[LH4666] RC9 Data loss error - Import Research Files as Shortcuts

Scrivener Windows Beta (Archived)
1

Hi - Major bug. If we add a local HTML file to the binder via Import Research Files as Shortcuts we can now run Document > Convert > Web Page to Text against the newly imported document. Data loss will follow. We get:

  • An invalid shortcut, with a “Missing Shortcut Target” warning
  • An empty RTF file in the UUID folder
  • The original HTML target file, located outside the Scrivener project, deleted from the drive.

Props to Katherine, who predicted on Friday:

Well, I did indeed manage to break the link between the two, and I’m certain my research file is gone. It was just a test in this case, but of an entirely realistic Scrivener research scenario. Worth a patch before 9/15 in my opinion.

Rgds - Jerome

2

I can reproduce this.

Scrivener Beta 2.9.9.9
Windows 10

3

I verified this, also.

Neither of those commands should “delete” the original file. And the HTML file is gone. Fortunately, I know where i can get another copy (I used the classic “I, Pencil”), but on my hard drive, the original is gone. It’s not even in the Recycle bin.

However… there is content in content.rtf for that folder that reflects what was in the HTML file. Scrivener refuses to show it.

Here’s the start of content.rtf (shown in NotePad++):

SCriv_content-rtf_InNotepad.JPG
SCriv_content-rtf_InNotepad.JPG1311×817 169 KB

And here’s the page in Scrivener:

Scriv_IPencilPage.JPG
Scriv_IPencilPage.JPG1281×1080 73.2 KB

When I hover the cursor over the icon in the middle of the page, it says "double-click the icon to fix the missing shortcut target. Double-clicking does nothing.

There are THREE bugs here (at least).

  1. Scrivener is not showing Content.rtf like it should
  2. It deletes the original imported HTML file.
  3. Double-clicking that icon does nothing. It should do something (like open a directory, maybe).
4

Quite right, RW. I stand corrected. A plain-text RTF is created in good order, but it is not viewable in Scrivener nor reachable through the Open in External Editor hooked arrow button on the lower right of the pane. The user can hold down Ctrl on the Navigate menu to reveal Reveal File Location and retrieve the converted file.

Rgds - Jerome

5

Thanks, guys! This has been filed. The convert option shouldn’t be available for items imported as shortcuts. (Neither of course should Scrivener delete an external file; I just mean that the the issues are are building off that first bug.)