvParent->appendPVField("fieldlist",pvField);
     pvStringField = static_pointer_cast<PVString>(
         pvDataCreate->createPVScalar(pvString));
-    pvStringField->put(String("junk"));
+    pvStringField->put("junk");
     pvField = pvStringField;
     pvParent->appendPVField("extra",pvField);
     builder.clear();
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void testAppendSimple(FILE * fd)
 
 static void testAppendMore(FILE * fd)
 {
-    printf("\ntestAppendMore\n");
+    fprintf(fd,"\ntestAppendMore\n");
     PVFieldPtrArray fields;
     StringArray names;
     PVStructurePtr pvStructure = pvDataCreate->createPVStructure(names,fields);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ static void append2(PVStructurePtr &pvStructure,
 }
 static void testAppends(FILE * fd)
 {
-    printf("\ntestAppends\n");
+    fprintf(fd,"\ntestAppends\n");
     PVFieldPtrArray emptyPVFields;
     StringArray emptyNames;
     PVFieldPtrArray pvFields;
diff --git a/testApp/pv/testPVData.cpp b/testApp/pv/testPVData.cpp
index d254572..7b96ca7 100644
--- a/testApp/pv/testPVData.cpp
+++ b/testApp/pv/testPVData.cpp
@@ -89,12 +89,13 @@ static void testPVScalarWithProperties(
 {
     PVStructurePtr pvStructure;
     bool hasValueAlarm = false;
+    bool hasBooleanAlarm = false;
     bool hasDisplayControl = false;
     switch(stype) {
         case pvBoolean: {
              pvStructure = standardPVField->scalar(
                  stype,alarmTimeStampValueAlarm);
-             hasValueAlarm = true;
+             hasBooleanAlarm = true;
              PVBooleanPtr pvField = pvStructure->getBooleanField("value");
              pvField->put(true);
              break;
@@ -245,7 +246,13 @@ static void testPVScalarWithProperties(
             String("control.limitHigh"));
         assert(limit!=0);
         limit->put(9.0);
+    }
+    if(hasValueAlarm) {
         PVFieldPtr  pvField = pvStructure->getSubField(
+            String("valueAlarm.active"));
+        PVBooleanPtr pvBoolean = static_pointer_cast<PVBoolean>(pvField);
+        pvBoolean->put(true);
+        pvField = pvStructure->getSubField(
             String("valueAlarm.lowAlarmLimit"));
         PVScalarPtr pvtemp = static_pointer_cast<PVScalar>(pvField);
         assert(pvtemp.get()!=0);
@@ -268,6 +275,24 @@ static void testPVScalarWithProperties(
         assert(active!=0);
         active->put(true);
     }
+    if(hasBooleanAlarm) {
+        PVFieldPtr  pvField = pvStructure->getSubField(
+            String("valueAlarm.active"));
+        PVBooleanPtr pvBoolean = static_pointer_cast<PVBoolean>(pvField);
+        pvBoolean->put(true);
+        severity = pvStructure->getIntField(
+            String("valueAlarm.falseSeverity"));
+        assert(severity!=0);
+        severity->put(0);
+        severity = pvStructure->getIntField(
+            String("valueAlarm.trueSeverity"));
+        assert(severity!=0);
+        severity->put(2);
+        severity = pvStructure->getIntField(
+            String("valueAlarm.changeStateSeverity"));
+        assert(severity!=0);
+        severity->put(1);
+    }
     builder.clear();
     pvStructure->toString(&builder);
     fprintf(fd,"%s\n",builder.c_str());