Fetching preview...

Topic: Fetching preview... (Read 15156 times) previous topic - next topic

Fetching preview...

2015-01-02 09:52 pm

It seems the forum is now unable to generate a preview.
It stops saying "Fetching preview..." for an eternity.
It's my browser to blame or the problem is in the forum?

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #1 – 2015-01-02 10:09 pm

Quote from: Flurmy – 2015-01-02 09:52 pm

It stops saying "Fetching preview..." for an eternity.

Assuming you meant:

Quote

It stops, saying "Fetching preview..." for an eternity.

That happens to me, but not very often. When it does, my browser is usually sluggish on other pages. Right now, IE11 is generating previews as I expect. YMMV

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #2 – 2015-01-02 10:41 pm

Quote

Assuming you meant

Yes, right that. Lapsus calami. :-)

My browser is not sluggish at all, not even iwith this forum, but the effect happens always.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #3 – 2015-01-04 03:02 am

Haven't had a problem. Previewed this reply and it came right up. Something in your machine?

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #4 – 2015-01-04 08:55 am

Just checking with my daughter's computer.
Firefox 34.0.5, a whole different computer, the same result: no preview.
Does it use a protocol I could have blocked in my router?

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #5 – 2015-01-04 01:22 pm

Are you using any Add-ons with Firefox, such as Adblock Plus that would alter the scripts on the page? You might be able to see what's going on by opening the developer tools (F12) and looking at the network tab.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #6 – 2015-01-04 08:24 pm

Yes, I do: NoScript, Google Privacy, Setting Sanity, Privacy Badger Firefox.
I tried disabling all them but nothing changed.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #7 – 2015-01-04 08:42 pm

Firefox just crashed a lot of times in a row...
It looks like a big Firefox bug.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #8 – 2015-01-05 12:35 am

Scary, since I just upgraded to the latest version of Firefox. Did you check to see if Firefox is blocking any "add-ons"? I just ran into the case where it was blocking some outdated add-ons - also blocked NWC viewer when I tried to look at something on the scriptorium; I just had to tell it to "allow" the add-on. It didn't care if I ran it on my computer, but running it on the NCW site "alerted" it.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #9 – 2015-01-05 04:45 am

This is probably redundant by now, but have you tried a different browser? I'm using Chrome and not experiencing any problem.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #10 – 2015-01-05 09:18 am

No, Bill, it isn't redundant since I forgot to try it. Thank you.

I'm now writing with Windows Exploder :-) and... no preview.
The status bar says: "error visualizing the page".
N.B. Don't laugh too loud since I never use Exploder: Windows Explorer 8.

In the meantime I reinstalled Firefox (clean) from scratch. No preview.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #11 – 2015-01-05 09:55 am

If I add 'noteworthysoftware.com' to my 'Compatibility View' list, IE11 stops, saying "Fetching preview..." for an eternity.
If I remove 'noteworthysoftware.com' from my 'Compatibility View' list, "Fetching preview..." works properly.

Edit: This has been fixed.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #12 – 2015-01-05 12:56 pm

Well, since a long time I only use Firefox and I remember having used the preview many times.
I can't say exactly when it stopped to work, but I think it's not such a long time.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/754843

Quote

Newer IE versions needs such a button because newer version try to be more W3C compliant and that breaks websites that rely on the behavior of older IE versions. Firefox has always been W3C compliant and doesn't need a compatibility mode.

Susanna, you're using Firefox. Does the preview works for you?

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #13 – 2015-01-05 11:44 pm

Quote from: Flurmy – 2015-01-05 12:56 pm

Well, since a long time I only use Firefox and I remember having used the preview many times.
I can't say exactly when it stopped to work, but I think it's not such a long time.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/754843
Susanna, you're using Firefox. Does the preview works for you?

Honestly, I don't know what 'preview' is. I just know that the new version of firefox caused a few minor problems for me. Tell me what it is, and I'll check it out.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #14 – 2015-01-05 11:45 pm

Did you mean the print preview? Works just fine for me.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #15 – 2015-01-05 11:46 pm

OK, I found it - it works the same as the print preview, and it works OK for me.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #16 – 2015-01-06 11:57 am

Susanna, what I mean is: when you write a message in this forum, in the bottom you have two buttons, "Post" and "Preview".
If you click "Preview", just above the edit box appears (should appear...) the message as it is shown later in the forum.
Now instead I just get: "Fetching preview..." forever.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #17 – 2015-01-06 05:42 pm

OK, I'll try that now.

It worked.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #18 – 2015-01-06 08:28 pm

Mumble, mumble...

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #19 – 2015-01-06 08:42 pm

Did you pick up this from Rick yesterday? Probably the problem. It operates the opposite of what I would expect, so it may be a bug.

Quote from: Rick G. – 2015-01-05 09:55 am

If I add 'noteworthysoftware.com' to my 'Compatibility View' list, IE11 stops, saying "Fetching preview..." for an eternity.
If I remove 'noteworthysoftware.com' from my 'Compatibility View' list, "Fetching preview..." works properly.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #20 – 2015-01-06 11:10 pm

Bill, I only use, and like to use, Firefox and "Firefox has always been W3C compliant and doesn't need a compatibility mode."
I just tried Exploder 8 as a test, with no avail.

What's odd is that I'm sure I used it many times.
What did I change? No idea.
And Susanna says her Firefox works.

I'll keep investigating.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #21 – 2015-01-07 03:46 am

Have you tried a fresh Firefox profile?

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #22 – 2015-01-07 07:39 am

Thought I'd stick my oar in - I have this problem too.

