Variables Window Not Working in Debug Mode
February 7, 2016 12:00 AM
When I run Debug mode (in either native Lectora or published version) and I click on the Variables button, the window that comes up is completely blank...it doesn't show my list of variables at all! Anyone have any idea why and what I can do to fix it? Debug mode is a whole lot less useful if I can't check the status of my variables (which is what I needed to do in the first place)! I know that I could set up temporary text boxes on my page to show the values of the variables I'm interested in, but one of the benefits of the whole Debug mode thing is to make it so I don't have to do that!
(FYI, this is a course that was created in Lectora Inspire 12 and I'm working on it in Lectora Inspire 12, so it isn't a version thing.)
Thanks for any help with this...I'm really hoping the solution isn't having to uninstall/reinstall, because it's a real pain for me to get Admin access, etc. to do that.
Discussion (19)
What variables should be showing? Ones you've created or default ones from within Lectora?
Sergey - Don't know if the problem would be with other courses...the only other one I have that was created in Lectora 12 is a copy of the "real" one I'm working on. Unfortunately, can't send the course to you, because it contains proprietary info. If I have time, I'll create a new "fake" course from scratch and see if that one has a problem, too.
Thanks for the offer, though! :)
The window is completely blank. None of my custom variables nor any of the default ones appear. It's just a big white space.
I don't know if they changed something with Lectora 12, but, in the past, it would show the list of ALL variables in the course and their current values (and you could even change the values there, if you wanted).
Does it happen in all courses or in a specific course? Can you share the course (privately if need be)?
I went back through our development log and found that this issue has been reported before. There was a fix published (but because of timing it went into 16). To resolve the issue immediately you'd have to upgrade to 16 (which I understand isn't always in the cards).
Thanks for researching this, Jennifer! Not thrilled with the answer, because I make it a policy never to upgrade when I'm in the middle of developing a course (would rather finish it in the version I started it in), but at least I know that I've hit a dead end and will have to resort to going back to setting manual variable trackers, if needed, while I'm finishing this e-course.
undefined
I'm now running Lectora Inspire 17 (most recent version of 17) and the variables window in Debug mode is still blank. (I'm running this through the "local" Debug mode you access via the View menu within Lectora, not the "published" one.) This is a different course than the one I was working on a year ago and this course was built in Lectora 17 from the get-go.
Any idea why I'm still having this problem? I REALLY need to have this functionality!!
I’m now running Lectora Inspire 17 (most recent version of 17) and the variables window in Debug mode is still blank. (I’m running this through the “local” Debug mode you access via the View menu within Lectora, not the “published” one.) This is a different course than the one I was working on a year ago and this course was built in Lectora 17 from the get-go.
Any idea why I’m still having this problem? I REALLY need to have this functionality!!
Oddly enough my debug window stopped working all together. It was last week I was showing an employee that they can utilize the debug window to help identify what going on in the background to track down an issue. This week I need the debug window to find when an action I'm not expecting is being called but the darn window will not even show. Not sure if this is related but has to do with debug window. (version 17.1.1 (11225))
Interestingly, debug mode works in ReviewLink, but only partially. The main debug window works -- showing things that are triggered and variables changing. The variables window actually appears and looks like it works (it shows all of the custom variables in the list, etc.), but it doesn't actually update the variables. (So, for example, the main window will show a variable updating from 0 to 1, but the variables window still shows that variable as 0.)
I really hope Trivantis fixes this....debug mode is one of the most useful features -- when I demonstrated it a few years ago during an LUC presentation, the people in the audience who didn't know about it were wowed!
Thanks for the idea, Math....I can see how that can help see what your variables are doing, but it won't show things being triggered, right? It also sounds like a bit of work.... (However, when I have a problem page, I sometimes do create a temporary text box and temporary actions to track the variable(s) that may be having a problem.)
Not sure whether this is an option. I use my own debugwindow/textfield. Just a plain textfield i pass debug information to when and where needed. Not all the functionality of the Lectora debugmode in it, but for me often enough to check what variables are and things like that. On several of the courses i shared its used, so easy to reuse for sure...
I can also replicate the behavior with version 17.0.6, it stopped working in version 16 for us also. Viewing course with debug and clicking variables button shows the variable window completely blank.
The strange thing is if I open an existing title (that possibly was generated originally by a prior version of Lectora it doesn't work.)
If I create a blank new title with 17.0.6, the debug window works as designed and the popup variables window shows them and operates as usual.
undefined
publishing the title to not use seamless play seems to have different experiences with debug mode.
With it turned on, the debug mode worked on the first page only then didn't work on any further pages, with it turned off it seems to function on all pages.
