Dear Bob,
as I mentioned in my last email we would have to look at the problem a little closer to determine where the problem was; at this juncture I think I have clearly managed to diagnose the behaviour and I believe I know what is happening.
The difference between your original example and the one in the help page are not relevant to the error message being received; the origin of the error is the same. If I try to test the Maplet using the ‘run’ option in the Maplet builder I will receive the error but if I save the Maplet and execute it from my desktop by double-clicking on it the Maplet works as intended. An analogy for the error is that running Java or C code that includes reference calls to a library which is not available at runtime and must be compiled first.
When authoring Maplets, you can use the Maplet Builder (GUI-based) or the Maplets package (syntax-based). The Maplet Builder allows you to drag and drop buttons, sliders, text regions, and other elements to define the Maplet application and set the element properties to perform an action upon
selection or update of the element. The Maplet Builder is designed to create simple Maplets. The Maplets package offers more capabilities, control and options when designing complicated Maplet applications.
The difficulty is knowing what a simple Maplet is and what it is not. For instance if you create a Maplet with a plotter element and a button that plots sin(x) and then user the Maplet Builder interface to run it this is okay; no run-time errors are generated. Change this to your MathMLViewer example and an error is generated.
The Maplet attached to this email is one I created with the Maplet builder and saved. If you put it on your desktop and double click on it I’m confident it should work properly.
I believe instead of being a problem with the MathML Builder this is something that should be in our documentation; certain things are not compatible with the “run” dialogue box in the Maplet Builder.
As an additional note there is additional information on Maplets and the Maplet builder available in our Users’ Manual and Introductory Programming Guide which are available on our website for free:
http://www.maplesoft.com/documentation%5Fcenter/
Regards,
Ian
Maplesoft Technical Support
www.maplesoft.com/support/
From: Bob Baker [mailto:b_baker@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 7:25 PM
To: Maplesoft Technical Support
Subject: RE: Problem in Maple 11 using MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder
Ian,
I didn't mention I was following an example in your documentation before because I didn't try following an example in your documentation until I got your suggestion in your next-to-last message that I look at the examples in your documentation. I mentioned I was following an example in your documentation in the first message I sent you after trying it. I guess what I neglected to do was use psychic powers to predict you would be telling me to look at examples in the documentation and I would be doing so.
The original example I gave you was the simplest possible case I could imagine of using the MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder: create a MathMLViewer window and a button that sends "1" to it. If Maplet Builder can't do this on its own, it is hard to believe it can do anything harder or more useful.
I reread my messages to verify I never suggested the failing example from the documention was the same example as the failing example I first described to you. Only the error message was the same.
I wish you had replied, "NOW we see the problem and will get it fixed." Or maybe, "We cannot reproduce the problem," if that is the case.
Bob
Subject: RE: Problem in Maple 11 using MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:35:41 -0400
From: Support@maplesoft.com
To: b_baker@hotmail.com
CC: Support@maplesoft.com
Bob,
You neglected to mention previously that you were following an example in our documentation. As I’m sure you can imagine it can be rather difficult to ascertain exactly what/where a problem lies if we do not get complete information from our users so in general the more you can tell us the more helpful we can be.
Given our previous discussion of things that may have been left out of the documentation I think it’s fair to say that this may not be a problem with the Maplet builder but it is possible that it’s an error in the documentation. We will have to investigate further to determine where the problem lies.
Under our previous assumptions about what it was you were doing it was possible that you had attempted something that had not been intended in the Maplet builder hence the suggestion to use the code. Also most people find directly editing the code more robust.
The graphical interfaces for the Maplet builders and other similar applications are not with out limitations. For instance, in the Single-Variable Calculus tutor it is not possible to integrate a function from the bounds a to b yet this is easily done in the standard interface to Maple. At the same time you can use the tutor to integrate a function from the bounds 1 to 2 with out difficulty.
This does not defeat the purpose of the graphical integration tutor as it acts in addition to the standard Maple interface.
Regards,
From: Bob Baker [mailto:b_baker@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 6:53 PM
To: Maplesoft Technical Support
Subject: RE: Problem in Maple 11 using MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder
Ian,
I found an example in the Maplet Builder help files for MathMLViewer. I followed the steps of the example exactly and when I ran it, instead of the results shown in the help file, I got the error message I reported. Given this behavior, how can you not think the Maplet Builder is broken?
Your suggestion defeats the purpose of a direct interactive graphical user interface to the Maple engine.
I wish you had said, "We see the problem and will get it fixed."
Bob Baker
Subject: RE: Problem in Maple 11 using MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:18:47 -0400
From: Support@maplesoft.com
To: b_baker@hotmail.com
CC: Support@maplesoft.com
Hi Bob,
we don’t think the Maplet builder is broken so much as it may be trying to do too much in this case (ie. it is calling ExportPresentation when you assign to it, even without being asked). Maple sometimes tries to do things for the user in an intelligent way and bumbles it.
The suggestion we have for you is to use the Maplet builder as a tool to design and do the layout of your Maplets but you can then modify the code in Maple itself. Once you do this you will not be able to open the Maplet file in the Maplet Builder however.
This is what I’ve done in the Maplet file I’ve attached; generated the layout and modified the file to use the MathML[Export] command in the button.
Please review the code in the Maplet file by opening it Maple, I think it should help you. Also, the help files in Maple contain many examples of sample Maplet code which should be helpful, search a “text” search for “Maplets” and you will get many example worksheets.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
From: Bob Baker [mailto:b_baker@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 5:19 PM
To: Maplesoft Technical Support
Subject: Problem in Maple 11 using MathMLViewer from Maplet Builder
I recently installed Maple 11 and have just been looking at the Maplet Builder. I'm having trouble with MathMLViewer. In the simplest case, I created a maplet with 2 elements, a MathMLViewer and a button. I set clickButton1 to evaluate the expression MathML[Export](1) with MathMLViewer1 as the target. Then I ran the maplet and clicked the button, expecting to see 1 in the viewer. Instead an error box titled Dispatch popped up saying, invalid input: XMLTools:-NSXML:-Parser:-processOutputString uses a 1st argument, str, which is missing.
This has happened every time I've tried to export to MathMLViewer. Is Maplet Builder broken, or am I doing this wrong?
Thanks, Bob Baker