It just started happening a couple of months ago - I have found no solution.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #23 – 2015-01-07 08:52 am

So I'm not the only one...

Francis,
I tried also from other computers (like the one I'm using right now) and... "Fetching preview".

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #24 – 2015-01-07 01:06 pm

Brand new computer and brand new Firefox.
Again: Fetching preview...

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #25 – 2015-01-07 01:49 pm

Quote from: Flurmy – 2015-01-07 01:06 pm

Brand new computer and brand new Firefox.
Again: Fetching preview...

I've been reading these posts and scratching my head a bit... all I can think of are the obvious that have already been stated: are you blocking some "important" Javascript? There's a ton of JS going on, a lot of it relevant to Preview. Are you comfortable/familiar with the F12 key? It might show you what's going awry when you click Preview.

AND.... I just followed my own advice. I fired up Firefox (which I normally do not use), and lo and behold, IT DOESN'T PREVIEW FOR ME EITHER!!!!!

When I hit F12 and try to preview, I get this error:

TypeError: XMLDoc.getElementsByTagName(...)[0] is undefined

This is the exact statement that is throwing the error:

var i, preview = XMLDoc.getElementsByTagName("smf")[0].getElementsByTagName("preview")[0];

Now, I don't consider myself a skilled Javascript debugger, but perhaps there is someone else here who can take this and run with it. Note that when I do a Preview in Chrome or IE11 with the F12 window open, they both work fine.

Mike

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #26 – 2015-01-07 02:22 pm

Quote

Are you comfortable/familiar with the F12 key?

Familiar? I discovered it only when Francis wrote about it! :-)
I used many times to peek at the source page, but only to look at the html.

So, thanks to you, it seems there is actually a bug. Probably in Firefox.
Good to know.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #27 – 2015-01-07 03:16 pm

I use Firefox's adblocker, but I can't imagine it would eliminate the problem. I would think it would be more likely to cause it. On the other hand, problems I have due to the adblocker are usually clearly defined, and don't leave you guessing - well, maybe not that clearly. If something grinds away for a while, and you see the script-blocker bar at the bottom of your computer, with the the "Options" selection at the right end, you can click on that, and then allow - either temporary or permanently - the "offending" page. That doesn't seem to be your problem, though.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #28 – 2015-01-07 04:18 pm

Quote

That doesn't seem to be your problem, though.

No, surely it isn't.
Which Firefox version are you using?
I tried Firefox 34.0.5 on 4 different computers, even one brand new and with Firefox with default config and without any extra component.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #29 – 2015-01-08 12:10 am

Not convinced it's java - in my system java must ask to activate, so I set it to always activate but it made no difference...

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #30 – 2015-01-08 12:53 am

FWIW I spend time on another SMF 1.1 (1.1 RC2) forum and don't have this problem...

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #31 – 2015-01-08 09:00 am

This reply posted using Firefox 34.0.5. It previews for me with no problems.

Quote from: Lawrie Pardy – 2015-01-08 12:53 am

FWIW I spend time on another SMF 1.1 (1.1 RC2) forum and don't have this problem...

1.1 RC2?

Is the other forum served via https? I am guessing not, since it is not being kept up to date.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #32 – 2015-01-08 09:29 am

If this problem is with Post Preview and not Print Preview, I can easily simulate a "Fetching preview..." hang by disabling Javascript after I start to author a reply. The post preview mechanism uses Javascript to perform its function when the browser reports that Javascript is enabled during page load.

Quote from: Flurmy – 2015-01-04 08:24 pm

Yes, I do: NoScript, Google Privacy, Setting Sanity, Privacy Badger Firefox.
I tried disabling all them but nothing changed.

I suspect that any of these would be capable of causing issues like this. Other things can also block your Javascript preview request, such as a router.

Quote from: Mike Shawaluk – 2015-01-07 01:49 pm

AND.... I just followed my own advice. I fired up Firefox (which I normally do not use), and lo and behold, IT DOESN'T PREVIEW FOR ME EITHER!!!!!

When I hit F12 and try to preview, I get this error:

TypeError: XMLDoc.getElementsByTagName(...)[0] is undefined

Post preview worked fine for me in Firefox. Then, I played around with the F12 console. Now, post preview no longer works. I'll try to track down why this is.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #33 – 2015-01-08 10:29 am

Quote from: NoteWorthy Online – 2015-01-08 09:00 am

This reply posted using Firefox 34.0.5. It previews for me with no problems.

1.1 RC2?

Is the other forum served via https? I am guessing not, since it is not being kept up to date.

Well, it says 1.1 RC2 at the bottom... It is unlikely it is being kept as up to date as perhaps it could be...

It certainly doesn't support https at the moment as when I tried to access it that way I got timed out with no response at all, not even a certificate error.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #34 – 2015-01-08 10:33 am

As a temporary work around, you should be able to hold the Ctrl key down while pressing the Preview button. This disables the sendXMLDocument Javascript behavior, and forces a normal posted preview. Don't do this after adding attachments, though.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #35 – 2015-01-08 11:21 am

Well, the first thing I blamed was indeed javascript, so I assured myself it is allowed.

Ctrl-preview works.

Re: Fetching preview...

Reply #36 – 2015-01-08 11:49 am

~~From what I could tell, the root of this problem appears to be the failure of Firefox to forward the session cookie during the Preview request.~~ A forum upgrade is in the works, so this issue may work itself out over time.

Update: After testing this in a variety of browsers, it appears as though the AJAX version of preview is just broken. Some browsers fall back to the standard POST preview, and others do not.