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Short text box and Linux error

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baskoro
2005-07-30
2013-03-22
  • baskoro

    baskoro - 2005-07-30

    Hello,
    I'm birdwatcher, just download and try your great software, J-Bird. After running for a momment, i found something happen with it.

    Note :
    System : Windows 98
    Java : JRE SE 1.4.2_01
    J-Bird version 0.4.5

    1. Create Child Checklist error.
    When i will create child checklist, text box on form is to short. Although i can type on it, but i can't see what i type. But this is work for the result, as child list can be created. Afterthat, when i will edit new created child list, the text box on form also to short. This error still happen on cascading child, whether on new dialog box or on edit dialog box.

    2. Start / run error
    System : Linux Mandrake 10.0, kernel 2.6.3.7
    Java : JRE SE 1.4.2_08
    J-Bird version 0.4.5

    J-Bird won't run on my Linux box, with these error text :
    [kangbas@130 J-Bird]$ ./J-Bird.sh
    BrowserLauncher jvm = -1
    locateBrowser returning kfmclient openProfile webbrowsing
    Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.MainFrame.displayHTMLFile(MainFrame.java:742)
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.MainFrame.access$400(MainFrame.java:88)
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.MainFrame$1.run(MainFrame.java:911)
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.MainFrame.retrieveState(MainFrame.java:915)
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.MainFrame.<init>(MainFrame.java:297)
            at net.sourceforge.jbird.JBird.main(JBird.java:141)
    [kangbas@130 J-Bird]$

    3. Suggestion / wish list
    Why there are no "OK" or "APPLY" button on almost form / dialog. Why not use this common approach, than must click on top right button "CLOSE" form / dialog box. I think this approach can be confusing, as usually closing form is identical with "CANCEL" event, not "OK" event. IMHO.

    Why there is no warning system (dialog box "ARE YOU SURE?"), especially for DELETE action? Because the UNDO / REDO command still not implemented yet, if mistaken delete action was done, it can be hazardous for "precious time and valuable data entry".

    BTW, Thank you for your great software, J-Bird. This very useful for my organization, it make my observation data more efficeiently. I wish you still develop this J-Bird and I wait the next release.

    Sincerely
    Karyadi Baskoro
    Indonesia

     
    • Dick Repasky

      Dick Repasky - 2005-07-30

      Hello Karyadi,

      On the short text boxes that are present when creating checklists, is the dialog size OK and just the text boxes are too small, or is the entire dialog too small?  I'll have to see if I can reproduce this problem.

      On the problem on Linux, you have discovered two bugs: 1) the browser is not launched with the help page (on, I believe, KDE systems on which the BROWSER environment variable is set to "kfmclient openProfile webbrowsing"), and 2) failure to launch the browser is handled poorly.  I believe that there is a work-around that should allow you to start J-Bird under Linux.

      If you run the command

         echo $BROWSER

      Is the response "kfmclient openProfile webbrowsing"? If so,
      I understand the problem.  Regardless, the work-around is to modify the BROWSER environment variable before running J-Bird.

      The solution that is most likely to work is to set the value of the BROWSER variable.  If you use konqueror, you might try setting the variable to the full path of konqueror.  Example:

             BROWSER=/usr/bin/konqueror ./J-Bird

      if that's where it is on your system.  Or, for firefox,

             BROWSER=/usr/bin/firefox ./J-Bird

      Be sure that the path is appropriate for your system.

      The simpler work-around that is less likely to work is to remove the BROWSER environment variable and let J-Bird look for a browser.  J-Bird should be able to locate firefox, opera, dillo, konqueror, mozilla and netscape in either /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin. To try this, run:

             unset BROWSER
             ./J-Bird

      If you try either of these, please post a reply. Others who are using similarly configured KDE systems are likely to experience the same problem.

      Thanks,

      Dick

       
    • Dick Repasky

      Dick Repasky - 2005-08-08

      I've been able to reproduce the tiny text box problem under Sun's JVM 1.4.2 on Windows 98 and Windows XP.  The problem does not seem to occur when using Sun's 1.5.0 JVM.

      One work around for Windows users is probably to use the latest JVM from Sun in the 1.5.0 series.

      I have not been able to reproduce the problem using a 1.4.2 JVM on Mac OS X or on Linux.

       
    • Dick Repasky

      Dick Repasky - 2005-08-14

      The problems of unusably small text boxes on checklist information dialogs and failure to launch web browser on KDE 2.0 systems that use the BROWSER environment variable to launch a web browser have been fixed in J-Bird 0.4.6.

       

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