Problems with the Rich Text Editor

[Guest SSJ04Mewtwo]

To start I am a blind user of the site. This means I use screne reading software in order to access the site.

I don't know if its Jaws for Windows 7.0, using IE 6.0 or the combination of both but I can't use the new rich text editor.

Where's the browse button that could be used in order to upload a file? That worked perfectly for me.

Thanks for your time.

[DemonGoddess]

Hi there,

Emailed you about this as well. Does your software need to have java enabled for each address you go to? The RTE is a java program, which is something used extensively in the forum as well. The forum also defaults to RTE for posting, editing posts, and etc.

I'm going to look at your software a bit more extensively and see if I can't find a solution for you

[DemonGoddess]

Okay, what we've done is re-enabled uploads for text files ONLY. To format, yes, you'll still have to hard code in the html tags which are allowed.

[DemonGoddess]

KNOWN issues

Word document exported as html file, then uploaded.

This is an easy fix.

Select edit story

Select the story you need to fix

Select edit chapter

Select the chapter or chapters (you will need to do this for each chapter)

Open the chapter in to the editor.

Click edit chapter.

Copy/pasted from a document where it retained formatting

Select edit story

Select the story you need to fix

Select edit chapter

Select the chapter or chapters (you will need to do this for each chapter)

Open the chapter in to the editor.

Place your cursor at the beginning of each paragraph, and press enter

Click edit chapter

[myth720]

I have a few problems with it. Some are probably due to the java version... even though I have updated my java program, it still tells me there are security issues with the browser (firefox) and it constantly lags and/or freeze my computer and/or popup that the script is not responding, which makes it so much harder to edit a chapter than it was before.

Another thing is that the older chapters are now a block of text and I can't go back to fix small errors without having to copy paste the entire chapter again and then start fixing the formatting (because the spaces are way too big).

Note that I don't have these issues with the forum, just with the archive when I tried editing a chapter today. I haven't tried adding a new chapter or story to tell if that gives me problems too.

[DemonGoddess]

If you get an error message that a script is not responding, asking you to wait or stop, click stop. You can continue your edit, and it won't affect what you're doing.

If you erase the data in an older chapter (just leave a sentence), click edit chapter, then go back in, REMOVE that line or word, and copy/paste the chapter data back in.

If you're using Word, you MUST use the "paste from Word" box. Also, don't try and add this from previously exported files from Word, that are now html files. Go BACK to your original Word doc. Word, when exporting to html, unless you filter how it does it, adds roughly 4 times the chapter data in extra code that isn't needed. This is what makes all the extra line spacing, is Word itself, after it's exported to html format.

When you initially added the chapter, what did you do, to do this?

[myth720]

I haven't yet added a new chapter since the addition of the editor. The problems were when I tried to edit an older chapter.

Anyway, when I try to paste from my word file, it says due to security issues I need to paste again in the popup box and it does the double spacing. I've tried with both regular paste and with the paste from word and it's the same result.

I'm not sure what you mean by exported files, since all my older chapters I pasted into the simple box and added html codes myself (and now, as I've mentioned, all those old chapters are a block of text with no space). Eventually I managed to edit the chapter and correct the spaces manually, but frankly it was easier and less time consuming before, when I just needed to add tags for italics or bold here and there... I wonder if the editor works better with explorer?

[DemonGoddess]

No, the double spacing is actually a bug, as I found out yesterday searching ckeditor's support forums. It shows up regardless of browser used. I'm homing for a fix for it shortly, as this rte is used all over the place.

As to the security settings, you may have to set an option like "accept third party scripts" depending upon which browser it is. Since that is how any browser will see the javascript, is as a third party script not native to the program it's running in.

Rather than copying in to the box, select an paste box, and use it. That overrides the security setting which FORCE you to open one of those boxes to begin with.

To get rid of the double spacing when pasting in from your document, go in between the paragraphs and press the delete key once. That will take care of it. It's a pain, but until they FIX the bug, it's how to fix it. At least this way your formatting is all there, and all you need to do is remove the extra line.

[Guest geeclock]

I am unable to post my stories with your new FTF reader. I tryed copy pasting it in wsp. txt. and rtf. but every time I try to paste, I get this pop up window that says that if I so that internet exporor will run slow and then my window becomes unresponsive and shuts down without posting.

