HTML5 Search Returns No Results; Spinner Persists

[fadibitz]

Hey everyone,

We are encountering a bit of a problem when using the Search feature within the HTML5 output. This is a persistent problem, but not a consistent one, though; most of the time it's fine, but sometimes (often on a consistent term, such as "CAPWAP") it will fail in the manner detailed below.

The problem is that when we search for some terms, then instead of actual results, the spinner appears as if it's working, but remains indefinitely. No results are returned.

I'm not completely sure how the search function works, but if I did, I think this issue might become more clear. I probably can't fix it, but at least I can point at something and say, "that's the problem right there".

Anyone with the slightest knowledge of this crazy process is invited to respond.

Thanks.

[sdcinvan]

Unfortunately, you haven't provided enough information in order to help you. I can say that I have never seen such a problem.

Is it possible that you can temporarily publish the content for us to test? If you wish to limit who views your content, just PM a URL to anyone that wishes to help.

[sdcinvan]

I'm not completely sure how the search function works, but if I did, I think this issue might become more clear. I probably can't fix it, but at least I can point at something and say, "that's the problem right there".

In answer to how it works... Flare's built in search feature is pretty rudimentary (but it works and is fast). I think it was designed for maximum portability and zero dependency on any outside requirements (i.e. databases, PHP, etc.). It is entirely javascript driven and Flare generates xml cross reference tables, called "chunks" (probably the main reason for the slow HTML output compiles). Depending on the size of your documentation, you may have hundreds or thousands of "chunks" in your root\data folder. It isn't pretty, it may not be that scaleable but it works well on my largest document of 210 pages.

NOTE: The above description is based on my own observations. If I am incorrect, in part or in whole, I welcome someone to correct me.

[salipour]

I am also seeing this problem when searching my HTML5 output. The spinner spins as if it is hung and returns no results. It will not return results on a term and then if you stop the process and search again (or create a new IE tab), it may return the result. Then, all of a sudden, it works like a charm, fast and effective.

For example, in IE, I opened three tabs and performed a search from each tab. The first and second tabs hung and the third tab worked perfectly. If I close the two tabs, the third tab starts slowing again. But it is not consistent either.

I have enabled partial word searching up to 5 characters, which increases the chunk size. I don't know if this is part of the problem, but I didn't seem to have this problem before this feature was enabled.

I am on IE v11.

[fadibitz]

The chunks appear to be in the following format:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<index>
  <stem n="-screen">
    <phr n="-screen">
      <ent r="5" t="1" w="85" />
      <ent r="4" t="4" w="97" />
    </phr>
  </stem>
  <stem n="full">
    <phr n="full">
      <ent r="5" t="1" w="85" />
      <ent r="6" t="9" w="1704" />
    </phr>
  </stem>
</index>

The XML hierarchy seems clear enough: Index > Stem > Phrase > Entry, but even if I understand the nested XML format, the entry coordinates require a little clarification.

For example, in the following line:

Code: Select all

<ent r="5" t="1" w="85" />

What do the "r", the "t", and the "w" represent? Perhaps "t" for "topic number" and "w" for "word number"? If anyone has some ideas about how this system works at this level, it would really help me to decipher this. I'd like to go back with enough information to begin testing fixes.

In other news, I've had limited success with flushing out my browser cache, history, plug-in data, and cookies. I have not done enough testing to determine whether there is a pattern or a correlation yet.

[fadibitz]

I am hearing for non-authoritative sources that the no-result/persistent-spinner problem is resolved in Flare 10. I'll be testing this next week most likely.

[Louise Bennett]

I continue to have this issue, albeit only on some words. Which to me just doesn't make sense.

For example, if I search my HTML5 output for the work "checkpoint", the spinner just spins away merrily and no results ever eventuate. If I apply a filter, the search results come back immediately. If I search for "check" and "point" separately, thousands of results come up very quickly. So it isn't that there are too many instances and this is causing the search to melt down.

So my observations are that the search is working properly, and can return results quickly for words that have thousands of hits, but this particular word "checkpoint" causes it to time out.

By the way, if I search my content in Flare for the term, it shows ~ 1300 instances, which is far fewer for the word "point" that I tested as mentioned above.

When we had this problem in the past, Madcap blamed network performance for users but this is definitely not the issue as confirmed by my testing as described.

Anyone with any ideas? Its driving me crazy.

Louise.