I 'm new to Moodle and I'm starting to put together some courses. I was trying to introduce an image via the 'labels' option when I realized that I could not see the buttons of the integrated HTML editor (which I'm seeing right now when I'm editting this message in the main Moodle site).
This is strange since I've set the 'allow' htmleditor in the configuration of variables for the site.
Does anybody have any idea of what could be happening? What have I done wrong? I'm using a rather recent version of Mozilla (1.5) and I've also tried with the latest version of IExplorer.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Josep M.
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Janne Mikkonen -
Hi Josep.
Hard to say, but I don't think you've done anything wrong. Lets try "refresh" the browser first
Is your OS WinXP with default theme? Could you enclose a little screenshot as well.
- Janne -
Hard to say, but I don't think you've done anything wrong. Lets try "refresh" the browser first
Is your OS WinXP with default theme? Could you enclose a little screenshot as well.
- Janne -
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
Thanks for your prompt response, Janne.
I did "refresh" the browser to no avail. I'm using WinXP but not with the default theme, I reverted to the "classic" theme.
I did some research through the forums and FAQs in Moodle and I found a message where it talked about problems for the HTML editor caused by Zone Alarm. I do have Zone Alarm and I followed the instructions to fix the problem, but the problem persists: I'm not able to visualize the HTML editor. Here is the screenshot of what I see when I'm trying to add a 'label' (I cannot see the editor in any of the other modes either: quiz, lesson, etc.).
I'm starting to think that this problem I'm having has to do with a faulty installation of Moodle in our server. I tried to install Moodle myself but the the server wasn't configured properly and I ran into all sorts of problems. Finally I had to ask for help from our administrator. After long hours of work, he did manage to install it, but perhaps he forgot to install or configure something properly.
The reason I think this is the case is that, as I said, I have no problems viewing and using the HTML editor when I'm in the main Moodle site (if the problem had been Zone Alarm, I should have run into trouble in this site as well, but I didn't), but as you see in the screenshot I enclose, I cannot view it when I'm working on my site.
I'm also suspicious that something is missing or improperly configured in the installation because quite frequently I get messages like the ones I enclose below. These particular messages I obtained when I exited the 'label' mode after a long time of frustration trying to figure out how to insert images (I was following the instructions from a tutorial and it took me a while to figure out that my problem was that I was not seeing the HTML editor). I get other similar messages but I haven't kept them because they go very fast and it is very hard to capture them. They appear very rapidly in the transition from a screen to another and you have to click the stop button in your browser fast enough to freeze the screen (perhaps there is another way to do this but I don't know how else to do it). Here are these particular messages I managed to capture. What I don't understand is what does my problem have to do with the chat module. If you see the message warnings, they refer to an undefined variable in a php file that lives in the 'chat' folder. If anybody is able to help me fix this problem I would be very, very grateful.
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 26
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 29
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 32
Josep M.
I did "refresh" the browser to no avail. I'm using WinXP but not with the default theme, I reverted to the "classic" theme.
I did some research through the forums and FAQs in Moodle and I found a message where it talked about problems for the HTML editor caused by Zone Alarm. I do have Zone Alarm and I followed the instructions to fix the problem, but the problem persists: I'm not able to visualize the HTML editor. Here is the screenshot of what I see when I'm trying to add a 'label' (I cannot see the editor in any of the other modes either: quiz, lesson, etc.).
I'm starting to think that this problem I'm having has to do with a faulty installation of Moodle in our server. I tried to install Moodle myself but the the server wasn't configured properly and I ran into all sorts of problems. Finally I had to ask for help from our administrator. After long hours of work, he did manage to install it, but perhaps he forgot to install or configure something properly.
The reason I think this is the case is that, as I said, I have no problems viewing and using the HTML editor when I'm in the main Moodle site (if the problem had been Zone Alarm, I should have run into trouble in this site as well, but I didn't), but as you see in the screenshot I enclose, I cannot view it when I'm working on my site.
