XMLSpear Known Bug List
Ref B-01
Type Bug/Limitation
Status Open
Affects Version All versions
Fixed in version None
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description Entity references in attributes are lost.
Long Description If an xml document is loaded in one of the tree views (treetable view or element view), the entity references used in attributes are replaced by their actual values and the original entity reference is lost. This problem does not effect entity references in elements. This behaviour is caused by a limitation of he Xerces DOM software which does not store the original entity references in the DOM tree.
Workaround The only workaround is to stay in the source view of XMLSpear. But there is currently no way to load an existing XML document directly in the source view. You can open the document from the file tree by right-clicking and choosing "open with". Then open the document with the Simple TextEditor. Select all the text and copy-paste it in an empty source window of the XML editor and stay in this view!
Example In the example xml below, the entity reference in salary="&one; will be lost and will result in salary="1".
The entity reference in <given>&name;</given>is not effected. 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE personnel SYSTEM "personal.dtd" [
<!ENTITY name "Big">
<!ENTITY one "1">
]>
<personnel>

   <person id="Big.Boss" salary="&one;">
      <name>
         <family>Boss</family>
         <given>&name;</given>
      </name>
      <email>chief@foo.com</email>
   </person>
</personnel>
Ref B-02
Type Bug
Status Open
Affects version All versions
Fixed in version None
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description XML Schema is changed.
Long Description If an xsd schema which redefines elements, is loaded in one of the tree views (treetable view or element view), it may be modified. This behaviour is caused by a bug in the Xerces schema loader.
Workaround Not available.
Example See this thread in the xerces forum.
Below is the schema which caused the problem.
After loading <xs:extension base="xhtml:head"> is changed in <xs:extension base="xhtml:head_fn3dktizrknc9pi"> 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xs:schema 
    targetNamespace="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
    xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" 
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/1999/XMLSchema/instance"
    xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
    xmlns:xforms="http://www.w3.org/2002/xforms"
    xsi:schemaLocation=
        "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml
             http://www.w3.org/2002/08/xhtml/xhtml1-strict.xsd
         http://www.w3.org/2002/xforms
             http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms/2002/XForms-Schema.xsd">

    <xs:redefine 
        schemaLocation="http://www.w3.org/2002/08/xhtml/xhtml1-strict.xsd">
        <xs:complexType name="head">
            <xs:complexContent>
                <xs:extension base="xhtml:head">
                    <xs:sequence>
                        <xs:element ref="xforms:model"/>
                    </xs:sequence>
                </xs:extension>
            </xs:complexContent>
        </xs:complexType>
    </xs:redefine>
</xs:schema>
Comment of xerces developer Michael Glavassevich :
The DOM shouldn't have been modified. The schema loader has a bug where it mutates the DOM in order to rename the original component which is being redefined. This was actually fine before JAXP 1.3 came along. Back then the DOM was always built by the schema loader so it didn't matter whether we trashed it. It's not easy to fix. The "xhtml:head_fn3dktizrknc9pi" name should only appear in the XSModel.
Ref B-03
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.42
Fixed in version 2.43
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description Creation of new XML document fails with nullpointer exception.
Long Description Creation of new XML document fails with nullpointer exception.
Steps to reprocude.
  • Choose New from the File Menu
  • Choose xml in the document type popup
  • In the Specify Schema popup: Uncheck the "use schema" checkbox and click OK
  • In the Create Root Element popup, leave the element name blank and click OK
In the console you will see the following lines, followed by a java stacktrace 
Create new xml document
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-1" java.lang.NullPointerException
Workaround Fill the name of root element in the last (Create Root Element) popup
Example  
Ref B-04
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 2.43
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description Reload document does not work.
Long Description If the opened document is not changed in the editor, the reload document action does not reload the document from the storage. This bug affects the XML and text editor, but does not affect the built-in html viewer.
Workaround If the document is unchanged, which is the case if the floppy icon on the toolbar is disabled, then first make a change in the document before pressing the reload icon. You will be prompted by a popup to confirm the reload.
Example  
Ref B-05
Type Bug
Status Closed
Affects version All versions
Fixed in version  
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description Import of MQ message fails with error MQJMS1046: The character set Cp437 is not supported .
Long Description If you import MQSeries messages that come from other platforms, they may contain character sets that are not supported by your java virtual machine. You need to reinstall the java virtual machine (JDK). For old JDK's you have to do a custom install and check the "international support" option. Recent JDK's, for example JDK 6 Update 3, will automatically install the additional language support.
Workaround  
Example  
Ref B-06
Type Bug
Status Closed
Affects version All versions
Fixed in version 2.43
Date Logged 06 Nov 2007
Short Description Display problems with Java Consumer release (Windows) installed. .
Long Description The java SE6 Update N Early Access relaase, also known as java Consumer release or java Family Pack, uses 3D hardware accellaration. There are compatibility issues with some graphic cards, causing all kind of display problems. Please do uninstall the Update N or use the workaround described.
Workaround You can turn of 3D hardware installation by adding the -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false to the java command in the XMLSpear.bat file. Now start XMLSpear from the bat file instead of using the .exe. This workaround is implemented in version 2.43.
Example See this thread in the java forum
Ref B-07
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.42
Fixed in version 2.43
Date Logged 17 Nov 2007
Short Description Reload of XML document fails with nullpointer exception.
