BUG list for Pfeiffer Genetic Snow Flakes

Date	Problem	Fix
3 Mar 13	No sound when try to upload flake. Firefox has disabled java. `ReferenceError: java is not defined` displayed in Error Console Java not enabled in firefox	7 Mar 13 This is a Firefox "security enhancement" bug introduced by Mozilla. Microsoft Internet Explorer is not affected.
31 Jan 13	~~Server hosting gif production failed.~~	3 Mar 13 Services moved to new servers.
7 Mar 07	A brand new instalation of Firefox (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.8.1.2) Gecko/20070219 Firefox/2.0.0.2) loads window but fails to start animation.	7 Mar 07 Press reload button (Blue clockwise circular arrow)
25 Feb 07	Firefox (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.10) Gecko/20070216 Firefox/1.5.0.10) reports pairs of Error: xbm is not defined Source File: xbm[54955] Line: 1 PNG and XBM images replaced by broken image icon. See bugzilla 371633.	2 Mar 07
4 Jan 07	~~Disabled GIF server `test_js.awk` and then forgot to re-enable it~~	25 Feb 07
22 Sep 06	~~Ensure http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/external/W.Langdon/snowflake.js can be run by others (Note 15 June 2010 returned to cgi-bin/staff)~~	22 Sep 06
11 Sep 06	~~Account relocated to http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/external/W.Langdon/ Must replace cgi-bin/staff by cgi-bin/external/~~	19 Sep 06
19 Aug 06	In file: local mode under 1.5.0.6 Firefox Some PNG snow flakes are not displayed. Instead the broken image icon is displayed. (Probably not due to timed outs)
19 Aug 06	Sometimes swaping from Png (default) to Gif and back to Png results in "uncaught exception: Permission denied to get property" appearing on the JavaScript Console. http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=448421&sid=8822d12aed443589fbe694e1afbab1b5 suggests this is a new feature of 1.5.0.5 Firefox
23 Nov 05	~~Editable display table does not fully support SVG graphics. `Chromosome` can be editted but other fields give empty image. This is due to missing support for w, wf, sf, vf.~~	24 Nov 05
22 Nov 05	Badly formed SVG code may be generated. This causes large numbers of errors like `Error: Expected color but found 'undefined'. Error in parsing value for property 'fill'. Declaration dropped.` for `Source File: data:image/svg+xml,` `Line: 0` to be reported. However `pfeiffer_local.html` continues unaffected.	22 Nov 05
22 Nov 05	If default initial Lindenmayer grammar specified via `pfeiffer_params.html` did not supply defaults (eg because it was badly formated) `pfeiffer_local.html` stops after a few seconds, initial flakes disappears and exception `Expansion has no properties` in `lsys.js` is raised.	22 Nov 05
11 Aug 05	~~With Deerpark and Scalable Vector Graphics wrong picture may be displayed in the table after editing it. Correct picture may be displayed in main window. See bugzilla 304334.~~ Appears to be fixed in Firefox 1.5.	23 Nov 05
29 May 05	Firefox 0.10.1 Occasionally generates warning caution box `xmlhttp.send() .... Langdon/log` etc etc `failed due to: [Exception..."Component returned failure code: 0x8004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsiXMLHttpRequest...` This indicates a problem logging data (cause unclear at present). Work around: Click "OK" and pfeiffer will continue.	29 May 05
13 Nov 04	An IBM PC running windows may not recognise the XBM graphics file type. This prevents microsoft internet explorer correctly displaying XBM images. It has been suggested that microsoft service pack 2 (SP2) breaks internet explorer on windowsXP 5.1. If this is true of your computer, please consider using the server version or options 2) or 3) below. Work around: 1) Reconfigure the PC. 2) Use server version (which generates GIF format) rather than local version which runs inside your browser. 3) Use another browser, eg Mozilla Firefox or Netscape 7.2 Local version can now also down load GIFs from server. The `Table describing population` option uses lots of CPU if the browser is not displaying evolved flakes correctly. Work around: 1) 2) or 3) above, Or iconise `Table of Pfeiffer Data` window when not in use.	17 Jun 06
2 Mar 07	With Ubuntu KDE 3.5.5 Konqueror 3.5.5 counters update and evolution continues underneath. But no images are displayed. Work around: use another browser, eg Mozilla Firefox.
13 Nov 04	Suse Konqueror Linux PC browser may fail with a status line saying "Requesting XMLHttpRequest" Work around: Use another browser:-(
9 Mar 04	With Mac Safari/124 the initial fixed snow.gif images flutter about the screen and evolution continues underneath. But the evolved images are never displayed. Work around: use another browser, eg Mozilla Firefox.
10 Mar 04	Mac internet explorer 5 fails in fetchURL a few seconds after loading pfeiffer_local.html. The status line shows "Chromosome 0 -60 c0 u". Work arounds: Either (1) Use another browser, eg Mozilla Firefox. Or (2) Run in local mode by clearing "Internet seed supplier", "Internet seed storage. Ie location to store your nice flakes", "Internet seed logging. Ie location logging both good and bad flakes" fields in pfeiffer_params.html and then restart.
8 Mar 04	Internet explorer 6.00 can fail to start second or subsequent animation window after successfully starting it. I.e. second time start button on pfeiffer_params.html is pressed new window is created but animation does not start and no snow flakes are displayed. Work around: reload pfeiffer.
15 Mar 04	Mozilla restricts the length of input which can be entered into fields on editable Table. This mainly effects the "Drawing commands" field. When editing the last field in the table, user should be wary that their input may be truncated by their browser. This can considerably truncate the flake generated on the screen. (Note maxLength is -1 but Mozilla 1.5 imposes a limit http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/ Work around: The effect you want might be obtianed by editing another field, eg "Chromosome".
8 Mar 04	~~Clone operation on flying menus does not work.~~	8 Mar 04
8 Mar 04	~~Documentation, pfeiffer/overview.html, refers only to old (June 2003) system.~~	8 Mar 04
7 Mar 04	Netscape navigator 6.00 does not work under microsoft windows on a PC. Work around? Possibly upgrading to later version of Netscape 6. Need at least 6.1 but note various security issues have been suggested for Netscape versions 6.1-6.2.2. Netscape 7.2 appears to work ok.

