Flare v4.1 Released

[booey]

But unfortunatly its a 199MB download. Cant we please get it from an FTP site Richard.

[doc_guy]

My blog post about the update (includes info from MadCap on the new features): http://docguytraining.com/2008/12/softw ... om-madcap/

[RossF]

Fail on the table improvements. Its no good fixing the print outputs if the editor can't handle making complex tables in the first place

Should I submit duplicate tickets for Flare 4.1 for the table-related problems I submitted for 4.0?

[i-tietz]

flare41_download_trial.gif

What does that mean?
Is there a problem with our firewall?
Is sth wrong with the MadCap server?
Or do I get that message, because we bought Flare from a German reseller and we'll get our update via him?

[NorthEast]

I've immediately noticed some new issues with the XML editor display - text in span blocks in lists can just vanish altogether. Back to 4.0 I think.

[helen]

I've immediately noticed some new issues with the XML editor display - text in span blocks in lists can just vanish altogether. Back to 4.0 I think.

Thank god it's not just me!

I've just printed the document thinking the text will show up, but no. Immediate roll back for me now.

[Paul Griffiths]

Anyone else getting access violation exceptions every time you open a project in Flare 4.1?

Code: Select all

Background:System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.NativeMethods.GetKeyInfo(IntPtr pTx, String pwszBaseTable, IntPtr prgDbKeyInfo, Int32 cDbKeyInfo, IntPtr pError)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeDataReader.FillMetaData(SqlCeCommand command)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.InitializeDataReader(SqlCeDataReader reader, Int32 resultType)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteCommand(CommandBehavior behavior, String method, ResultSetOptions options)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteScalar()
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.GetFileId(IUrl url)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.AquireFileId(IUrl url)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.AquireScannedFile(IUrl url, Boolean& didScan)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.ScanProject1(UrlList changedFiles)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.ScanProject(UrlList changedFiles)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.AnalyzeContentBackgroundWorker.OnDoCustomWork(DoWorkEventArgs e)
   at B3.AppKit.CustomBackgroundWorker.OnDoWork(DoWorkEventArgs e)

[helen]

Paul - yes. Thread in the other section of the forum. A restart appears to fix it but not nice all the same.

[Paul Griffiths]

Oops, sorry Helen, didn't check the other threads. But you're right - reboot fixes it.

[wijnand]

Anyone else getting access violation exceptions every time you open a project in Flare 4.1?

Code: Select all

Background:System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.NativeMethods.GetKeyInfo(IntPtr pTx, String pwszBaseTable, IntPtr prgDbKeyInfo, Int32 cDbKeyInfo, IntPtr pError)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeDataReader.FillMetaData(SqlCeCommand command)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.InitializeDataReader(SqlCeDataReader reader, Int32 resultType)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteCommand(CommandBehavior behavior, String method, ResultSetOptions options)
   at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteScalar()
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.GetFileId(IUrl url)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.AquireFileId(IUrl url)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.AquireScannedFile(IUrl url, Boolean& didScan)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.ScanProject1(UrlList changedFiles)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.ContentDatabaseWrapper.ScanProject(UrlList changedFiles)
   at B3.ContentAnalyzerKit.AnalyzeContentBackgroundWorker.OnDoCustomWork(DoWorkEventArgs e)
   at B3.AppKit.CustomBackgroundWorker.OnDoWork(DoWorkEventArgs e)

From reading the exception I think you might need to update your analyser if you have that isntalled, or the database that it is using. I read on another forum that your required to have a Portable DB SP1.

[helen]

From reading the exception I think you might need to update your analyser if you have that isntalled, or the database that it is using. I read on another forum that your required to have a Portable DB SP1.

a restart 'fixes' the exception - I've not needed to touch Analyzer (yet). That said, due to vanishing text in <span> tags in both the editor and output, I've had to roll back to 4.0 regardless until it's fixed.. However I doubt the two are connected.

[wijnand]

no the span are not connected the error your getting is a SQL error:

at System.Data.SqlServerCe.NativeMethods.GetKeyInfo(IntPtr pTx, String pwszBaseTable, IntPtr prgDbKeyInfo, Int32 cDbKeyInfo, IntPtr pError)
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeDataReader.FillMetaData(SqlCeCommand command)
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.InitializeDataReader(SqlCeDataReader reader, Int32 resultType)
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteCommand(CommandBehavior behavior, String method, ResultSetOptions options)
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeCommand.ExecuteScalar()


Its basically saying that he is unable to read the data its getting from its SQL Query (which get stored in a SQLReader Datatype) Or your SQL Command is faulty. So I would assume flare is trying to communicate with an older database that does not have SP1 and thus causes it to throw this exception. But again this is all guessing work sadly

[NorthEast]

due to vanishing text in <span> tags in both the editor and output, I've had to roll back to 4.0 regardless until it's fixed.. However I doubt the two are connected.

