Problem with OpenDoPE Plug-In and Conditions

[handke]

I have an issue with the OpenDoPE Word Plugin.

Whenever I try to define a new simple XPath condition the XPath is stored, the correspondent condition is bound to the field but the condition is not stored in the conditions list. I am able add the condition definition manually to the list of conditions.

My setup is the latest Version of OpenDoPE Word Plugin with Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 (Version 14.0.6129.5000 32-Bit).

[jason]

Could you please describe precise steps to follow to reproduce the issue? thanks ...

[handke]

1. Open new document in Word
2. Use "Add OpenDoPE parts to this docx" with default settings in OpenDoPE view
3. Type some text, mark the text and click "Wrap with Condition"
4. In the OpenDoPE view click "New simple XPath condition"
5. Use the sample XML to get an XPath "/yourxml='goes here'", use "xpath-id" as XPath Id and "condition-id" as condition Id
6. Click "Create Condition", confirmation box with "XPath added, Condition created, and content control set to use it "

After that the conditions look like this:

Code: Select all

<conditions xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://opendope.org/conditions"/>


The XPath definitions look like this:

Code: Select all

<xpaths xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://opendope.org/xpaths">
   <xpath id="xpath-id">
      <dataBinding xpath="/yourxml='goes here'" storeItemID="{4DD4CC19-8D20-4D78-998F-4D3C1396567E}"/>
   </xpath>
</xpaths>


If I click on the content control element wrapping the sample text the defined condition id "condition-id" is shown. The problem is that this condition id is not stored in the conditions list.

I did attach a sample docx document.

[jason]

My setup is the latest Version of OpenDoPE Word Plugin

From your description of step 2, I suspect you are not using http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe

[handke]

From your description of step 2, I suspect you are not using http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe

I am using http://www.opendope.org/downloads/authoring-advanced/setup.exe as is provided on http://opendope.org/implementations.html.

I will try the version you suggest.

[handke]

I tried the authoring friendly version and I was able to add conditions. The disadvantage here is that I am not able to define explicit ids für the conditions and the Xpath elements. I use these descriptive ids to reuse them more easily on different locations.

[jason]

With the old (authoring-advanced) add-in, I can replicate your finding

I'm also using Pro Plus 2010 (14.0.6129.5000) 64 bit

That's strange, since I'm sure it used to work (though its been a probably 18 months since I've used it).

I guess I'd prefer to add the feature you describe to the other add-in, rather than revisit the old one.

A work around with the old one may be to use the condition editor, rather than "New simple XPath condition"

By the way are you committed to a particular schema for your XML, for example, some existing corporate standard?

[handke]

With the old (authoring-advanced) add-in, I can replicate your finding

I'm also using Pro Plus 2010 (14.0.6129.5000) 64 bit

That's strange, since I'm sure it used to work (though its been a probably 18 months since I've used it).

Byt the time we evaluated docx4j as the solution to be used in our project it did work. Maybe a Word update in the past broke it.

I guess I'd prefer to add the feature you describe to the other add-in, rather than revisit the old one.

I think that might be a good idea. Can you make a rough estimate when you will be able to provide a new version?

A work around with the old one may be to use the condition editor, rather than "New simple XPath condition"

I think I'd rather use the "New simple XPath condition" in the case that I have to define a new XPath and a new condition. By doing so I only have to define the condition manually.

By the way are you committed to a particular schema for your XML, for example, some existing corporate standard?

Yes. We have an XSD for our XML.

[jason]

OK, I rebuilt the old add-in, and it now seems to work. Go figure... anyway, you can get it from:

http://www.opendope.org/downloads/old-addin/setup.exe

Please uninstall the existing add-in first (Control Panel > Uninstall Programs)

[handke]

I tried the 'new' old add-in and it does work regarding the conditions problem.

But unfortunately there is now a new issue. When I open a docx which already has a custom XML the add-in does not recognize that. I have to use "Add CustomXML to this docx" again. During that process the add-in discovers that there is already a custom XML and I can cancel the creation of a custom XML (see attached screenshot). After that it seems to work.

But I have to use "Add CustomXML to this docx" every time I open a custom XML document.

I found another problem with the add-in. I am not longer able to change the underlying XML. I can make changes but the changes are not stored. Additionaly I get AssertionErrors when switching the XML tabs.

[jason]

Probably because you still have the other add-in installed? (as evidenced in your screenshot by "OpenDoPEAuthor" menu to the right)

[handke]

Probably because you still have the other add-in installed? (as evidenced in your screenshot by "OpenDoPEAuthor" menu to the right)

I uninstalled the OpenDoPEAuthor add-in. The problems still remain.

I learned that I can change the XML if I do a Databinding at the same time.

