failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is a

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netwrk219
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failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is a

Post by netwrk219 »

Complete error is: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 1.

It's happening on a project I was trying to preview. Also happens when I build. There is no other error and I can't access the build log. I have cleaned the project, still no help. I am dead in the water.

I tried searching for this error on this site and nothing comes up.

Any help is appreciated.
Keith S.

“Most of us find our own voices only after we’ve sounded like a lot of other people.” –Neil Gaiman
ChoccieMuffin
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Re: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00,

Post by ChoccieMuffin »

The first thing is to identify the file that's causing the problem. In the build window, select the failed build and click Open Build Log. Then look at the Messages tab and see what was the last file mentioned before the build failed.

If you can't open the build log from within Flare (which is rather odd), in Windows Explorer open the Outputs folder and see if you can see a .mclog file in there, then open it in a text editor.
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netwrk219
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Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:58 am
Location: Fort Mill, SC

Re: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00,

Post by netwrk219 »

ChoccieMuffin wrote:The first thing is to identify the file that's causing the problem. In the build window, select the failed build and click Open Build Log. Then look at the Messages tab and see what was the last file mentioned before the build failed.

If you can't open the build log from within Flare (which is rather odd), in Windows Explorer open the Outputs folder and see if you can see a .mclog file in there, then open it in a text editor.
I couldn't access the log because I wasn't building, just trying to preview. The error does occur when I try to build, so I did that and accessed the log. Below is the information that was there.
Build log.PNG
It failed while gathering Auto-Index information. I don't see any help there.

Info that may help:
I work on a mac, using virtual box and a windows 7 install
I had to move my files from the mac due to limited HDD space, so they now reside on an external drive.
It seems to happen in multiple projects, even ones that previewed and build fine previously.

I appreciate all of your time and assistance.
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Keith S.

“Most of us find our own voices only after we’ve sounded like a lot of other people.” –Neil Gaiman
Psider
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Re: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00,

Post by Psider »

So I found a bunch of threads suggesting that 0x00 represents NULL which is an invalid character in XML. I also found one that said it can be encoded in XML as

Code: Select all

�
So potentially you could use a text editor to search all project files for that character combination. (The whole topic of the null character looks like a giant rabbit hole, FYI...)
dhvied
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Re: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00,

Post by dhvied »

I had a similar error while trying to import FrameMaker files, although it was not null, but another character in the control character area. The log refused to save. I narrowed it down to the files which were causing the error, but was not able to find and delete the character. I subsequently found an entire book that did import; I considered I had enough to make a template, so I stopped looking for the error. I would still like to resolve it. Tech support was able to import the book by eliminating the .book file, but that sort of defeats the proper way to import FrameMaker files. I am a new user, so someday, (when I grow up), maybe I'll be able to figure it out.
MarkMetcalfe
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Re: failed to compile document '.', hexadecimal value 0x00,

Post by MarkMetcalfe »

I got this error. I wonder if it has something to do with a bad sector on a disk, or in a file.

I could see nothing wrong with the last file that processed; nothing at Line 19 position 8. So here is what I tried. Maybe you can try it.

I copied my Content and Project folders to folder on another disk, and also to another Temp folder on the same disk. In both cases, one or more folders or files would not copy. For example, if my Target folder would not copy (en masse), I manually created a Target folder at the new location and then copied the files from the old Target folder to the new Target folder - until I found the file that would not copy. (Fortunately, I had a backup of whatever file wouldn't copy, and copied that backup to the new location.) I was able to build the project on both on the new disk and the new Temp folder location without the error.

This doesn't exactly explain WHAT was actually happening or even WHY, but I SUSPECT there was a file corruption somewhere in the project that the error could not pinpoint for me.

Note that my original source project (a genealogic family history) was located and built on an external disk drive, and built with no issues before. As a precaution against a failing drive, I ordered a new external disk drive since my current XDD is several years old.

And always protect your project files with source control and/or backup files!
Mark Metcalfe
Optimizely
542 Amherst St.
Nashua, NH 03063
mark.metcalfe@optimizely.com
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