Problems with RTF fields

[RonG]

Hi,

I posted this originally as a question in the Programming forum, but the more I work with the RTF field, the more I think that there is some sort of problem here.

I'm providing a small sample solution to demonstrate the kinds of things that I'm seeing. Strangely, tho, while I'm finding issues uniformly with RTF fields, the "roster" of issues changes a bit, while some are constant throughout. In the sample solution.....

1. start the smart client in developer.
2. You'll see that the rtf field is not selected, and the rtf menu bar is not available.
3. Click in the RTF field. You'll see that the rtf menu bar is now available. You'll see that "centered text" is enabled, ie, the button is highlighted.
4. Type in some text. You'll note that even those "centered" is set, the text will left-align instead.
5. Skip a couple of lines, click on the "B" for bold, and type some text.
6. Click outside the field and then click back into it. You'll see that the B for bold is no longer highlighted, but if you type, the text is bold.
7. Now, click on the B, which will highlight the B, indicating that bolding is active. Type some text and you'll see that bolding is actually turned off now.
8. Turn on Bolding, Italics, and underlining.
9. Now click on the color picker and select a color.
10. Click ok in the color picker, closing it. You'll see that some of the text attributes are now turned off, but if you type, you'll find that they are all still active.

Now, in my main solution, I'm also finding that when I use the color picker, and text entered into the field disappears when I return from the color picker.

The goal here is this. In my application, I have a small function that allows the users to generate form letters, proposals, etc. and combine them with headers and footers that they can build in order to make a custom customer contact. The RTF function allows them some control over how the text looks and feels. The data is stored in a text field in the database; with the problems I've run into so far I haven't determined if the text field will retain the RTF settings or not, but remains to be tested.

This obviously isn't how RTF is supposed to work. Have I done something incorrectly here? Are people just not using RTF in Servoy applications? Are they using some alternative? Is there a workaround of some type that retains the menubar settings?

I was able to find one other forum message about a problem with RTF, and that was from 2011 with a comment added that the problem was going to be fixed in Servoy 5.2.9.

As always, any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a good day.

Ron

[Andrei Costescu]

The problems seem pretty clear and easy to reproduce from your description.
You should create a case in JIRA for these.

[RonG]

Hi Andrei,

I've done exactly that, a few days ago, and will hopefully get a response from Servoy. SVY-3796.

I waited for several days before doing that because, honestly, what I'm seeing is so obvious that I thought surely someone else had seen this. But the lack of responses to this post and another I put into the Programming with Servoy area, has me wondering if perhaps I'm the only one seeing this. I tried this several different ways and was able to reproduce the problem each time, in different solutions. That leaves the possibility that the RTF issues I'm seeing are unique to something in my Servoy installation, but I didn't want to start fooling around with that until I heard something from Servoy that confirms the problems as being with me only. Or at least that other Servoy users are using RTF fields without any problems at all. Not getting any responses, I figured that my only route was to submit a case. I understand the everyone is very busy, and I don't want to unnecessarily take up their time.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Appreciate it.

Ron

[david]

Keep in mind longtime Servoy developers have moved away from rtf fields as they move to web client (use editable html area fields instead). Even with smart client solutions we learned to avoid rtf fields in general note taking situations because the first thing a user would do would paste in something from MS Office and blow the rtf field up.

For simple styling situations is should work though I agree.

[RonG]

Hi David,

That's the kind of experiential information I was hoping to hear about, that is, if Servoy developers aren't using RTF fields, what are they doing to get similar results? I've played just a bit with html fields in Servoy, so I'll make a point of exploring that further.

Thanks for your time.

Ron

[david]

One way we've done it way way back is with a text area field and our own controls with preview in an html area field (see attached screens).

However, in Smart Client nowadays we always use the html editors (TinyMCE our preference) that come with the Browser Suite.

Screen shot 2013-01-28 at 2.13.44 PM.png (61.38 KiB) Viewed 5438 times

Screen shot 2013-01-28 at 2.13.54 PM.png (54.23 KiB) Viewed 5438 times

[RonG]

Hi David,

Thanks for that further information.

I've submitted an issue ticket with Servoy on this. Before I go any further with modifications on my end, I'd like some confirmation from them that there really is an issue with RTF, and not that I'm just using them incorrectly. I've tried tests in multiple forms within a solution, and in multiple solutions, and get the same results. The next potential cause is a problem with my Servoy developer installation, assuming that I'm the only one seeing this problem. I hope to hear from Servoy on this before I start making changes to my installation.

And thanks for that information on alternatives. I'll be sure to look into that today. As much as I like Servoy, it is a challenge to find out about correct usage, especially coming from the Microsoft product world. If I'm using Access, VB, or any of the other MS developer product line, there are a wide variety of information sources available to learn proper usage and the nuances of best practices, including books, websites, and discussion groups. In the land of Servoy, it's sometimes necessary to take a "walk in the dark", since those kinds of resources largely don't exist. Someday, maybe, but in the meantime, I look forward to the day when I'm the one answering questions instead of asking them .

Have a good day.

Ron

[RonG]

Hi all,

Just an update. I received a response from the Servoy folks on my problem ticket, and they have confirmed that there is indeed a bug or two in the RTF controls. They suggested that I try one of the workarounds that have been posted until they fix this. So far I haven't heard anything about a timeframe for that. In the interim, I've installed the Browser Suite, which has an HTML Editor that may be a suitable replacement. It doesn't work with the Web Client, but until the RTF fields are fixed, that may have to do.

Have a good day.

Ron

[david]

Check out an editable html area field in web client.

[RonG]

Hi David,

Thanks for that thought.

The HTML_AREA works fine in the Web Client, and actually the controls look better in the web client than they do in the smart client. But, in the smart client, the HTML_AREA has the same quirky behavior that RTF fields do. I could, I suppose, use the Browser Suite HTML Editor in the Smart Client and use the HTML-AREA if I'm in the web client. Seems like a lot of dancing around to do, but until they fix RTF, I suppose that this is the dance I'll be doing .

Thanks again, David.

Ron