#1: Tom O'Connell (sensei69) on Jul 28, 2012

Jan: I still can't solve the new type of puzzles that you published. I have downloaded EI 9 to no avail. Also if I try to create a new puzzle and editor screen show the sides (where the numbers go)all blackened out. Also when i try to edit one of my existing puzzles the same blackened out editor screen. Pleas help if you can. I didn't have this problem until I tried to do your new puzzle.

jan, i was able to solve the new puzzles but i have the same problem as tom with creating them or editoring existing puzzles. a circle with a diagonal line appears if i try to draw. thanks for your help.

I tried it with my IE 9, and had no problems.

But my IE 9 wouldn't have cached the old copy of edit.js. That could be your problem ... except Tom says he newly downloaded IE 9, which suggests he wouldn't have anything in cache either, unless the cache isn't cleared on browser upgrades, or if it is being cached someplace other than on his computer, like at his ISP. But I think Tom said elsewhere that his problem magicly cured itself, which might indicate that he managed to get the new version loaded.

I've made a couple small changes that may or may not help. If nothing gets better, please let me know.

You seem to be running IE 9. I tried it with IE 9 and had no problem. It could be that your browser has failed to load the new version of the edit.js Javascript file, and is instead getting the old version out of some cache someplace.

I have made some changes to the web site to try harder to force IE9 out of its "let's emulate all the old IE bugs" mode, which is where it really, really prefers to be. It seems to get nervous without it's old familiar bugs. But my code still contains all the old workaround for IE bugs, so it should work OK in either mode.

See Topic 338 for my method of forcing a cache update.

thx Jan for all your patience

double entry...sorry

hi jan, just wanted to let you know that if i sign on to my aol account, i have no problems at all. so i will do that if i am making new puzzles. thanks for your help :)

what's an aol?

America On Line ... internet service provider (isp) it has instant messaging liken to yahoo.

tom, thanks ;)

That might have been a facetious question by David (or maybe not, since hardly anyone uses it anymore). AOL was my family's first ISP, and we switched after about a year. I kind of miss the modem connection noises and the "You've Got Mail!", but AOL was generally regarded as a starter ISP that folks got rid of as soon as they realized there were better options available.

I was amazed that Travis still has a AOL account. :)

i was amazed too, which accounts for the question...facetious indeed ;)

AOL also had a bespoke version of IE. If they still do, that might be part of the problem.

fyi :) ..aol is my sisters account but i do still have a screenname on there and every now & then i sign on (with no modem noises ;) ...my connection is through the cable company) :)

I'm using FireFox (which my internet provider recommends) and having the same problem... :(

Are you saying you are having the same problem of having a circle with a diagonal line appear when you try to draw while creating new puzzles? There have been several different problems reported here, and I'm not sure which one you are having.

In general to be able to fix a bug I first need to be able to reproduce it, so I need a detailed description of the circumstances under which it occurs. Occasionally I can fix a bug without reproducing it, but then I need even more detailed descriptions of exactly what is happening. Vague bug reports are not at all helpful.

Sorry here is my problem: some of the puzzles have black square next to the title and when I open it some numbers are not visible replaced by black squares. I can't solve those because whatever I put in the column/row are wrong. It's hard to explain... It started happening about a week ago, so I thought it might be related to the new type of puzzles.

I've had that problem before; deleting the cache usually fixes it. If the puzzle has a black square next to the title, then it *is* a blot puzzle.

Black squares that are the full size of a puzzle square are unloaded images. Usually reloading the puzzle will fix them.

However, it is more likely that you are seeing a new type of puzzle. These have a black square next to the puzzle title. The squares among the clues will be smaller than a full puzzle square, and in many puzzles they will be of many colors, not just black. Hovering the mouse pointer over them should bring up some text saying "black blot".

If you have blots in a puzzle then it is as if some of the clue numbers have been "censored" to make the puzzle more difficult. You don't know the number that has been covered by a blot, but you always know it is at least a one.

Oh now I get it. They are supposed to look like that. I just assumed that they are glitches since I used to get those black squares whenever something wasn't loading right. Thanks, now I have lots more to solve!

Jan, thanks for working on the SVG mode - it looks great except for one thing.

The blots in SVG mode are too large to see the "solved" highlight easily. It would be nice if they were reduced to 50% of the character space.

For that matter - in SVG mode, wouldn't it be just as easy to render the blot as a character like a "?" or a star? This would clearly indicate that it is an unknown, and leave plenty of space for the "solved" highlight.

There's still a lot of work to do on SVG mode. The sizes of the blot squares are currently dependent on the size the puzzle was a when it was initially drawn, which is silly.

I'm inclined to stay with the squares for blots, just keep them small enough so highlighting is visible and so that they don't look too much like dropped-out pixels.

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