[jason]

Did you conduct your latest test starting with a new docx, which you then saved and reloaded?

Having both add-ins installed may have corrupted an earlier docx.

[handke]

Did you conduct your latest test starting with a new docx, which you then saved and reloaded?

I tried to start with a new docx. Still having the problem that the add-in does not recognize the custom XML.

[handke]

I found another big issue.

I defined a databinding with a named XPath. After I stored the document and reopened it the defined XPath ist duplicated in the list with id x1. This behaviour occurs every time I save, close and reopen the document. Please see the attached document.

I will now try to get back to the 'old' old add-inn and live with the bug that conditions are not stored in the condition list.

[jason]

I've published a revised version of the Add-In to:

http://www.opendope.org/downloads/old-addin/setup.exe

This version:
- saves changes made in the XML editor, even if you don't press the binding button
- checks that your XPath ID is unique

I haven't been able to replicate your "Add CustomXML to this docx" again issue. Can you supply a docx with which this occurs?

Unless this version introduces new issues, it will replace http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe

[jason]

OK, published to http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe
as v1_1_0_5

old-addin/setup.exe will be deleted in due course.

[handke]

Hi Jason,

the plugin you just released (the old one) still has the beforehand mentioned bugs. It still doubles XPath ids whenever I save a document. And the "Show task pane" button is not active. I have to use "Add CustomXML to this docx" to fake a custom XML. Then the task pane will show up. I have to do this whenever I open a document again.

I was quite happy with the old plugin but it updated automatically and now I am lost and desperate. Is there a way to get the old plugin without the automatic update feature. I have a quite big document to work with and I fear to loose all the work from the last couple of weeks.

I attached a testdocument which shows the problems I have now.

[jason]

When I first open your docx in Word, it says "Protected View This file originated from an Internet locaton and might be unsafe. Click for more details. Enable Editing"

When I click "Enable Editing" the task pane does not show up.

But if I close the document, then open it again, detection will then work correctly (ie the task pane opens).

This is the only way I can get the docx to misbehave (Word 2010: 14.0.7106.5003 (64-bit) )

What version of Word are you running?

What other add-ins are you running (File > Options > Add-Ins) ? (the addin uses Word.ApplicationEvents4_DocumentOpenEventHandler; maybe some other addin is interfering with the processing of that event)

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

I thought it might be a bitness issue, so I tried it on another computer, running Word 2010: 14.0.7106.5001 (32-bit)
but that seemed fine.

You could try uninstalling the add-in, then using http://www.opendope.org/downloads/OpenD ... nSetup.msi (same thing, just an msi for local distribution, which doesn't auto update)

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

If we can't solve it, I may be able to get the older version from a server backup. But it would be preferable from my point of view to get to the bottom of the issue you are experiencing.

Your other option is to use the other newer add-in

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

I have a quite big document to work with and I fear to loose all the work from the last couple of weeks.

Needless to say, be sure to keep backup copies from time to time so you don't lose your work!

[jason]

Ahh, I find I can replicate your behaviour if I double click on the file in Windows Explorer.

In my previous tests, I was doing File > Open from within Word.

This post seems to explain what is going on:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums ... forum=vsto

"In Word 2010 the word startup behavior is changed, VSTO runtime waits for Word to be ready before firing the ThisAddIn_Startup event. And In this scenario by that time the DocumentOpen and WindowActivate events are already fired."

What it doesn't explain is why things might have worked for you before the update.

Anyway, I'll now try implementing the workaround suggested in that article. Stay tuned...

[jason]

OK, please uninstall the existing addin (Control Panel > Programs), then try:

http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe

let me know how it goes .. thanks

[handke]

I just installed the new authoring-advanced PlugIn and it works perfectly fine. No more generated Ids and the task pane is opened automatically. Even the bug that newly generated conditions are not stored and have to be defined manually is gone.

Thank you very much for your quick response and your work.

[jason]

Great to hear. Thanks for the feedback.

[handke]

Hi Jason,

I've got a new issue with the authoring-advanced PlugIn. When I try to bind a value in the header section of a document the OpenDoPE Task Pane remains empty. The same happens for conditions and repeats. Please see the attached example document. The bound values (SaschaCondition, SaschaBind) in the header are not editable via the task pane. The value in the main section (Sascha) ist editable.

Could you please check this?

Thanks a lot.

[jason]

HI there, just to let you know I see the issue here, and hope to fix it tomorrow. cheers .. Jason

[handke]

Thanks a lot.

[jason]

Should now be fixed as new v 1.1.0.9, in both:

http://www.opendope.org/downloads/autho ... /setup.exe

http://www.opendope.org/downloads/OpenD ... nSetup.msi

[handke]

It works now perfectly fine. Thanks a lot.

Cheers

Sascha