I'm also suspicious that something is missing or improperly configured in the installation because quite frequently I get messages like the ones I enclose below. These particular messages I obtained when I exited the 'label' mode after a long time of frustration trying to figure out how to insert images (I was following the instructions from a tutorial and it took me a while to figure out that my problem was that I was not seeing the HTML editor). I get other similar messages but I haven't kept them because they go very fast and it is very hard to capture them. They appear very rapidly in the transition from a screen to another and you have to click the stop button in your browser fast enough to freeze the screen (perhaps there is another way to do this but I don't know how else to do it). Here are these particular messages I managed to capture. What I don't understand is what does my problem have to do with the chat module. If you see the message warnings, they refer to an undefined variable in a php file that lives in the 'chat' folder. If anybody is able to help me fix this problem I would be very, very grateful.
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 26
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 29
Notice: Undefined variable: THEME in /extern/web/httpd/htdocs/moodle/mod/chat/lib.php on line 32
Josep M.
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Janne Mikkonen -
Hi Josep.
The screenshot is on your computer and its not shown to others. You should enclose it as an attachment to your post.
Your problem sounds like a corrupted config.php file? (empty spaces at the end of the lines).
What is your server OS? (Win, Linux..)
PHP version?
- Janne -
The screenshot is on your computer and its not shown to others. You should enclose it as an attachment to your post.
Your problem sounds like a corrupted config.php file? (empty spaces at the end of the lines).
What is your server OS? (Win, Linux..)
PHP version?
- Janne -
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
Yes, that was stupid. It turns out that I don't have permision to modify or upload files to the server where Moodle is hosted so I could not place the screen capture in the Moodle files directory. I was testing whether I could insert an image in the message anyway and I forgot that the link was to a directory on my local drive. Here is the image as an attachment.
Tomorrow I'll get the administrator of the server to give me the appropriate permisions and try to modify the config.php file if that's what the problem is. Our server is a Linux server. I'm not sure about the PHP version. How does one go about checking this? Is there any particular command or I have to look through the directories until I find the one where PHP is installed?
Thanks for your help. I really would like to solve this problem. I see in the other parallel discussion that a lot of people don't use the HTML editor, but I find it very useful (I know there are people who say the best thing is to hand code with a plain text editor, but that's not for me).
Josep M.
Tomorrow I'll get the administrator of the server to give me the appropriate permisions and try to modify the config.php file if that's what the problem is. Our server is a Linux server. I'm not sure about the PHP version. How does one go about checking this? Is there any particular command or I have to look through the directories until I find the one where PHP is installed?
Thanks for your help. I really would like to solve this problem. I see in the other parallel discussion that a lot of people don't use the HTML editor, but I find it very useful (I know there are people who say the best thing is to hand code with a plain text editor, but that's not for me).
Josep M.
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
Janne,
It doesn't look like the problem is a corrupted config.php file. I'm enclosing my config.php file that I downloaded from the server where I have Moodle installed so that you can confirm it. I opened it and I couldn't see that there were empty spaces at the end of the lines.
I'm still pretty sure that there is something wrong with the installation (judging by the language used by the administrator in the comments he added at the beginning of the PHP code, it appears that he experienced some serious problems with the installation), but I have no idea what it could be. Our university is very restrictive with the access to its servers and so I couldn't install Moodle myself. I guess it is good that I didn't try because apparently the server was very poorly configured to "receive" moodle and it even crashed on the administrator when he was trying to install it. Now at least it is functioning, but I'm experiencing little problems like the one with the invisibility HTML editor or the strange error messages in the transition screens.
Josep M.
It doesn't look like the problem is a corrupted config.php file. I'm enclosing my config.php file that I downloaded from the server where I have Moodle installed so that you can confirm it. I opened it and I couldn't see that there were empty spaces at the end of the lines.
