TheNextBigWriter Premium → Wrong points showing in chapter view
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The site seems to be misbehaving with my prologue points. In the chapter view, it shows only 0.07 points, which is incorrect. The chapter is about three pages in MS-Word, which is normally at least 0.5 points. Previous versions of the prologue (v1 and v2), which were shorter than the current v3, show the correct number of points. Only v3 is affected.
Is anyone else seeing this?
Thanks
Dirk
When I shorten the chapter to one paragraph, it goes down to 0.02 points, but when I put the whole chapter back in and save, it maxes out at 0.07.
Definitely a site bug. I tried publishing a v4 with the same content as v3, and it still won't go higher than 0.07 points. I then tripled the content of v4, and it still pays only 0.07.
Sol, the algorithm that calculates points is choking on the & character. It only calculate points up to the first & in the chapter. That's a pretty important character for some books. I refer to an actual submachine gun manufacturer named Heckler & Koch. Any chance that character can be supported by the site?
Thanks
Dirk
Or an error message that there's an unsupported & in the chapter.
The ampersand is a functional character in HTML, and must be turned into an escape sequence--which begins with an ampersand. I see evidence that the story data store here is HTML-based--for instance, the way that tagging text in an inline review cannot cross a paragraph boundary and sometimes extends beyond where you want it to. The enforced boundaries (which include places where font changes occur --or previously occurred) are consistent with behaviour based on HTML-represented text. HTML representation means that the certain text characters--especially the ampersand and the angle bracket--must be 'quoted' by turning them into 'escape sequences'. HTML has a specific name for its way of doing this, but it's a general problem in programming, and computer science has studied it. What happens when you want to 'quote' an escape sequence? Whatever interprets the HTML text has to know at each point whether it has escape-processed text or escape-unprocessed text. And that's a place for errors, and a place where malicious code attacks too often succeed. (This is not a secret, but a basic dimension of the problem.)
So Dirk isn't drunk, isn't tripping, isn't seeing UFOs. What he's reporting is a very plausible fault pattern.
&
Alleging someone's drunk when he has a problem posting is not very helpful, but, then again, it's par for the course.
Placing single quotes around & worked. It even works with MS-Word smart quotes. Thanks, njc.
Ray, & didn't work, but thanks for the suggestion.
Dirk
&
Alleging someone's drunk when he has a problem posting is not very helpful, but, then again, it's par for the course.
One cannot “allege” with a question.
allege
—verb
to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert: to allege a fact.
jest
—noun
a joke or witty remark; witticism.
a bantering remark; a piece of good-natured ridicule
This is usually the point at which Vern also enters the thread. Feel free to completely detail this thread at this point. I got what I needed.
This is usually the point at which Vern also enters the thread. Feel free to completely detail this thread at this point. I got what I needed.
Amen, Dirk. You said it. Vern? Heyyy ... Vern? Where you been, Ol’ Buddy? Your Luddite acolytes need you to dumb down the highfalutin tech-talk and give us some of that homespun, no-bs monosyllabic banter, so the wet blankets don’t dampen all the fun. Chrissakes ...
Yours truly,
Earnest
You, ma'am, are insufferable, if not a complete jackass. You must be the light of every Christmas party. Cue the 'witty' answer 3, 2 and 1...
Well, Vern's been on vacation all week but so glad I was missed. Not sure what me "detailing" the thread has to do with anything, but since my advice has been so eagerly sought out, I'll offer it. In the future, if you know the problem is with programming a character which doesn't want to be programmed, it would be a simple fix to substitute something which does work -- in this case "and" for "&" -- until you can get Sol's obviously hard to get attention. You're welcome. Please hold applause. Take care. Vern
Well, Vern's been on vacation all week but so glad I was missed. Not sure what me "detailing" the thread has to do with anything, but since my advice has been so eagerly sought out, I'll offer it. In the future, if you know the problem is with programming a character which doesn't want to be programmed, it would be a simple fix to substitute something which does work -- in this case "and" for "&" -- until you can get Sol's obviously hard to get attention. You're welcome. Please hold applause. Take care. Vern
I love you, man ...
vern wrote:Well, Vern's been on vacation all week but so glad I was missed. Not sure what me "detailing" the thread has to do with anything, but since my advice has been so eagerly sought out, I'll offer it. In the future, if you know the problem is with programming a character which doesn't want to be programmed, it would be a simple fix to substitute something which does work -- in this case "and" for "&" -- until you can get Sol's obviously hard to get attention. You're welcome. Please hold applause. Take care. Vern
I love you, man ...
Awww. Likewise, I'm sure. Who said you ain't sweet? Don't let the word get out, lol. Take care. Vern
The ampersand is a functional character in HTML, and must be turned into an escape sequence--which begins with an ampersand. I see evidence that the story data store here is HTML-based--for instance, the way that tagging text in an inline review cannot cross a paragraph boundary and sometimes extends beyond where you want it to. The enforced boundaries (which include places where font changes occur --or previously occurred) are consistent with behaviour based on HTML-represented text. HTML representation means that the certain text characters--especially the ampersand and the angle bracket--must be 'quoted' by turning them into 'escape sequences'. HTML has a specific name for its way of doing this, but it's a general problem in programming, and computer science has studied it. What happens when you want to 'quote' an escape sequence? Whatever interprets the HTML text has to know at each point whether it has escape-processed text or escape-unprocessed text. And that's a place for errors, and a place where malicious code attacks too often succeed. (This is not a secret, but a basic dimension of the problem.)
So Dirk isn't drunk, isn't tripping, isn't seeing UFOs. What he's reporting is a very plausible fault pattern.
Wow, I had no idea this could happen. Great explanation, NJC. I'll be on the lookout in my own chapters.
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TheNextBigWriter Premium → Wrong points showing in chapter view
