Actinic v8 Not Generating Popup/Extended Info Pages

[brian.rippon]

I'm still no closer to getting Extended Info working with data imported from a hierarchic file.

I started with a brand new 8.0.3 install, in which extended info for the demo Computer Bundle works OK.

If I look at the Design view of the Starter Computer Bundle:

INNERLAYOUT>Section Page>ProductList>Product List>ProductLayout>Standard Layout

there's an entry for ExtendedInformationLinks between ComponentList and DiscountList.

Then I do a hierarchic import of this file:

Header:Section,Section name,Section description,Page Name
Header:Product,Product reference,Short description,Full description,Price,Image filename,Thumbnail,Can be ordered online,Product type,Fragment title,Fragment text,Fragment image file name,Generate popup page,Extended info image,Extended info link text,Display by image,Shipping data,Pricing model
Section,"Carp","Carp stuff","carp.html"
Section,"Rods","Rod stuff","carp_rods.html"
"Product","DC240S","12ft rod","","1499","pic\m\m_DC240S.gif","pic\s\s_DC240S.jpg","1","0","","","","1","pic\l\l_DC240S.gif","More","1","",0
End,Section
End,Section

Everything seems OK in the Product Details in the Content view. However when I look at the Design View, there is no ExtendedInformationLinks entry - so I can't even make it Fixed or whatever.

The Extended info link text doesn't appear in the Content preview of the product, and the extended info file isn't generated.

If I create a new product by hand, it works fine.

I'm quite prepared to accept that there's something wrong with my import file, but I can't see it. I know what's wrong in the database - see above - but I can't see how to fix it.

Would Actinic like to comment?

Brian

[cdicken]

there's an entry for ExtendedInformationLinks between ComponentList and DiscountList.

If you click the green button at the top of the design tree (like a green no-entry sign) you will be able to see all the elements in the design tree that are not visible in the current preview. The 'ExtendedInformationLinks' will probably be visible in that, but greyed out.

Importing is a tricky business, and hierarchical import files are particularly tricky to debug by eye. I can only really suggest registering an email support query at http://www.actinic.co.uk/support/register.htm as one of the support team can at least try out your import file for themselves and figure out what is going on. The sample hierarchical files in the 'Common' folder create pop-up windows correctly - so it is possible - but I cannot suggest a fix on the community.

[giles.thurston]

I can only really suggest registering an email support query at http://www.actinic.co.uk/support/register.htm as one of the support team can at least try out your import file for themselves and figure out what is going on.

I have already done this and the Support Team have passed it onto the Dev Team. I'll post back once I get a response

[brian.rippon]

Importing is a tricky business, and hierarchical import files are particularly tricky to debug by eye.

The sample hierarchical files in the 'Common' folder create pop-up windows correctly - so it is possible - but I cannot suggest a fix on the community.

Thanks Chris, that was the clue I needed to fix my problem. Examination of the sample files shows up undocumented fields, e.g. ExtendedInformationLinks,ExtendedInformationType
and by slowly adding enough of them (not sure which) to my import file I have made it work.

Yes, importing is a tricky business, but made more so by Actinic's documentation errors (e.g "Pop-up" vs. "Popup") in the Help file, undocumented fields, and a lack of error-checking in the import code.

*Because* hierarchical import files are particularly tricky to debug by eye, debugging an allegedly error-free file is a slow and painful process of making a small change, testing, and repeat.

I don't know how many of Actinic's customers use the import feature and so what priority it holds, but I would have thought some work on the documentation by someone with the benefit of the source code in front of them would save a lot of effort for customers and support staff alike.

Cheers
Brian

[giles.thurston]

Examination of the sample files shows up undocumented fields, e.g. ExtendedInformationLinks,ExtendedInformationType
and by slowly adding enough of them (not sure which) to my import file I have made it work.

Excellent Brian, I'm off to see if that helps me. I to made the same mistake of using the documentation as a starting point for creating my files

[brian.rippon]

Hi Giles. Earlier I said:
"At a database level my problem is that in the UserDefinedProperties table, my imported products have a null value for the ExtendedInformationLinks [65832] variable."

Suffice to say that they are now all nicely populated - probably courtesy of the mystery ExtendedInformationLinks import field being set to "Standard Extended Information Links"?

Hope adding more fields solves your problem too - although there are so many oddities in this area that it may not... If I can help look at your import file, let me know.

B.

[giles.thurston]

Hope adding more fields solves your problem too - although there are so many oddities in this area that it may not...

Well I can safely report that after hours of playing around the answer is definately NOT! I have added all the extended information fields to my import and it makes no difference at all. In fact it makes it even worse as the only way I can get the pop-up link to appear now is to:

- select a produt
- change something on the extended information tab
- click apply

My previous work around doesn't appear to have any affect. Brilliant!!!

I'm now off to write an apologetic email to my client explaining why he will have to manually amend hundreds of products if he wants to access extended information pages. I imagine he won't be impressed!

[TraceyG]

Hi,

We have found the reason for the pop-up windows not working after importing a hierarchical file and have reported it as a bug. There are 2 workarounds:

after you have imported the file:
- go to the 'Design' menu and select 'Library'
- on the 'Layouts' tab expand the 'Extended Information Links' group (click the '+')
- double-click on the 'Extended Information Links' selector
- uncheck 'Product' in the 'Place of setting' area and click 'OK'
- double-click on the same selector again and re-check the 'Product' box and click 'OK'.
- close the 'Library' and the pop-up text links and buttons will then appear.

before you import the file:
- in the same selector as above, untick the 'Hide selector if only one choice available' option
- click 'OK'
- close the 'Library' and import the file and the pop-up text links and buttons should appear.

[AndyMac]

Still No joy...????????????

I have been through all the advice on this forum to solving the problem but with no joy. V8.0.3 just does actually generate the pop-ups.

Think that this is a big problem really as most of the site we want to create will have extended info pages!!!!

Your solutions aren't solving anything.

Has anyone from actinic got the final fix for this? Preferably another patch that will eradicate this "BUG".

Andy

[TraceyG]

Hi Andy,

It would be worth contacting support in case your issue has a different cause. Please either raise a support ticket here or if you have a Cover contract call into the support line so we can get your snapshot and the import file to test out.

[Martin]

I have been having this problem with imports from Line 50. Tracey's solution sovles the problem for me.

Will this fix be included in 8.0.4?


Martin

[TraceyG]

Hi,

Will this fix be included in 8.0.4?

Sorry, but it has been reported too late for 8.0.4. It has been marked as critical for v8.0.5 though.

[Martin]

Hi,


Sorry, but it has been reported too late for 8.0.4. It has been marked as critical for v8.0.5 though.

Shame about that.

Reading through this thread I didn't notice anyone else complaining about the Line 50 aspect. Will the fix definately include this?

Martin

[TraceyG]

Hi Martin,

As far as I'm aware no-one else has reported a problem when transferring from Sage. I will let the development team know that you have experienced it in this way, but I would assume that because the fix worked for you then it will also be fixed in v8.0.5.