[DemonGoddess]

You need to select WHICH paste option to use and click it before copying your text. Your options are paste from clipboard, paste as plain text, and paste from word.

If you paste as plain text, you have to add the formatting AFTER you paste in the text. If you choose the other options, your formatting should be preserved.

You also need to make sure your java is up to date. That you allow 3rd party scripts in your browser as well.

And, if it happens to kick that error window, instead of clicking wait, click stop, continue with what you're doing. It won't affect it.

[Nerys Dax]

Mmm... I don't know about the others, but for me the suggestion to click stop isn't a solution because the box keeps popping up over and over and over again when I use Internet Explorer. Le sigh.

However, I switched to Chrome the last time I updated/edited and there .... no pop up box and everything went smoothly. So whatever it was in IE, I have no idea, but this works, too.

[DemonGoddess]

IE, like many other Microsoft programs is bloated with much in the way of unnecessary program instructions. Not only that, you have ActiveX which tends to play hell with Java to begin with. It always HAS.

[BronxWench]

I just uploaded using the RTE, and it worked perfectly as a copy/paste from Open Office to a Word Box. The only thing I needed to do was remove the extra line between each paragraph, and the story posted with all my other formatting intact. Yay!

[Guest erobey]

Mmm... I don't know about the others, but for me the suggestion to click stop isn't a solution because the box keeps popping up over and over and over again when I use Internet Explorer. Le sigh.

However, I switched to Chrome the last time I updated/edited and there .... no pop up box and everything went smoothly. So whatever it was in IE, I have no idea, but this works, too.

Agreed. this is a horrible interface, very annoying and makes uploading and editing very frustrating. are we stuck with this now? it is a terrible script.

[DemonsAngel]

Ok, first off I would just like to say that I love the new RTE. Makes things a lot simpler since I dont know codes and had to ask my friends and then find the ones that would actually work by trial and error. I am however having a minor problem with the font. When I use arial everything is find. But when I tried to change it to Times New Roman it went a bit wacky. I selected the font size I wanted and in the editor it showed it as a decent size. But when I went to check how it looked in the actual chapter it was SUPER tiny. So I went back and forth and worked on changing it. Even after selecting a size 16 font it was still very very small. Finally I switched back to Arial and the font was normal again. Not sure if this is a bug or if I am just not doing something right. So I figured I would mention it. Have a nice day, sorry to add to the list of problems and things to do.

[DemonGoddess]

The problem with Times New Roman is that it's not a web standard font. So any rte is going to have issues with the font itself. It's fine for actual print, but it gets weird with stuff like this. You'd see the same thing in the forum. Which also uses rte as it's edit interface.

Here's an example

See how tiny it made it in comparison? Same font size as Arial. With the serif fonts, I usually go 2 points up, at least. Depending on the font. (This is Book Antigua at 3, Arial is at 2, and so is Times New Roman).

I'll give ya a quick run through with it, different fonts, all at 2 which is the forum default.

Arial

ArialBlack

ArialNarrow

BookAntigua

Century Gothic

Comic Sans MS

Courier New

Franklin Gothic Medium

Garamond

Georgia

Impact

Lucida Console

Lucida Sans Unicode

Microsoft Sans Serif

Palatino Linotype

Tahoma

Times New Roman

Trebuchet MS

Verdana

As you can see, different fonts have different embedded heights and kerning values. That's what makes for the size differences, with the same size selected.

The editor, by the way, is ckeditor, which is the mostly widely used RTE.

@erobey

I think the issue you're having (I looked at the database records), is that almost all of your chapter inserts are bloated html inserts. So, when a chapter is initially opened, it takes one of the core files a bit of time to work through the data and strip out all the garbage the word processor inserted when it exported to html.

It may actually take a couple tries of open the chapter, and save (no edit) to strip out all the extra tags that aren't allowed by the archive to BEGIN with.

[saffron]

I did as suggested in tech support to help this problem I pressed stop it works for a bit but the pop up keeps coming up. It's really annoying. And than freezing and lagging is even more annoying.

I have a difficult time editing chapters. Everytime I edit an old chapter it constantly lags and freeze my computer. Before it freeze there is a popup that says the script is not responding,

POP UP SAYS:

Windows internet explorer

Stop running script?

