Issues with Flare WebHelp

[MarinaMichaels]

I delivered a preliminary set of WebHelp files to my client. He reported the following problems:

1. The search functionality doesn't seem to load.
2. The index doesn't seem to be set up correctly.
3. He gets errors when he pulls up favorites.

I have asked him some questions about what he is experiencing, but while I wait, I am asking if these sound like something common and easy to fix. Thanks!

[RamonS]

Which browser do they use? If it is IE, can they try it with Firefox or Opera?

[lacastle]

If they're using FF3, there's a fix that might work:

http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... ff3#p35572

[MarinaMichaels]

Thanks for the suggestion! Unfortunately, he is using FF2 on Windows XP. Though I've mentally noted the FF3 issues.

[LTinker68]

How did you deliver the files to him, and did he keep the file structure in place? The index and search options are supposed by XML files, so if he didn't include the folder that included those files, then they won't work. And the favorites feature requires that he have cookies enabled.

And if you designed the help to run on a server but he's running it locally, then you need to give him the output with MOTW enabled or he'll have to modify his Internet settings to allow running the files on his local computer.

[MarinaMichaels]

Thanks, Lisa.

I delivered it as a zipped file with all folders intact. I believe he unzipped it likewise. He's using Firefox 2; I will double-check with him to make sure he is allowing cookies.

I have read elsewhere in this forum that MOTW causes problems, so I'd rather not enable that unless I really have to. The files, by the way, work fine on my machine in IE7 and FF2. I haven't tested them in Safari or Opera yet, but I will.

[LTinker68]

MOTW causes problems if the help is run from a web server. If it's run from the user's local machine, then either MOTW has to be enabled, or the user has to modify his settings to allow content to run from his computer. MOTW tricks the computer into thinking it's running the content from the Internet, when it's really being run locally. If MOTW isn't enabled and he's running it locally and his computer isn't set to allow content to run from his computer, then he'll see that yellow bar in IE that says that content is being blocked, or whatever it says.

MOTW, however, does have problems with viewing non-HTML files, I believe, like PDF and such. But just in IE, I think -- Firefox doesn't have any problems with MOTW enabled or disabled.

And regarding FF3, I haven't installed it yet, but I did read an article that says that it does use the Internet settings that are usually set through IE or Windows. Which I think is a step back. Don't know if that means if MOTW is enabled that FF3 has a problem or if it'll still ignore it.

[MarinaMichaels]

Thanks, Lisa.

If one sets one's browser settings to allow the local content to run, MOTW is also not needed? I have it running fine under both Firefox and IE on my local machine, and I only needed to make one change (in IE) to allow it.

Is there a similar setting in Firefox 2 that needs to be set to allow local content?

[RamonS]

No, only IE needs these special settings due to the weak security model that allows for direct access to core processes. I know I get beaten for that, but don't use IE. It is just a bad and dangerous browser.

[Richard Ferrell]

MOTW has no affect on Firefox, Did you generate webhelp or Webhelp Plus? Does it work in a different browser for him?

[LTinker68]

MOTW has no affect on Firefox...

Has someone tested that with Firefox 3? Like I mentioned, FF3 apparently gets some of its security cues from Windows' Internet Options, which it didn't used to do.

[Richard Ferrell]

Firefox 3 has not been tested with Flare v3.1, There are some issues with using this version with Flare v3.1 output and Firefox 3. If you view our Knowledge base at Kb.madcapsoftware.com it doesn't have this problem as it was created with a Beta Version of Flare v4.

[MarinaMichaels]

I am generating WebHelp (not the Web Help Plus version). I am using Flare 3.1.0.

The developer realized that he was, in fact, using Firefox 3, so that is almost certainly the issue.

They decided to have the pages served for review anyway, so that bypasses the problem.

It sounds like the very-soon-to-be-seen Flare 4 won't have these problems, so I am going to consider it problem solved.

Thank you for all your help!