I'm still pretty sure that there is something wrong with the installation (judging by the language used by the administrator in the comments he added at the beginning of the PHP code, it appears that he experienced some serious problems with the installation), but I have no idea what it could be. Our university is very restrictive with the access to its servers and so I couldn't install Moodle myself. I guess it is good that I didn't try because apparently the server was very poorly configured to "receive" moodle and it even crashed on the administrator when he was trying to install it. Now at least it is functioning, but I'm experiencing little problems like the one with the invisibility HTML editor or the strange error messages in the transition screens.
Josep M.
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Janne Mikkonen -
I surely hope that config file isn't the real one with real username and password in it! If it is delete that post and ask your administrator to change the database password.
So your editor isn't loaded at all. Ok, next check do you have any error messages in your browsers (Mozilla) javascript console. Select at the toolbar Tools -> javascript console, and you should see every errormessage realted to your installation (if any).
judging by the language I don't know any spanish but I did get the message... It really shouldn't be that hard to experienced administrator to install moodle.
- Janne -
So your editor isn't loaded at all. Ok, next check do you have any error messages in your browsers (Mozilla) javascript console. Select at the toolbar Tools -> javascript console, and you should see every errormessage realted to your installation (if any).
judging by the language I don't know any spanish but I did get the message... It really shouldn't be that hard to experienced administrator to install moodle.
- Janne -
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
You guys must think I am a real idiot. I was so intent on checking that there weren't any
empty spaces at the end of the lines that I didn't even think that there could be compromising
information in the config.php file. At least I did this stupid thing here in a Moodle forum where most people, if not all, are good people. Live and learn.
Anyway, I followed Janne's suggestions and I checked the JavaScript Console. Here are the error messages I get:
Error: this._doc has no properties
Source File: http://moodle.org/lib/editor/htmlarea.php Line: 1825
By the way, I also get a lot of warnings like the following:
Warning: The stylesheet http://parles.upf.es/moodle//theme/cornflower/styles.php was loaded as CSS even though its MIME type, "text/html", is not "text/css".
When I go to Line: 1825 of the htmlarea.php file that lives in my editor/ directory, what I find is the following (I give the whole context )
}
/*
else if (keyEvent) {
// other keys here
switch (ev.keyCode) {
case 13: // KEY enter
// if (HTMLArea.is_ie) {
1825: this.insertHTML("<br />");
HTMLArea._stopEvent(ev);
// }
break;
}
I don't know what to do with this.
As for Martin's suggestion.
>Look what happens when you go to http://parles.upf.es/moodle (no slash at the end) ... it >redirects to http://localhost.localdomain/moodle/.
>This means Apache is set up incorrectly on that server and could possibly be causing some >of your admin's headaches.
I take this to mean that when you try to get into my Moodle by typing http://parles.upf.es/moodle you cannot get in and you are required to type
http://parles.upf.es/moodle/ . This is what the administrator told me I had to type, but he didn't tell me why (I'll ask him). I know it is perhaps too much to ask from you, but could you give me a hint as to what could be wrong with the Apache setup that could be causing problems? As I said, with the exception of the HTML editor, everything else seems to be working well.
Josep M.
As for the comments of the administrator, he's Italian, so the swear words are in Italian. It appeared to me that he was an experienced administrator. He said the problems didn't necessarily have to do with Moodle but that the server wasn't configured properly to install Moodle. And precisely because he wasn't careful enough to make sure everything was right , when he started to install Moodle, all sorts of problems and clashes came up and he had to reinstall the whole thing. There is also the possibility, of course, that he wanted to charge me more money for the job. Since I was in a hurry to install Moodle (I'm giving a presentation this Wednesday on CALL related issues and I wanted to do a little proselitizing of Moodle, so I wanted to have my own Moodle ready to show people what you can do with it) I offered to pay him the overtime from my project's money. Since he is usually overworked and underpaid by our stingy university, perhaps he saw his chance to get some of the money he was owned. Too bad he got it from somebody who is not to blame for the way the university treats its employees. My project is government's money, and our university is a state university, so in the end perhaps things have worked out so that the government is paying a particular employee what they should have paid him in the first place. :-}
Josep M.
empty spaces at the end of the lines that I didn't even think that there could be compromising
information in the config.php file. At least I did this stupid thing here in a Moodle forum where most people, if not all, are good people. Live and learn.