And for hyperlink (a) tags too. For me, it seems to happen when the tagged bit is at the start of a line in a list, if I resize the width of the editor I get tagged bits appearing/disappearing. Not very easy to work with really!

[Cecily]

Paul - yes. Thread in the other section of the forum. A restart appears to fix it but not nice all the same.

This one: http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... f=4&t=7738 and this one http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... =13&t=7742.

Don't upgrade to 4.1. If you read the topics above, you'll see why people found it so unusable they had to uninstall and revert to 4.0.

[doc_guy]

In all fairness, I've upgraded to 4.1 and I haven't seen any of these problems. So you may want to upgrade if you aren't working on a time-critical project. However, if your project is time critical, then you may want to wait on this one until this particular issue is sorted out.

Hey, for what it is worth, what are your OS and browser settings/versions for those of you who have the issue? I'm using WinXP SP3. I have IE 7 installed, but my default browser is FF3.

Maybe if everybody who is having the trouble (and those who aren't) post this type of info, we might see if it is particular to the software config on your machine.

[RamonS]

And also be as specific as possible. Win XP comes in 32 bit and 64 bit versions, where the 64 bit version is really a cleverly disguised version of Server 2003.

[pvz]

I'm seeing both the magic disappearing text, and the SQL error (fixed by a restart).
I'm running XP pro (32-bit), SP3
IE7 (default browser) and FF3.

Now attempting to roll back to previous Flare version.

paul

[Cecily]

In all fairness, I've upgraded to 4.1 and I haven't seen any of these problems. So you may want to upgrade if you aren't working on a time-critical project.

It's not primarily an issue of time: how can you work with text that you can't see?

I'm using WinXP SP3. I have IE 7 installed, but my default browser is FF3.

Ditto - almost: XP SP3 32 bit, no FF, so IE7 is my default browser.

[Dodo1]

Maybe if everybody who is having the trouble (and those who aren't) post this type of info, we might see if it is particular to the software config on your machine.

Win XP 32-bit, SP3, default browser Mozilla Firefox 3.0.4, IE7 installed. Spans, links, bold text and even the normal text sometimes not visible when on the start of the line. The normal text disappears only in case the previous line ends with the tag end, the text disappears until another tag start.
I also had the issue of the SQL error, but restart helped. Other than that, I encountered some critical exceptions that shut down Flare, but that was before system reboot, nothing similar to that after the reboot, so no problems reported (restart is allways recommended for any installation changes as I get it).

[wijnand]

Is anyone having the dissapearing text in vista? and the crash

[Dodo1]

Is anyone having the dissapearing text in vista? and the crash

For the abovementioned problems, I'm not really tempted too much to install 4.1 on my notebook with Vista to see what happens until someone fixes the bug... so if anyone else has tested that, I would appreciate if he/she could share the experience.

[Cecily]

In all fairness, I've upgraded to 4.1 and I haven't seen any of these problems. So you may want to upgrade if you aren't working on a time-critical project.

As I said above, I don't think time criticality is relevant, because you can't work with text and graphics that you can't see.

As it's not yet clear how one can predict whether or not you'll suffer from invisible text etc, and as at least one person was told by MadCap that they wouldn't supply v4 for them to roll back to (see pvz's post http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... 390#p43357), I can't see why anyone would take the risk of upgrading to 4.1 right now.

[Richard Ferrell]

From this Forum Post http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... 735#p43462


Dear Propeller Heads!

A new update for Flare 4.1 has been released, you can download it from the Same Link you downloaded 4.1. This corrects the issue about the Span Tag and Invisible text. You will need to uninstall Version 4.1 if already installed. If you don't have the download page Click the PM button and let me know and I will send you a link.

I can't post the link in the Forums as Google finds it and then that creates lots of problems!

Thanks for all of your help in troubleshooting this issue.

[RamonS]

Now that is a quick turnaround! Will there be a new notification within Flare that a new update is available for those that have 4.1 already installed? Would be nice to trigger that so that a few months from now nobody comes along with the problems that have been fixed for a long time.