Just updated to Lectora 17.1.3 and the issue persists in Lectora Run/Debug Mode. In Run mode/Debug mode the variables window does not populate any variables. In the first popup it does show the triggered action and variable. (See attached image)
When published to HTML and viewed in browser it appears they both work. (Second attached image)
I video record the debug screens and have my mouse over the refresh button to click to make it show after everything on that page has ran. Its a pain, but if you are having a variable issue its often times the only way to find it, if starting over is not an option.
I just had this issue happen with me using Lectora 21. I had been building a course, testing, running debug mode, all no issues. It wasn't until I published the course did the debug window go blank. I'm trying to fix those last small issues so this is super annoying. The course is 99.9% complete so definitely don't want to have to create a new course and then copy/paste. If I open other courses the debug window shows the variables as it should. Any ideas?
My Variables window in local (not published) Debug mode is still completely blank in Lectora 21. This is a brand new course that wasn't copied from a previous one. Is this a known issue with Lectora 21? It's a major pain in the you-know-what to have to create a temporary text box and a temporary action just to see what the value of a particular variable is when I'm troubleshooting. The main Debug window works okay, although it only shows what's going on with whatever page I'm up to at the moment...I thought that, in the past (even just a few days ago, but maybe I'm misremembering?), it would append each new page's worth of info to the debug window in a continuous stream.
@jholland - Tagging you as an eLB person who seems to respond to a fair number of Lectora-related questions and @scoggins, I'm tagging you, since you helped me recently with another issue...let me know if I should tag someone else, instead. And, of course, I'm happy to get an answer from anyone who has any info to share on this!
@tecocat I have been having the same issue through multiple versions as well. One thing that I was told (and worked) is that if you have a test that randomly selects pages that can cause the variable screen to go blank. I turned of the random functionality and that corrected the issue. However, I have an 85 page test that randomly picks 25, not an ideal situation at all to have to go through all 85 to test!
You also asked about the log being a continuous stream when debugging and you are correct, it did used to do that and was extremely helpful. For whatever reason they have changed it to show only the info of the page you are on. This is absolutely pointless when you have actions that send you to other pages temporarily to run other actions. I don't get to see all that stuff that happens in between (which is what I'm needing to debug!) and only get the very last page. So frustrating that functionality continues to be removed in the debugging abilities. I hope we get a resolution soon once and for all.
@tecocat I have been having the same issue through multiple versions as well. One thing that I was told (and worked) is that if you have a test that randomly selects pages that can cause the variable screen to go blank. I turned of the random functionality and that corrected the issue. However, I have an 85 page test that randomly picks 25, not an ideal situation at all to have to go through all 85 to test!
You also asked about the log being a continuous stream when debugging and you are correct, it did used to do that and was extremely helpful. For whatever reason they have changed it to show only the info of the page you are on. This is absolutely pointless when you have actions that send you to other pages temporarily to run other actions. I don't get to see all that stuff that happens in between (which is what I'm needing to debug!) and only get the very last page. So frustrating that functionality continues to be removed in the debugging abilities. I hope we get a resolution soon once and for all.
Thanks for the response, @oglesbay ! :smile: Unfortunately(?), the test scenario doesn't apply to me, as I've never used randomizing features of any kind in any of my tests. And, yeah - I don't understand why they would cripple the debugging feature like that.
I used to be a HUGE supporter of Lectora (I ran the New England Lectora Users Group), but, since I've returned to it after a couple of years of not having any Lectora projects to work on, I've been dismayed at how many issues I've had with Lectora (stuff that doesn't work properly and features it's sorely lacking, especially in this day and age) and how much I've had to "fight" with it in the course of working on the e-course I've been developing. I still love that I can "program" actions to do most things that I need it to do, but I'm starting to consider whether I should seriously check out Storyline, which I now have a subscription to (as part of Articulate 360), because I may need to maintain some stuff that someone else developed in Rise. I've always heard that Storyline is less powerful than Lectora, so it's never really tempted me before, but I also don't know where the differences in "powerfulness" lie, so maybe it can do everything I need it to do and more easily?
I've still continued to champion Lectora, but, I'll admit not as vigorously as I used to. And, while the tech support and forum folks I've dealt with at eLB have all been lovely to deal with on a human level, and generally as helpful as they can be (setting aside the lack of on-demand telephone tech support, which is a sore point with me), I don't feel like the developers are really putting their heart into their work with Lectora or listening to their long-time customers as much as they should. It seems like they've mostly focused on making changes to appeal to new users, such as making developing a project more template-based, etc. Meanwhile, I'm plagued with seemingly random bugs and the loss of functionality that were very helpful in the past, like the problem with the debugger not retaining info from page to page. (And how is the variable tracker STILL not working after several years now?!?)