Anyway, I followed Janne's suggestions and I checked the JavaScript Console. Here are the error messages I get:
Error: this._doc has no properties
Source File: http://moodle.org/lib/editor/htmlarea.php Line: 1825
By the way, I also get a lot of warnings like the following:
Warning: The stylesheet http://parles.upf.es/moodle//theme/cornflower/styles.php was loaded as CSS even though its MIME type, "text/html", is not "text/css".
When I go to Line: 1825 of the htmlarea.php file that lives in my editor/ directory, what I find is the following (I give the whole context )
}
/*
else if (keyEvent) {
// other keys here
switch (ev.keyCode) {
case 13: // KEY enter
// if (HTMLArea.is_ie) {
1825: this.insertHTML("<br />");
HTMLArea._stopEvent(ev);
// }
break;
}
I don't know what to do with this.
As for Martin's suggestion.
>Look what happens when you go to http://parles.upf.es/moodle (no slash at the end) ... it >redirects to http://localhost.localdomain/moodle/.
>This means Apache is set up incorrectly on that server and could possibly be causing some >of your admin's headaches.
I take this to mean that when you try to get into my Moodle by typing http://parles.upf.es/moodle you cannot get in and you are required to type
http://parles.upf.es/moodle/ . This is what the administrator told me I had to type, but he didn't tell me why (I'll ask him). I know it is perhaps too much to ask from you, but could you give me a hint as to what could be wrong with the Apache setup that could be causing problems? As I said, with the exception of the HTML editor, everything else seems to be working well.
Josep M.
As for the comments of the administrator, he's Italian, so the swear words are in Italian. It appeared to me that he was an experienced administrator. He said the problems didn't necessarily have to do with Moodle but that the server wasn't configured properly to install Moodle. And precisely because he wasn't careful enough to make sure everything was right , when he started to install Moodle, all sorts of problems and clashes came up and he had to reinstall the whole thing. There is also the possibility, of course, that he wanted to charge me more money for the job. Since I was in a hurry to install Moodle (I'm giving a presentation this Wednesday on CALL related issues and I wanted to do a little proselitizing of Moodle, so I wanted to have my own Moodle ready to show people what you can do with it) I offered to pay him the overtime from my project's money. Since he is usually overworked and underpaid by our stingy university, perhaps he saw his chance to get some of the money he was owned. Too bad he got it from somebody who is not to blame for the way the university treats its employees. My project is government's money, and our university is a state university, so in the end perhaps things have worked out so that the government is paying a particular employee what they should have paid him in the first place. :-}
Josep M.
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Janne Mikkonen -
This errormessage you get in no relevant at all since its in comment block (it never runs). You get this errormessage because the editor script doesn't load properly (Martin's attention).
Well I'm not a linguist (from that line I couldn't tell the difference between spanish and italian), but I'm guite sure that he did not try to pull you off. Doing new things in a hurry have a big change to go underneath the bench. So I think it's good he sweared at work and went home with happy thoughts
- Janne -
PS. Everybody make mistakes and there is nothing wrong to have a blushing face
now and then (I get these a lot).
Well I'm not a linguist (from that line I couldn't tell the difference between spanish and italian), but I'm guite sure that he did not try to pull you off. Doing new things in a hurry have a big change to go underneath the bench. So I think it's good he sweared at work and went home with happy thoughts
- Janne -
PS. Everybody make mistakes and there is nothing wrong to have a blushing face
now and then (I get these a lot).
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
Well, the administrator of our server fixed the problem Martin mentioned (I really shouldn't have joked about him getting paid what he was owed through my project. He is really helpful and very quick to solve any problems we have). So now you can just type parles.upf.es/moodle and you can access without any problem. Nevertheless, I can still not see the editor whether I use Mozilla, Firebird or IExplorer. I am really bummed.