Long Description Reload of XML document fails with nullpointer exception.
Steps to reprocude.
  • Open an xml document
  • Switch to source view
  • Make the xml not wellformed and save it.
  • Make another update in the docucument (bug B04)
  • Reload the document
In the console you will see the following lines:
ava.lang.NullPointerException
	at com.donkeydevelopment.eX.a(Unknown Source)
	at com.donkeydevelopment.eX.a(Unknown Source)
	at com.donkeydevelopment.eX.d(Unknown Source)
	at com.donkeydevelopment.eX.a(Unknown Source)
Same as bug B03.
Workaround
Example  
Ref B-08
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 2.43
Date Logged 17 Nov 2007
Short Description Find jumps to wrong position.
Long Description The find action returns the wrong location. This also results in replacing the wrong text when using the replace functions.
This behaviour occurs in the XML source view for xml documents with CRLF (carriage return,linefeeds). But it only happens in special situations. A known situation is loading an unwellformed xml docucument.
Workaround
Example  
Ref B-09
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Cut marked text is very slow.
Long Description In the source pane you can mark text. You can do this by using the marker or using the find command and choose to mark all results of the find command. The mark text can be cut to the clipboard by using the cut marked text action. This action is very slow in the case of many marked text segments in combiantion with big source documents.
Workaround
Example  
Ref B-10
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Automated close-tag inserted on wrong place
Long Description In the source pane the editor automatically appends the close-tag if the user types the finishing > character of the start-tag. The editor also inserts a close-tag if the > character is used in the value of an attribute. This is wrong and very annoying. This situation happens frequently while editing xsl stylesheets where you often use the > character in building xpath expressions.
Workaround Manually delete the inserted close tag
Example
Ref B-11
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Loosing significant whitespace in element
Long Description Whitespace in a simple element is lost after formatting the xml in the source view or working in the (tree)table view. It turns out that the dom serializer removed the whitespace from this elements. This only affects whitespace-only simple segments.
Workaround
Example <name> <name> results after formatting or serialization in:
<name><name>
Ref B-12
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Buttons in source pane stay disabled
Long Description Some buttons in the source pane, like the cut, copy or mark action, depend on selected text and should become active when text is selected. In some situations (selecting text immediately after the panel is showed) the buttons were not enabled.
Workaround click to deselect the text and then select the text again
Example
Ref B-13
Type Annoyance
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Find in table view default to search in tagname
Long Description If you are searching in the table view, then most of the time you will be looking for matches in the values of the elements. The default context in the the find dialog is on tagname. This means that everytime you have to select the value context in the combobox before you can do the search.
Workaround
Example
Ref B-14
Type Annoyance
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Not possible to save file without extension
Long Description In the save(as) dialog you will fill in the name of the file. If you choose <All Files> in the file filter, then you expect that the name that is filled in will be used as-is. But it turns out that the file is always saved with the default extension (for instance .xml if you are working in the xml editor)
Workaround
Example
Ref B-15
Type Annoyance
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description Project action "Show schema as tree" only avalaible if you are in the xml editor
Long Description If you right click on a xml file in the project(=file) tree, you get the actions that can be done on this file. One of the actions is to show the schema in a tree structure. This action should always be available, but is now only available if you are active in the xml editor.
Workaround First open the xsd file (or any other file) in the xml editor. Now the option will be available.
Example
Ref B-16
Type Annoyance
Status Resolved
Affects version 2.4+
Fixed in version 3.0
Date Logged 22 Dec 2009
Short Description XML file always opens in the table view
Long Description If you open a xml file, then it will alway be opened in the table view. If you switch from the table to the source view the file will be formatted and can be changed otherwise by the Dombuilder and serializer. Therefore you are not able to see the original contents of the file. Many advanced users prefer the source view to investigate the orgininal contents of the file. In version 3.0 a property in the XMLSpear.properties can be edited to configure the pane theat will be used to open the xml file.
Workaround Only a clumsy workaround by opening the file in the text editor and then copy and paste all text in the source pane of the xml editor
Example
Ref B-17
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 3.00b
Fixed in version 3.00b2
Date Logged 28 Jan 2010
Short Description XSL Transformator can not load a referenced document
Long Description Stylesheets that referenced other documents had a problem in the transformation because the referenced documents could not be loaded by the transformator. Only absolute URI references could be resolved. So if you used a document('') or document("table.xml") function the results were not as expected (Xalan) or the transformation totally failed (Saxon). This problem should now be fixed.
Workaround Using absolute URI if this was possible
Example
Ref B-18
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 3.00b2
Fixed in version 3.00b3
Date Logged 30 Jan 2010
Short Description Xalan called when Saxon is choosen; and vice versa
Long Description If you choose Saxon in the transformation input dialog, then Xalan is used. And If Xalan is choosen, then Saxon is used
Workaround Choose the translator you d not want :)
Example
Ref B-19
Type Bug
Status Resolved
Affects version 3.00
Fixed in version 3.10
Date Logged 01 jul 2010
Short Description XML type completion corrupts a file in a rare cases after opening a file.
Long Description In some cases an XML file is corrupted in the open action. This is caused by a superfluous closing tag added by the type completion function.
Workaround
Example