Narrow field display in Codebook macOS

[mark1]

Hello,

I’m using Codebook 4.3.3 on macOS Catalina 10.15.7.

Recently I have noticed a minor glitch in the UI behaviour when viewing entries: the width of the displayed data fields is a lot narrower than the width of the window itself. So there is a lot of whitespace on the right hand side and the field data is wrapped unnecessarily. This is a little hard to describe so I will attach a screen shot showing a URL in the Website field and text in the Note field that is wrapped.

If I drag the column divider all the way to the right of the window and then back again, the fields are correctly stretched out over the width of the window. But when I quit and restart Codebook the next time, the issue persists.

Thanks and happy new year

[mmoore]

Hey @mark1

Happy New Year!

Thanks for using Codebook and posting to the discussion forum, although I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with the Entry View (what we call the right most pane of the main window) not displaying properly when the divider is resized to a certain size.

I’d like to have you try resetting the divider location positions (which is stored in your user defaults) using Terminal commands. Here are the steps:

Note: You will need to reposition the dividers to your desired positions after performing these steps

1. Quit Codebook if it’s open.
2. Open Terminal by either using Spotlight search – CMD + spacebar – and typing terminal or double clicking it under Applications > Utilities.
3. Paste these two commands (one after another hitting enter in between to execute them):

defaults delete net.zetetic.Strip.mac leftDivLocation

defaults delete net.zetetic.Strip.mac rightDivLocation

4. Launch Codebook again and resize the dividers to your liking.

Let me know if you’re still seeing the same behavior after performing these steps. Thanks!

[mark1]

Hi @mmoore, thanks for taking the time to suggest the workaround. Unfortunately it didn’t make any difference. However, it is a minor complaint so not to worry

Cheers

[JFS]

I have the same problem with narrow entry fields in the 4.3.4 release of CodeBook from the Apple Mac AppStore running on MacOS 10.14.6 (Mojave). I don’t experience this problem with journal entries. Like @mark1, I tried removing the leftDivLoation and rightDivLocation defaults settings but to no avail. I also tried removing all the default settings, again to no avail.

defaults delete net.zetetic.Strip.mac

Unlike @mark1, I’d like to see the fixed. It really reduces the program’s utility.

Thanks

[mmoore]

Hey @JFS

Thanks for posting and sorry to hear this issue is occurring for you as well. A member of our team has been able to reproduce this issue intermittently, but we haven’t gotten to the bottom of what the cause is at this point. I’ve just messaged you with instructions to try out.

If those instructions don’t work, would you mind answering a couple questions:

1. Does this issue occur on every standard (non-note) entry? Or only a couple/some?
2. What type of fields are in the Entry if it only occurs on some Entries?
3. If you create a sample record with similar fields and test values are you able to reproduce the issue? If so could you take a screenshot of what the Entry looks like and send it over?
4. What (other) devices do you use Codebook on and sync with?

Thanks!

[mark1]

Hi @mmoore, just to chip in: For me every standard entry behaves this way. And although I only notice it in fields containing longer text like Website and Note fields, it seems to affect every field (you can see when adding any new field that its width is constrained). I sync with an iPhone and iPad. – Mark

[mmoore]

@mark1

Thanks for those further details. I’ve just messaged you as well with some instructions I’d l like you to try whenever possible. Thanks!

[JFS]

– JFS

mmoore
January 28
Hey @JFS

Thanks for posting and sorry to hear this issue is occurring for you as well. A member of our team has been able to reproduce this issue intermittently, but we haven’t gotten to the bottom of what the cause is at this point. I’ve just messaged you with instructions to try out.

If those instructions don’t work, would you mind answering a couple questions:

1. Does this issue occur on every standard (non-note) entry? Or only a couple/some?
2. What type of fields are in the Entry if it only occurs on some Entries?

It occurs on all fields in every entry.

3. If you create a sample record with similar fields and test values are you able to reproduce the issue? If so could you take a screenshot of what the Entry looks like and send it over?

Attached is a short pdf with screenshots and an explanation of the hack that works around this problem. It’s pretty clearly an issue with initial field dimensions/percentages in the right panel’s layout manager. Once they’re reasserted by minimizing the right hand panel against the right frame border the panel’s full width is available for every field.

4, What (other) devices do you use Codebook on and sync with?

I Wi-Fi sync with an iPhone SE and an iPhone 6s which then wi-fi sync with other macOS systems running Mojave and Catalina.

(Attachment CodeBookLayoutHack.pdf is missing)

[mmoore]

@JFS

Thanks for the response, would you mind sending the attachment to support@zetetic.net please, it didn’t come through here on the discussion forum. Thanks!

[wgray]

Bug Update

Hello everybody, good news! We have been able to reliably reproduce this bug and have worked out a fix.

The update with this adjustment is currently being tested to make sure we didn’t miss anything else. If everything looks good we will aim for release on Monday next week.

[JFS]

I was able to update Codebook on phones and desktops, and test it. You fixed the problem of narrow input fields. It’s working fine. Thanks.

[mmoore]

@JFS

Excellent. Thanks for confirming the fix and sorry for the trouble in the first place.

[mark1]

Indeed I see it is fixed for me in the new release. Thank you for the quick turnaround!

[mmoore]

@mark1

Awesome. Thanks for confirming and appreciate you taking the tine to report the issue.