I'm working on a Windows XP machine, the server is a Linux server (Fedora Core 2) with PHP 4.3.7 and the last version of MySQL. I just don't know what could be the problem. The only thing that looks a little suspicious is that together with the file htmlarea.php in the /moodle2/lib/editor directory there is one called htmlarea_BAK.php.
Josep M.
Hi!
I noticed that you have v1.3.1. installed. When you have the chance, it would be good to upgrade to v1.3.2. May help get rid of some of the bugs.
Would be nice if you could get to a space on the server, with your Moodle, when you needed to without going through a 3rd party.
Suggest you consider a "cheap" hosting site with PHP and mySQL for 30 to 50 dollars (US) per year to use as a testing site. Then you would have more control and access to the site. You might be able to create multiple sites to test different things. Just a thought. Maybe you can use some of the grant money for that.
Cannot wait to see some of these flash teaching mods you have in mind. Had fun playing around with the demonstration "flash" mod you provid3ed the other day about nouns, verbs and adjectives.
WP1
I noticed that you have v1.3.1. installed. When you have the chance, it would be good to upgrade to v1.3.2. May help get rid of some of the bugs.
Would be nice if you could get to a space on the server, with your Moodle, when you needed to without going through a 3rd party.
Suggest you consider a "cheap" hosting site with PHP and mySQL for 30 to 50 dollars (US) per year to use as a testing site. Then you would have more control and access to the site. You might be able to create multiple sites to test different things. Just a thought. Maybe you can use some of the grant money for that.
Cannot wait to see some of these flash teaching mods you have in mind. Had fun playing around with the demonstration "flash" mod you provid3ed the other day about nouns, verbs and adjectives.
WP1
Our administrator has already given me full access to at least the directories where Moodle is hosted so I will now be able to upload and modify files at will. Although if you have a good suggestion for some (of course cheap) but good and reliable hosting site with PHP and mySQL, I will certainly welcome the information. I want to create a more personal web page and the server in the university is not the best place to do it.
I have a presentation on Wednesday (where I plan to proselitize about Moodle) and I'm a little hesitant to install the new version of Moodle. I'm already using too much of the time I should be using to prepare my presentation trying to solve this problem with the editor. I'm a little afraid things might get messed up when I try to install the new version and I cannot afford that. Is it really simple to install a new version on top of another?
In the meantime I'm trying to live by just hand coding HTML but I'm really looking forward to solving this problem with the editor because I could work much faster.
Josep M.
I have a presentation on Wednesday (where I plan to proselitize about Moodle) and I'm a little hesitant to install the new version of Moodle. I'm already using too much of the time I should be using to prepare my presentation trying to solve this problem with the editor. I'm a little afraid things might get messed up when I try to install the new version and I cannot afford that. Is it really simple to install a new version on top of another?
In the meantime I'm trying to live by just hand coding HTML but I'm really looking forward to solving this problem with the editor because I could work much faster.
Josep M.
Hi Josep,
I have to correct myself, v1.3.3 is now posted.
WP1
I have to correct myself, v1.3.3 is now posted.
WP1
EZOSHosting is a pretty good low cost php/mysql host.
http://ezoshosting.com/softwarepreview.php
They install lots of open source php/mysql based packages for you and the regular moodle install instructions will work just fine there.
I've also used Host4web with good results.
http://www.hostforweb.com/
All the shared hosting servers have issues with loads and downtimes since you are on a machine with many other users, but these too have had decent support and reasonable uptimes for the cost.
Esp. if your University has some problems with getting software installed right, it would be good to develop & test your projects on a proper apache/php/mysql set up, so you don't waste time/money chasing bugs that are not from your own code.
http://ezoshosting.com/softwarepreview.php
They install lots of open source php/mysql based packages for you and the regular moodle install instructions will work just fine there.
I've also used Host4web with good results.
http://www.hostforweb.com/
All the shared hosting servers have issues with loads and downtimes since you are on a machine with many other users, but these too have had decent support and reasonable uptimes for the cost.
