Symbols not showing intermittently when using highlighting

[Tom Hogan]

I’m having an intermittent problem with the highlighting not showing symbols in the pallete. When clicking the pallette to choose a different symbol, ocassionally, it only shows the highlight colors, not the symbols. If I click the gear icon to show the symbols, it still doesn’t display the symbols. Typically in this case I will right click the thing I want to highlight and choose “Highlight” and add the symbol that way. The next time I try to use the pallette again, they symbols may or may not be there. It seems pretty random and is extremely frustrating. I’m still able to use any symbols that were in the last three highlights used. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I’m using Accordance 13.3.2.

[Billy32792]

Hi Tom,

 

I know that you mentioned that this is intermittent. I was just wondering, is there any chance the 'Hide/Show Symbols' choice got selected from the settings gear menu in the highlights window when the Highlighter is selected?

 

We haven't been able to recreate this so far. If you happen to figure out how to make it happen by following certain steps please let us know.

 

http://accordancefiles2.com/helpfiles/OSX13/Default.htm#topics/05_dd/highlight_words.htm#kanchor491

 

Thanks

[rcdeacon]

This has happened to me also.

 

Bob

[Tom Hogan]

8 hours ago, Billy32792 said:

Hi Tom,

 

I know that you mentioned that this is intermittent. I was just wondering, is there any chance the 'Hide/Show Symbols' choice got selected from the settings gear menu in the highlights window when the Highlighter is selected?

 

We haven't been able to recreate this so far. If you happen to figure out how to make it happen by following certain steps please let us know.

 

http://accordancefiles2.com/helpfiles/OSX13/Default.htm#topics/05_dd/highlight_words.htm#kanchor491

 

Thanks

 

I’m not sure how I could have selected that just by clicking the pallete icon above a word that I’m trying to highlight, so I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. I really haven’t been able to figure out what triggers it, nor what resolves the problem, so I can’t really give you any steps to reproduce it. Sorry! It happens frequently enough to be really annoying though (it occurs around 30% of the time).

Blessings!
Tom

Edited June 23, 2022 by Thomas Hogan

[Tom Hogan]

On 6/22/2022 at 1:57 PM, Billy32792 said:

We haven't been able to recreate this so far. If you happen to figure out how to make it happen by following certain steps please let us know.

 

I just found a way to reproduce the problem. I am currently using the ESV with Strong’s. In 2 Chronicles 15, I found that whether or not the symbols showed up or not was dependent on what word or phrases I clicked. For example, in the attached screenshot, in verse 5, if I try to highlight either of the occurences of the word “him” the symbols would not show up. However, If I tried to highlight a word a little farther down (e.g., the word “were” in verse 6), the symbols would show up. Going back to the word “him” produced no symbols and I could go back and forth between these and always get the same result.

 

After a little more experimentation, I found out that it was actually dependent on the position the word or phrase appeared on the screen. For example, with the screen scrolled to the position in the second screenshot, trying to highlight the words or phrases within the red box did not bring up the symbols, but trying to highlight any word outside the red box did bring up the symbols. If I just scrolled the text a little in the same passage, then whatever words are now in the same screen section (see third screenshot) do not bring up symbols.

 

I also attached a full screen snapshot so you can see how I have Accordance set up.

[Tom Hogan]

By the way, I just noticed that the same problem seems to occur at that same level all the way across the screen, so the problem occurs at the same level in the Wiersbe's BE Series Commentary and the text browser. I couldn’t highlight at all in the Research window (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary) in the middle section, so I couldn’t test there.

[rcdeacon]

While I have NOT troubleshot this, and Thomas has done an excellent job of nailing this issue down, I can confirm the disappearing symbols. Frankly, I never how or when it would happen but it did occur frequently for me. I, like Thomas, am an avid highlighter.

 

Bob

[Tom Hogan]

On 6/22/2022 at 1:57 PM, Billy32792 said:

We haven't been able to recreate this so far. If you happen to figure out how to make it happen by following certain steps please let us know.

 

@Billy32792

 

Thanks so much for the quick fix on my other issue. Just curious if you’ve been able to recreate this now that I found out how to recreate it on a consistent basis? 

 

Blessings!

Tom

Edited June 29, 2022 by Tom Hogan

[Tom Hogan]

@Billy32792

 

A couple more pieces of troubleshooting info. I’ve found that closing the Instant Details screen at the bottom of my window gets rid of the problem. Opening it back up restores the problem.

 

I also tried to open a whole new workspace to try to recreate the problem. In the attached image, when I opened it with just the three top resources and no Instant Details, I didn’t have the problem. When I added instant Details, I still didn’t have the problem, but when I added the middle row with the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible, I started having the problem again in a particular zone of the upper three resources, just like I have with the original workspace I showed you. Changing the Instant Details to a vertical orientation or a floating window also gets rid of the problem. I’m thinking of changing to the disappearing floating window for Instant Details.

 

I also found that if I moved the window from the top of the screen, the problem would go away, but it had to be moved more than just a little bit. I’ve attached a video showing the behavior.

 

Blessings!

Tom Hogan

Edited June 29, 2022 by Tom Hogan
Added more details about how Instant Details affects the problem.

