Failed to run command 'Save'.

[kevinmcl]

I opened a topic page in the WYSIWYG editor, then saved it under a new name... no I didn't.
Instead of saving the file, Flare responds with

-------------------------------
MadCap Flare V7

Failed to run command 'Save'.

Exception:
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

[ OK ]

-------------------------------

Version 7.
Isn't Flare getting a little long in the tooth to be behaving SO badly?

WHERE is the troubleshooting guidance for this?

When I searched these forums for "object reference", the occurrences were related to importing.
I'm not importing, so this is not the same problem. I've had this project through several 'upgrades' of Flare.

It recently started doing things like telling me (with different pages open, NOT the one I just tried to save...) that the file had been changed outside the interface and did I want to throw away my most recent half hour of work OK?

I'm not changing pages outside the interface.
At most, I might DELETE a file in the CONTENT EXPLORER, and go through the dialog box that asks me to confirm that I want to remove all links associated with it... and then I'll get the accusation that I've changed something "outside the interface".

Now this explicitly and pointedly uninformative "object reference not set..." message.

Hello. I did not unset anything.

What reference? Where? How? Who?

I'm using Flare 7 on 32-bit Windows XP Pro, SP3, with .Net Framework 1.1, 2.0 Service Pack 2, 3.0 SP2, 3.5 SP1, and 4.

-k (doing this when I should be working)

[lacastle]

how are you saving it under a new name? are you renaming the file in the content explorer?
if you want to create a copy of a topic, why don't you just copy/paste it in content explorer, change the name of the copy, and then open it in the WYSIWYG editor?

the "outside the interface" message usually comes when you make a change to a topic that is linked in the TOC. for example, if you rename a topic, the old name is what was originally linked in the TOC. so, the link will not work anymore because the name is different. also, deleting a file from the content explorer will break the link to the TOC entry, therefore telling you that the TOC was changed outside of the TOC interface. in this case, to avoid the message, delete the entry from the TOC first, save the TOC, then delete the topic from the Content Explorer.

finally, yes, the "object reference not set" error message is too common and too vague. i recommend submitting a feature request to get better error messages - https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx

[kevinmcl]

how are you saving it under a new name? are you renaming the file in the content explorer?
if you want to create a copy of a topic, why don't you just copy/paste it in content explorer, change the name of the copy, and then open it in the WYSIWYG editor?

I've done it both ways.
I've done it via the open then "Save as..." method before, successfully.

Now that I think about it, I actually did successfully perform the "Save as..." which created the copy file, with the source file's content. Then I edited, then I tried to save, and that's when the error appeared.

After futzing around for a while (and moaning to this forum) I restarted.
The copied file was there in the Content Explorer, but with original/source file content.
So I made edits again and saved successfully this time.

The trouble is, this was a large bother and wasted my time (poking around looking for my error, then waiting through the shutdown and restart), and I have no idea when it'll decide to do the same again, since messages were totally unhelpful (to this user).

These forums have "Object reference not set..." complaints going back to 2006, with little satisfaction to the posters. I doubt it's a serious priority. Not enough volume.

[rob hollinger]

This is fixed in the update that just went live. Click Help > Check for Updates and download the latest version (7.0.1).
The Save As worked the first time, but Saves after would cause the error to happen.

[chunkee]

I am getting a similar error on all projects.

XP Pro. Flare 7.1

Failed to run command Insert.

This happens all the time. Any one know the cause?