404 error around popups

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Dave Gehman
Posts: 575
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:05 pm

404 error around popups

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

I've been going around and around on this, a recurring problem having to do with advanced JS popups. On publishing as WebHelp, the resulting (internal) website reports 404 for a file that never should be in the HTML directory. It's playing ring around a rosy - fix one popup file, another one triggers the 404. Here's the latest output problem, where something in the code is referencing a file named "aapop-rule.html:1":

Image

"AaPOP-Rule.xml" is the name of the file that provides one js popup in the project.

This is the third js popup resource that has caused this - the file is different each time. Each time I have:
1. Deleted the offending XML in the Topics tree (not in the TOC -- these popup type files are in Project Files > Topic Files > Topics)
2. Re-created the file as type Pop-up
3. Re-linked to the new popup source file.

I've searched within H+M for "aapop-rule" with nothing found. I've also searched all contents of the HTML folder created by publishing the project as WebHelp.

Where else should I be searching?
What might be going on?
If this is a symptom of impending instability, what methodology should I use to rebuild a clean project?
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Tim Green
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Re: 404 error around popups

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

JS popups don't actually exist as files at all, and since they don't have TOC entries it shouldn't actually be possible to select them in the TOC at all either. Their code is all stored in a single file and loaded into the popup overlay dynamically when you link to them, and in the V2 skins you are using you can only link to them from within WebHelp, not from outside. (The V3 skins have an option for field-level popups displayed in other pages, but that is a different system.)

The best thing you can do here is set up a small demo project and mail it to me at support AT ec-software.com (replace the AT with @) along with the skin copy you are using and instructions for reproducing the error. That's the quickest way to get to the bottom of things like this.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Dave Gehman
Posts: 575
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Re: 404 error around popups

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

So maybe 2 topics with popups and 6-7 popup type XMLs?

Anything else... do you need more content, for example? Different types?
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Tim Green
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Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
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Re: 404 error around popups

Unread post by Tim Green »

Dave Gehman wrote:So maybe 2 topics with popups and 6-7 popup type XMLs?

Anything else... do you need more content, for example? Different types?
That's fine. Just test the demo version and make sure the problem is reproducible there and include brief steps for reproducing in your mail. :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
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