[Billy32792]

Hi Tom,

 

Thanks for the movie, it definitely shows the issue that is happening on your computer. However, I still cannot reproduce it here on my computer. I specifically went to 2Chronicles 15:1 in the ESVS.

 

If you start with a new workspace does it still happen?

 

Was this using Accordance 13.3.3?

 

If you have that workspace or session saved, and you can send a copy of it to: techsupport@accordancebible.com we can try to see if we can recreate it with that actual workspace as time permits.

 

You can find that workspace in your Accordance Files folder usually located in Documents. It will be on the top level and will have a .accord extension on it.

 

Thanks.

[Billy32792]

Hi @Tom Hogan

 

I am still trying to reproduce what you have shown us. Is there a chance that you can send the Highlights file for us to look at?

 

You can copy it from the Documents > Accordance Files > Highlights folder and email it to us at: techsupport@accordancebible.com

 

You can't open the file as you will get an error about an unsupported file type, but that is normal. Only Accordance can open these highlights files. You should be able to copy it and paste it in an email though.

 

Thanks

[Tom Hogan]

@Billy32792

 

Yes, I’m using Accordance 13.3.3. I created a very simple new workspace with only the Bible and ESV Notes and Instant Details and was able to reproduce the problem (see screenshot). As a matter of fact the problem area seems to be even bigger. I will send that and my highlight file to tech support @accordancebible.com.

 

Blessings!

Tom

 

[Billy32792]

Hi Tom,

 

We have definitely isolated the issue to the Highlights file itself. It's massive size (23.6 MB) is by far the largest highlights file I have ever seen. There is some corruption there but it still basically functions normally with the exception of periodically not showing the symbols. We could definitely reproduce it with that particular file regardless of any workspace that we were using. We will be sending a couple of files to you via email which demonstrate that the same issue is not happening in other highlights files.

 

We could not find an issue with the workspace that you sent when using other highlights files. If you have more information let us know. @rcdeacon mentioned that he experienced the same issue, so this shows that it can happen to other highlights files as well. I will be filing a report with the programming team and sending your highlights file to them to see if they can learn anything from it. The fact that you isolated a way to reproduce it is very helpful. I know the programming team is very busy at this time so I cannot say when they will get to this issue.

 

Thanks for all of your assistance with this.

[Tom Hogan]

@Billy32792

 

Thanks for your help. Yes, I probably go overboard with the highlights and I frequently use “Highlight All Hits” to highlight a name or word using a methodology similar to the Precept Bible Study method. I’ve found a workaround by not using the fixed Instant Details window, so I’m not having the problem anymore. Hopefully I won’t encounter other problems in the future. Is there anything I can do to fix the corruption in the highlights file?

Blessings!
Tom

[Billy32792]

Hi @Tom Hogan,

 

I am sorry. I don't know of a way to correct corruption in a highlights file. I tried merging it to another new file but it didn't help.

 

Thanks.

[Kristin]

Hi @Billy32792,

After you mentioned the size of 23.6 MB being massive, I just wanted to chime in that it might be more common than people realize, as I have gotten mine DOWN to 50.6 MB after working to do so for a year. While I did not have the same issue as @Tom Hogan, the issue I had was complete corruption with highlights appearing over words I never highlighted, deleted off of words I did highlight, and even over parts of the screen where words did not even occur. It was pretty catastrophic, tbh, as I had been using the highlight as some sort of personal code for translational purposes. (I have since been taught how to do create a User Bible and now use highlights like a normal person).

 

I wanted to mention this for three reasons:

 

First, Tom, if you have not done so already, I would recommend going into your documents where the highlight file is and duplicating it. What you are experiencing could get a lot worse, so I would suggest duplicating the file to preserve it just in case.

 

Second, Billy, if I remember right you told me that highlight files should not be above 5 MB, if I remember right. That is crazy small for someone like me, and extremely easy to exceed, and clearly easy for Tom and probably others also to exceed. I am not a programmer or anything, so I have no idea if this is a major thing or not, but it would be helpful if when a file is at 4.9 MB or something, that a warning box pops up saying as such. Then you can click ok and keep highlighting and continuing on, but I would imagine there would be a certain percentage of people who would click ok and then create a new highlight file before continuing on.

 

Third, and also Billy, since the issues I had were serious enough that I had to create new highlight files, I wound up splitting them into sections, such as OT translations, NT translations, class, etc. This has been helpful since it has helped the new files to not get too massive, but it has been obnoxious since sometimes I need to see my class highlights and also the translational highlights. It would thus be helpful if it was possible to see more than one highlight file at the same time. Sort of like the toggle is now where you can switch between highlights, if there was one for all, or one where you can select two of 5 to show, or something.

 

So those are just a few thoughts.

 

Kristin

 

 

[Tom Hogan]

18 hours ago, Kristin said:

First, Tom, if you have not done so already, I would recommend going into your documents where the highlight file is and duplicating it. What you are experiencing could get a lot worse, so I would suggest duplicating the file to preserve it just in case.

 

Kristin,

 

Great advice! Thanks @Kristin I have seen some strange highlight behavior in the past, which might have been a result of whatever corruption is in my file.

Blessings!
Tom