Features

Some versions (before Firefox/0.10.1) of Mozilla JavaScript Console may report informational (i) message "Security Error: Content at http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/W.Langdon/pfeiffer_local.html may not load data from about:blank." each time pfeiffer_local.html is started.
Despite the text message, this is a warning and no error has occurred.
A flake can be deleted etc by the user with flying menu when the simulator is paused. The flake is deleted and cannot be undeleted, however no change is visible on the simulator. Change (ie replacement with tombstone icon or appearance of clone) is only apparent when simulator is set to "go". Similarly the editable display table is only updated when the simulator is restarted.
When the simulator is paused, moving the mouse cursor over a flake may not bring up its flying menu.
This can be caused by overlaying flakes. (Despite their appearance, all flakes are rectangular.) Mouse events are directed to the top most flake. Those covered by others will not be aware of the mouse movements. Higher numbered flakes lie on top of lower numbered ones.
Drag and drop can be used to move overlaying flake out of the user's way.
Editable display table will become out of step with main simulation window.
   The display table entry for each flake is only refreshed when a significant change is noted for that flake. Essentially this is because maintaining the complete table all the time is too CPU intensive.
   Similarly, in internet explorer, the refresh button F5 can only be used to force the screen to update data for flakes that have significantly changed.
   In Mozilla, the reload button on the table screen, has no effect.
Most browsers will only allow up to 20 cookies. Hence at any one time only 20 flakes can be saved locally as cookies. Therefore the "Save" button will only save 20 flakes not the whole population. Saving more flakes, may result in earlier cookies being deleted. There is no limit on the number of flakes that can be saved globally. E.g. via the save option on a flying menu.
Netscape 4 is not fully supported in the newer Pfeiffer "system in your browser". Its better to either user a newer browser, eg Mozilla, or the older Pfeiffer "System based at UCL".
In the older Pfeiffer "System based at UCL", flake deletion is via the middle or right hand mouse button. In some browsers, this interface can be hard to use. Miss-clicks can be interpreted as left mouse clicks causing the flake to be saved rather than deleted!

W.B.Langdon 8 March 2004 (Last update $Date: 2015/01/03 11:02:16 $ $Revision: 1.34 $)