Documents and Media javascript error "ai is null"

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Critical
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 6.1.0 CE GA1
• Fix Version/s: --Sprint 11/12, 6.2.0 CE M2
• Component/s: DM, DM > Document Library Display, UI > JavaScript & CSS
• Labels:
  • community-verifier
  • documentLibrary
• Environment: Liferay Portal 6.1.0 GA1, Apache Tomcat 7.0.23, Ie8 and firefox 3.6
• Similar Issues: Show 5 results ; ;

  LPS-25639	CLONE - Documents and Media javascript error "ai is null" needs a bugfix
  LPS-22055	Document and Media Portlet throwing javascript error "b is null" on firefox. This causing the drop down on a folder to not show up reliably.
  LPS-24407	Handle errors sending ajax request in Documents and Media
  LPS-24992	Can't add any media in Document and Media page under Control panel
  LPS-27536	Javascript error when uploading images to the Media Gallery

After Migrating to the new Liferay community edition Liferay 6.1.0 GA1, when the users try to click on any folder to view its files, it giving me a javascript error in IE8 Webpage error details

Message: 'null' is null or not an object
Line: 1
Char: 14352
Code: 0
URI: http://localhost:8080/html/portlet/document_library/js/main.js?browserId=ie&minifierType=js&languageId=en_US&b=6100&t=1327725002052

and in Firefox it gives me,

"ai is null"

This is a big problem because no one in our local intranet can access any file inside the document library.

[Drew Blessing]

Ahmed,

Thank you for your report. Have you had the opportunity to discuss this issue on the community forums? If so, were there other users who were also experiencing this problem? Upgrading can be tricky and it is best to discuss this issue on the forums. Thanks! This issue will be closed.

[ahmed m. safwat mahfouz]

After installing a fresh Liferay portal 6.1.0 GA the same Javascript error,

[Drew Blessing]

Ahmed,

Thank you for the update. I am unable to reproduce this issue on Firefox9 or IE9. I believe this is probably a browser or machine environment issue. Can you try this on another machine or on an updated version of Firefox or IE?

[Drew Blessing]

I also downgraded to Firefox 3.6 on Windows and was unable to reproduce this issue.

[Michael Saechang]

Closing ticket as per Drew's comment. Thank you for verifying.

[Daniel Kempf]

This error has just hit me as well. I have played with some settings in portal-ext.properties as well as the configuration of filters and servlets in web.xml and liferay-web.xml.

Opening a folder will throw that JS error. Opening files directly from the root folder will work without troubles.

However, when I click on a folder and refresh the page after that, the folder will be opened.

Also the JSON call is returning the correct results (checked via Firebug).

Could it be related to the appearance of the message "Access these files offline using Liferay Sync."?

I will also try to find out if any of the settings or filters / servlets I have modified caused that issue.

[Daniel Kempf]

In the meantime, would you mind opening the ticket again?

[Daniel Kempf]

When I change the theme of the layout that holds the Document Library Portlet, I am able to open the folders again. However, when using my custom theme (which is loading the jQuery library), the Document Library stops working again.

I could swear, that last week there were no issues using Document Library with my custom theme (which I didn't change since then).

[ahmed m. safwat mahfouz]

when comment the breadcrumbs in the portal_normal.vm, it will raise this error, we need someone from liferay to clarify

#*
<nav class="site-breadcrumbs" id="breadcrumbs">
<h1>
<span>#language("breadcrumbs")</span>
</h1>

#breadcrumbs()
</nav>
*#

[ahmed m. safwat mahfouz]

to fix it , just add a custom css ,

.site-breadcrumbs

{ display:none; }

this is will fix the problem

[Oliver Bayer]

Please re-open this ticket as this bug is still existing!

As soon as someone removes the complete nav section from the theme this js error occurs. Thanks Ahmed for posting this perfectly working hack but I think it has to be fixed in a more clearer way.

Because a theme developer should be allowed to remove the nav block completely. Otherwise add a comment to the theme files warning that removing this section would break the documents and media portlet.

[Drew Blessing]

Ahmed and Oliver,

I am sorry but I am still unable to reproduce this problem. I deployed a custom theme and removed the <nav> block and the Document and Media portlet still works fine. If we cannot reproduce the problem it cannot be fixed. Please provide detailed instructions on how to reproduce this so I can try and help.

Thanks.

[Oliver Bayer]

Hi Drew,

which Liferay version are you using in trying to reproduce this bug?

Please try the following steps to reproduce this bug:

• use v6.1.0 CE GA1 (Tomcat)
• create a new theme and remove the <nav> block (then the add-page link isn't working too - seems to be a js issue too)
• add the documents and media portlet (formerly document library display portlet)
• add a folder "testfolder"
• try to navigate from the root folder to the "testfolder"
• you will see that you're not able to browse into the "testfolder"
• apply Ahmeds bugfix and retry
• now it should work (at least in my and Ahmeds use case)

Greets

[Drew Blessing]

Oliver,

Thanks for the information.

I can confirm that Add Page does not work without the navigation. This is because the add page function Liferay uses relies 100% on the navigation being there. That's not a bug at the current time, in my opinion. However, it could be an improvement or feature request to have the ability to add a page without the navigation.

I am now able to reproduce the issue you are seeing by following your steps. Without the breadcrumb I cannot browse down into folders in the Document Library. Thanks for your report!

[ahmed m. safwat mahfouz]

Sorry Drew and Oliver it was my weekend, and the issue exactly as clarified by Oliver.

[Oliver Bayer]

Hi Drew, hi Ahmed,

it's good to hear that you're now able to reproduce this js error.

I think both js issues aren't really bugs technically wise, you're right. But it can be very tricky to find the causing issue when you're running into these js errors.

In my opinion there are three possible ways in fixing this:

• Add at least a comment to the theme vm that programmers are aware of that removing the navigation will break the document library and the add page functionality.

• Improve the documentation so that programmers who've created an own navigation know which css classes/ids they have to use so the document library and the add page will still work.

• Maybe it's possible to make these js calls more robust so that it depends only on one css class/id which developers can use if the change the default.

Oli

[Jonathan Mak]

This issue has been fixed with the latest release of Liferay in 6.1 GA2

[Michael Saechang]

Closing as per Jonathan's comment.