A script on this page is causing internet explorer to run slowly.

If it continues to run, your computer may become unresponsive

and than it does become unresponsive

which makes it so much harder to edit a chapter than with the old editor.

I am using HP Vista and I am using Internet explorer I even uploaded firefox but even with that I have the same problem.

Edited March 2, 2011 by saffron

[DemonGoddess]

part of the problem is the type of file insert it was to begin with. At this point (I'm moving data so can't do anything specifically for you at the moment), you still need to tell the thing to stop running.

I also found out something interesting last night, and changed it, so hopefully this will help where there is an issue. Years ago, the database was set to where the chapter data insert was set to "longtext". At some point during the time the data was being restored FROM the crash, it was changed to "mediumtext". What this did is make it so long chapter inserts are continually trying to truncate. Mind you, I was in the middle of moving chapter data, and kept coming up against that. As the database accepted it at the initial upload, I thought there had to be something else at play. I checked with the other gal (who was around for the crash, but not during the restore), which is how I found out that the field properties had been changed. So last night, I changed it back.

You're using IE, if I remember correctly, yes? You do need to make sure that it's set to accept 3rd party scripts and addons, or it will not behave well with java apps.

I went through the chapter records for your stories, and what I found was illegal div tags which called for things which don't exist on this site. That is very likely the cause of the problem.

[Guest Saffron]

Okay I do not mean to seem like an idiot but how do I allow third party scripts? And what illegal Codes? I'm sorry but I am kind of an idiot when it comes to software and code.

part of the problem is the type of file insert it was to begin with. At this point (I'm moving data so can't do anything specifically for you at the moment), you still need to tell the thing to stop running.

I also found out something interesting last night, and changed it, so hopefully this will help where there is an issue. Years ago, the database was set to where the chapter data insert was set to "longtext". At some point during the time the data was being restored FROM the crash, it was changed to "mediumtext". What this did is make it so long chapter inserts are continually trying to truncate. Mind you, I was in the middle of moving chapter data, and kept coming up against that. As the database accepted it at the initial upload, I thought there had to be something else at play. I checked with the other gal (who was around for the crash, but not during the restore), which is how I found out that the field properties had been changed. So last night, I changed it back.

You're using IE, if I remember correctly, yes? You do need to make sure that it's set to accept 3rd party scripts and addons, or it will not behave well with java apps.

I went through the chapter records for your stories, and what I found was illegal div tags which called for things which don't exist on this site. That is very likely the cause of the problem.

[saffron]

Okay I do not mean to seem like an idiot but how do I allow third party scripts? And what illegal Codes? I had no idea. I'm sorry but I am kind of an idiot when it comes to software and codes.

[DemonGoddess]

In IE, select Tools from the menu.

Select Internet Options from the dropdown

Click the Advanced tab

In the browser settings (next set of checked/unchecked boxes), make sure "allow 3rd party extensions" is checked.

As to the illegal tags, it's fairly common where a data insert was created by exporting a Word document to html. The cleaner utility will strip it out, you just have to be patient and let it do its job.

[saffron]

Thank you did as you Said and pop up is still happening I guess I will have to just bare with it. Thanks for your help. I hope with future updates maybe the pop will cease.

In IE, select Tools from the menu.

Select Internet Options from the dropdown

Click the Advanced tab

In the browser settings (next set of checked/unchecked boxes), make sure "allow 3rd party extensions" is checked.

As to the illegal tags, it's fairly common where a data insert was created by exporting a Word document to html. The cleaner utility will strip it out, you just have to be patient and let it do its job.

[DemonGoddess]

One last thing to check on this, did you close and restart your browser after you made the changes? IE won't make changtes unless you do.

Also, is it the newest version of it?

[saffron]

Yup it's the newest version and I restarted.

But honestly I am digging the new editor. yes the pop up does happen but after I press the yes to stopping script it only pops up every now and than. I am actually use to it and I am loving not having to code everything.

I no longer have a problem with the editor it is a time saver even with the pop up.

Thanks for your help

One last thing to check on this, did you close and restart your browser after you made the changes? IE won't make changtes unless you do.

Also, is it the newest version of it?

[DemonGoddess]

Things like this just goes to show ya why I avoid that browser like the plague