Forum .LRN Q&A: LORS crashes in IE7

Posted by Matthew Coupe on 02/05/07 03:59 PM

Hi all,

I have tried running some SCORM content via the LORS module of dotLRN and it crashes everytime on IE7. It gives a runtime error in C++ or something like that. The error has happened on at least 4 different IE7 machines and so is not client specific. Has anyone else come across this error?

Cheers,
Matthew

2: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Dave Bauer on 02/05/07 04:15 PM

Unfortunately we don't have the source for the SCORM player that was contributed.

I think eventually someone will have to look at the other Open Source LMS environments that support SCORM. I found the Reload SCORM Player http://www.reload.ac.uk/scormplayer.html which has a javascript api adapter, intead of using a Java applet, which might be a good way to go.

3: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 2)

Posted by Matthew Coupe on 02/05/07 04:30 PM

That wasn't quite what I was hoping to hear. We have a few courses starting next month and we can't control their version of IE. I'll have a dig around in the code and see what could be causing the error, IE7 should have some decent reporting tools, being the new 'security' rich browser.

I've seen the Reload player, it is nice, I use the editor for creating my content to start with.

I'm sure we're not the only ones using LORS? I'm surprised no-one has flagged this before!

4: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Rocael Hernández Rizzardini on 02/05/07 05:12 PM

We are heavily using lors 0.5d withouth any troubles so far. But our version is about 2 years old, though we'll upgrade soon.

5: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 4)

Posted by Don Baccus on 02/05/07 05:41 PM

The player hasn't changed in the last two years ...

The problem with misbehavior is caused by incompatibilities between the server java environment and the client one.

I've had odd problems trying to run courses when hosting the site on my OS/X laptop, problems that mostly disappear when I host the site on Linux, for instance.

Going to a javascript player in the medium-term seems like a good solution to me. Java just flat-out sucks.

6: Re: Res: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Olga C. Santos on 02/06/07 12:05 AM

Hi Matthew,

we are also starting some SCORM based courses on March and I'm currently doing some tests with LORS and SCORM editors.

As a result of my tests, I have come to the following regarding IE7 crashes:

-Tests on dotLRN 2.2.1 (OpenACS5.2):
1)Courses generated with CourseGenie AT crash on IE7 with the following error:
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime library
Runtime error
Program C:\..\iexplorer.exe
abnormal program termination
and the left tree is not shown on Opera. Firefox works fine.
2)Courses generated with Reload works fine in the three browsers
3)Courses generated with Exe and exported as IMS work fine. If they are exported as SCORM, I get a different error (see below)

-Tests on dotLRN 2.3.0d (OpenACS5.3):
Courses generated by CourseGenie but now also by Reload and Exe give the above errors in IE7 and Opera. They still work fine in Firefox.

Moreover, courses generated with Exe and exported as SCORM 1.2 gives the following error while navigating the tree (both dotLRN 2.2.1 & 2.3.0):
'Abort course (clicking this will not record tracking info) and the tree disapears even before clicking on this message'

I have found other problems with LORS which I'm posting in a new thread.

Olga

7: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Matthew Coupe on 02/06/07 10:50 AM

Do we know what could be causing the:

Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime library
Runtime error
Program C:\..\iexplorer.exe
abnormal program termination

error?

This is the most important one for me. Also, you mention that "2)Courses generated with Reload works fine in the three browsers" My course was generated by Reload and still crashes on IE7.

I am not familiar with how the LORS player works but it would seem there is some code which was simply placed into a package developed by some external party?

Cheers,
Matthew

8: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Matthew Coupe on 02/07/07 10:46 AM

Hi Olga,

You say that courses generated in Reload work in IE7.

Which versions are you running? We are running Openacs 5.2.3 and have LORS 0.6d4 and Reload content is causing it to crash. this Reload content is SCORM 1.2, should I be using a different format?

Any quick fix would be great to get it working for March before we can look at long term plans.

Thanks!
Matthew

9: Re: Res: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 8)

Posted by Olga C. Santos on 02/07/07 11:01 AM

Hi Matthew,

my Reload course (created as SCORM 1.2) works well in IE7 with dotLRN2.2.1 final: https://openacs.org/projects/dotlrn/download/one-revision?revision_id=559791
LORS Management 0.8d
dotLRN LORS Management Applet 2.3.0d1
LORS Management Portlet 2.3.0d1

However, with OpenACS 5.3, it does not. It only works in Firefox.

Olga

10: Re: Res: Re: Res: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 9)

Posted by Olga C. Santos on 02/07/07 11:17 AM

Sorry, Matthew, I gave you the wrong versions. Obviously, for dotLRN2.2.1 final: https://openacs.org/projects/dotlrn/download/one-revision?revision_id=559791 the versions are:

LORS Management 0.7d
dotLRN LORS Management Applet 2.2.1
LORS Management Portlet 2.2.1

With these settings my Reload course works in IE7.

Olga

11: Re: Res: Re: Res: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 10)

Posted by Matthew Coupe on 03/05/07 03:45 PM

I have done some further investigation into this and have found that the courses created in Reload in the IMS format work ok in IE7, the ones created as SCORM give the runtime error. I am not particularly experienced in creating these materials but obviously there are some differences between the two formats.

12: Re: LORS crashes in IE7 (response to 1)

Posted by Dave Bauer on 03/05/07 04:06 PM

SCORM courses load a Java applet. The IMS format does not load the applet, so that is the issue here. It might be partially an incompatibility of the JVM on the server and the client.