Esp. if your University has some problems with getting software installed right, it would be good to develop & test your projects on a proper apache/php/mysql set up, so you don't waste time/money chasing bugs that are not from your own code
Thanks Michael, I'll have a look at them. Sometimes you have to pay to get some independence.
Josep M.
Josep M.
QUOTE
"Sometimes you have to pay to get some independence". Josep M. Fontana
Yes this is so true. Glad things got resolved. Have fun Moodling.
WP1
"Sometimes you have to pay to get some independence". Josep M. Fontana
Yes this is so true. Glad things got resolved. Have fun Moodling.
WP1
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Janne Mikkonen -
Could you give me access to you site so I could test it out my self and try to figure out why the editor isn't loading. I tried to register but no email is received (you should see my info in your user list)? I hope we can solve this before your presentation.
- Janne -
- Janne -
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Josep M. Fontana -
OK, thanks to everybody who helped me. Apparently my problem was a combination of things. One of them due to my carelessness (my only excuse is that I'm a novice, but I should have known better, anyway). Let's see. Apparently there was indeed a problem with the installation because things only started to work when the administrator of our server fixed the Apache set up that Martin Dougiamas had pointed out (related to a problem with the DNS service). Also, Eloy Lafuente in the Spanish speaking forum suggested that I deactivate the debugging option in the configuration/variables. Which I did.
Before that (I really don't know which one of these things did the trick) whatever username I used to get in the site, I couldn't view the editor. However, even after fixing these two things, I still could not view the HTML editor when I entered the site with the username I had set as administrator. Eloy got in my site as administrator and discovered that in my user profile I had the 'when editing text' option set to 'use standard web forms' DUH! I was so excited when our administrator finally managed to get things ready to use Moodle that I went too fast through the configuration process and I didn't realize I had not activated 'use HTML editor'.
Oh well, I suppose this is how you become an expert in Moodle (or in anything for that matter). There is an important pedagogical value in screwing up: it is more difficult to forget what you've learned than if you just have read it somewhere.
Josep M.
Before that (I really don't know which one of these things did the trick) whatever username I used to get in the site, I couldn't view the editor. However, even after fixing these two things, I still could not view the HTML editor when I entered the site with the username I had set as administrator. Eloy got in my site as administrator and discovered that in my user profile I had the 'when editing text' option set to 'use standard web forms' DUH! I was so excited when our administrator finally managed to get things ready to use Moodle that I went too fast through the configuration process and I didn't realize I had not activated 'use HTML editor'.
Oh well, I suppose this is how you become an expert in Moodle (or in anything for that matter). There is an important pedagogical value in screwing up: it is more difficult to forget what you've learned than if you just have read it somewhere.
Josep M.
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Art Lader -
> There is an important pedagogical value in screwing up:
> it is more difficult to forget what you've learned than
> if you just have read it somewhere.
Haha, then there is hope for all of us!
-- Art
> it is more difficult to forget what you've learned than
> if you just have read it somewhere.
Haha, then there is hope for all of us!
-- Art
In reply to Josep M. Fontana
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Martin Dougiamas -
Look what happens when you go to http://parles.upf.es/moodle (no slash at the end) ... it redirects to http://localhost.localdomain/moodle/.
This means Apache is set up incorrectly on that server and could possibly be causing some of your admin's headaches.
P.S. I have now deleted the password info from your config.php
This means Apache is set up incorrectly on that server and could possibly be causing some of your admin's headaches.
P.S. I have now deleted the password info from your config.php
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Why cannot I see the HTML editor buttons on my site?
by Steve Jones -
Hello Janne,
I just used this thread to solve my invisible HTML editor problem also.
It appears as though either Fantastico or Cpanel had added 2 extra lines to the end of my config.php file which affected not only my HTML editor but also the chat functionality.
Having removed these two lines, both of these functions now work properly.
Thanks for the info...
Jonesy1