Troubleshooting layouts with web viewers

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Troubleshooting layouts with web viewers

The following topics describe common problems and solutions when working with web viewers on a layout. For more information, see www.filemaker.com/support/technologies.

A web viewer displays "Loading:" and a URL, but doesn't load a web page

The URL might be invalid. In Layout mode, you can see a calculated URL by choosing View menu > Show > Sample Data. (Also, a web viewer displays the URL that it is trying to load in Browse mode.) Look at this URL closely. Then in Layout mode, choose Format menu > Web Viewer Setup. In the Web Viewer Setup dialog box, try the following changes to the web address:

Specify the correct URL scheme — for example, http:// — and the complete server name, including "www." or ".com" as required. Mac OS and Windows respond to incomplete or improperly specified URLs differently. Don't assume that the correct scheme or "www." will be added automatically.

Ensure that the syntax of the website parameters in your web address is what the website expects. Some websites explain the query syntax they require, so search the support area of the website that you want to use for more information.

Fix problems in the formula that defines your custom web address — for example, add or change quotation marks around strings, use the concatenate operator (&) between strings. See Working with formulas and functions.

Ensure that characters in the URL are correctly encoded. Review text constants in your web address and the data in your database. See About URL encoding in web viewers.

You can see the the progress of page loads with the progress bar and errors with the status bar, which are displayed at the bottom of the web viewer. If you do not see the progress bar or the status bar, select Display progress bar and Display status messages. See Adding a web viewer.

The URL is correct, but the website is not responding. Open your web browser and go to the same website. If the website doesn't respond, then the website might be down, so try again later.

Your computer might not be connected to a network. Open your web browser and go to one or more known websites. If these websites don't respond, then ensure that your computer is connected to a network.

Links, fields, tabbing, and scrolling in a web viewer don't work

The web viewer is set to prevent interaction. To enable interaction, in Layout mode choose Format menu > Web Viewer Setup. In the Web Viewer Setup dialog box, select the Allow interaction with web viewer content checkbox.

The web viewer is defined as a button. Even if interaction is allowed, a web viewer that is defined as a button prevents mouse clicks from interacting with web viewer content but does allow keyboard interaction. For more information, see Defining a button.

A web viewer is blank in Find mode

The web viewer is set not to display content in Find mode. To display content, in Layout mode choose Format menu > Web Viewer Setup. In the Web Viewer Setup dialog box, select the Display content in Find mode checkbox.

Web pages that use Java, JavaScript, or other installed plug-ins don't work

Some of the operating system's web browser preferences can affect web viewers. In particular, if Java, JavaScript, or other plug-ins are disabled in the web browser, then these technologies are disabled in web viewers also. In the preferences or options dialog box of the operating system's web browser, enable the technologies that are needed.

Some web pages don't work correctly in a web viewer

Some technologies used by some web pages might not work correctly in a web viewer. In these cases, use a web browser instead.

If the web page in a web viewer contains links, you can open a link in a separate web browser window. From the shortcut menu on a link in a web viewer, choose Open in New Window (Windows) or Open Link in New Window (Mac OS).

You can provide a way for the user to open the web viewer's current URL in a separate web browser window. For example, insert a button on your layout near your web viewer. Set up the button to perform the following example script:

Open URL [No dialog; GetLayoutObjectAttribute ("Web Viewer 1"; "source")]

This script gets the current URL of the web viewer named "Web Viewer 1" and opens it in a separate web browser window. For more information, see Naming objects.

Some web browser features don't work as expected in a web viewer

Web viewers provide many of the same features as your operating system's web browser, but not all. Also, some web browser features work in web viewers on one operating system but not the other.

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