XML page cannot be displayed, Robohelp 8, IE 6

Report · Jun 29, 2009

Hi,

I upgraded to Robo8, and compiled the webhelp without a problem. On my laptop, using IE7, no problems. On my client's network, using IE, I get this error "XML page cannot be displayed".

After searching the net, Internet Options/Security could be the cause (Access Data Sources Accross Domains). But even after changing that security option, I still get the same error.

Any suggestions?

Rgds, Inez

Report · Jun 29, 2009

I haven't seen that reported but it is an old version of IE. Your client should upgrade for security reasons anyway. Has your client tried with other browsers or a later version of IE?

Are you sure they have installed ALL the files you sent and with the same folder structure. Sometimes developers think that not all the files are needed and strip some out, is that a possibility.

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Report · Jun 29, 2009

Hi Peter,

I've just asked the IT department, but as it is a large company, I don't know if they will consider upgrading hundreds of pc's for this problem.

If I compile the help on a network pc where only IE6 is installed, could that solve the problem? (I can't test it as yet as Robo8 is not installed on that network pc...)

Rgds, Inez

Report · Jun 29, 2009

If it is a large company, I am surprised they have not wanted to install at least IE7. Also bear in mind that IE6 may not be the cause. Can they not install IE7 or IE8 on one PC to test?

You do not and must install RH to a network, it is the output that goes there, a very different thing. Installing RH itself on a network is a breach of the license as well as the minor issue it will not work properly, don't go there.

Where is your source project (local or network), where do you generate it to and where do you publish it to?

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Report · Jun 29, 2009

Hi Peter,

I have been using robo5 installed locally on a pc, connected to the network. I write and compile locally, then, I copy the webhelp output onto their network drive, and publish it all onto their intranet. This has been working fine for years (since 2004...). Now that I convinced them to upgrade to Robo8, problems start...

When opening the files from windows explorer, no problem, but after publication onto their intranet, the error appears. I copy all the files, that is not a problem.

They already granted me more rights to change internet security options onto one pc, just to test things out. I don't know if installing IE7 or 8 will be an option. I'll ask.

Rgds, Inez

Report · Jun 29, 2009

Between the editing the source and publishing the output, RH creates a generated output that will be on your local drive.

If you open that using IE6 does it work OK there?

My thinking is that when you generate, RH removes all previous content from the folder so you have an all new output. When you publish to the server, it only publishes changed files, unless you configure it to update all files. So if your generated output works and your published output does not, maybe it is time to clear the published output folders and republish all.

If your generated output also does not work on IE6, I would put a copy on a flash drive and go somewhere that has IE7 or IE8 installed and run it there.

Could you give us a screenshot of the error? Use the camera icon above rather than attaching the image.

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Report · Jul 01, 2009

Peter,

finally back on-line again...

Current status is that I have Robo8 installed at work, and recompiled on a pc with only IE6.

Problem still occurs.

After talking to IT helpdesk here, I tried the following:

- I deleted the following code in one html file - they are the first lines of every html file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

- I tested that page, and it appears correctly!

- I checked out the older version (compiled with Robo7), and it had another link in it.

Is there a way to compile the help file without those two lines in every html? The project contains hundreds of files, and I don't want to edit them all manually.

Thank you,

Inez

Report · Jul 01, 2009

That sounds like they are trying to get you to hack the files to make them work on the server when the better solution is to configure the server to work with them.

There is no built in way to change the encoding but I can provide you with a file from Adobe that will change it.

Please email me via my site and I will send it to you tomorrow.

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Report · Jul 08, 2009

Peter,

I finally found a workaround for this problem... It is not the best, but I will have to do with it for now.

The following line in every html file was causing the error:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

this is the first line of every html file. When I deleted it manually from a single html file, the topic appeared on our intranet. So:

1/ I made a backup copy.

2/ Using the Find and replace in files option, I decided to delete the string (the replace zone stays empty), but

3/ I selected the !SSL!\WebHelp subfolder, leaving my project itself intact.

I will have to do that for both languages and for every release, but it only takes a minute...

what a relief!

In the mean time, they promised me IE7 (yes!), and I will then test if the problem still occurs.

btw, I also tried compiling with "Pure HTML" option checked, thinking that might leave out any reference to xhtml, but that didn't solve the problem.

Regards, Inez

Report · Jul 10, 2009

Hi Peter,

the use of IE7 does not solve the problem, unfortunately.

At what level should we be looking now to solve this?

Thank you, Inez

Report · Jul 10, 2009

Reading through the thread again, I see the help works OK if you open it locally, it is only when the help gets to the intranet that the problem occurs.

Create another project with just a couple of topics and publish that to another folder on the server. Same problem? If yes, zip up that small project and send it to me. I will put it on a server and see what happens.

You can get my address from my site. Send the project via http://www.cutesendit.com and include a link to this thread.

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Report · Jul 10, 2009

Peter,

I have sent a small test project through cutesendit.com, together with screen shot of the error.

Kind regards,

Inez

Report · Jul 10, 2009

I had not appreciated that the help was being displayed within a web page rather than opening in its own browser window.

You mentioned offline that another project opens with the TOC but no topics which is similar to the original problem. I am assuming that is being opened in its own window.

Given that both outputs work fine when opened locally in your browser, this has to be a server issue so what is different about RH8 outputs? They are UTF8 encoded.

I think this is something you are going to have to resolve by sitting down with the web administrator.

Another possibility is when you open webhelp in a browser, depending on the settings, it will display a yellow information bar warning about Active X. Check with the web adminstrator whether that could be an issue.

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Report · Jul 13, 2009

Peter,

I'll talk to the web master and I will let you know. The active X is'nt a problem, so that narrows it down to the UTF-8.

Regards,

Inez

Report · Aug 10, 2009

Inez

Did you find a solution to this?

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Report · Aug 12, 2009

Hello Peter,

I use the workaround, deleting the UTF-8 code line in the compiled html files.

So, no solution as such, but I can publish the help...

If nobody has reported a similar problem, I assume this is an isolated case due to the server environment here and not to Robohelp.

Kind regards, Inez

Report · Aug 13, 2009

The reason I asked is that I hit an issue with this with some webhelp on a server but only in one topic. That topic was effectively the same page as the Search on my site. The odd bit was that all the topics worked with the same code, just not this one. That page was based on the default code supplied by ZoomSearch so clearly there was something in their code that did not like the UTF8 line.

I wonder if maybe there is something in your topics that could be causing a similar conflict? Probably nothing that will immediately ring a bell but keep the thought in mind.

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XML page cannot be displayed, Robohelp 8, IE 6