Problem capturing hidden flash files

Author Message
Joem79 12/16/2013 01:34 am
I am trying out the Enterprise edition. My children use the Starfall.com website often for their learning needs. But we are not always able to access it online. I tried to see if this program might be up to the task of making it offline. It seems to work except for the flash videos. From what I can see, the links are well hidden inside the flash videos. And supposedly your program can sniff them out. But it does not seem to work. I tried using Autosave and then browse. But when manually opening the videos, I don't think Offline Explorer is capturing it correctly because the videos remain stuck on the "loading" screen. But they never load at all. I am particularly referring to the ABCs section of the website. Thanks.
Oleg Chernavin 12/16/2013 04:26 am
I would suggest you to select the Project that partially downloaded the site and then click the Browse With AutoSave button on the Home tab of the Ribbon. Offline Explorer should download missing files.

Best regards,
Oleg Chernavin
MP Staff
Joem79 12/16/2013 12:58 pm
I have actually found a workaround. And it seems to point to a bug or something with the program.

All referenced links in files that are retrieved from a server, that use a '?' (such as play.htm?f) are replaced with a '@' symbol by Offline Explorer (such as play.htm@f)

I don't know why the program is doing this. But its preventing falsh videos from loading up. If I go into a retrieved file manually and edit the link to reflect the '?' symbol, then Offline Explorer will then retrieve the flash video like it should. This is tedious when you are having to manually change hundreds of links.

There must be a way to get the program to stop altering the links. Or to change them back to normal.

Additionally, I am noticing a project that loads successfully in Offline Explorer browser might not work right in a regular browser. Mainly because the file names are not correct. An example is an htm file that should be called 'set.htm'. Looking in the folder, the program actually labeled it 'set.htm@758' or something similar. So Firefox browser cannot see the proper file. But Offline Explorer can. Makes no sense why the program sets all these strange references to links and files. Am I missing something??
Joem79 12/16/2013 01:43 pm
Ok. I managed to look in the HELP guide and saw where it states that ? will be changed to @ for the sake of the filesystem. But still, that doesn't explain why links from within documents are also changed. You cannot retrieve a file whos link contains ? if its changed to @. There must be a way to limit this procedure to only local filenames without tampering with internal links.

Also, there is a still the problem with physical filenames for some files being incorrectly named. Under the MAP tab, it shows files that include the ? reference. Such as 'set.htm?v=11.60'.

Of course, the local file this refers to would actually be named 'set.htm' on the hard drive. But OE is messing up the filenames by simply removing the ? and calling it 'set.htmv=11.60'.

It should be naming it 'set.htm' of course. Otherwise, all browsers aren't going to find this file because of the way its being named. I have no idea how to fix this without going in manually and renaming files. Kind of defeats the purpose of using software to do the work. Of course, OE seems to be the best I have ever used so far. It just needs a few changes i think.
Joem79 12/16/2013 01:55 pm
Sorry for the repeated postings here. Just trying to clarify and I seem to fall short with each posting. I promise this is the last. lol

Just to be clear about what I was stating beforehand. The "internal links" I mentioned. I was referring to links that are inside htm files. It seems to me that OE should not be changing the '?' inside htm files. Because most likely the information to the LEFT of the ? will be the filename that resides on the hard drive. So the ? will begin an operation. If its changed to @, it will become useless and will not work.

So again. Change the ? in physical filenames. Fine. But it should leave ? alone inside the htm (and other) files. Also, consider the other information posted above. If OE is supposed to be 'fixing' the mapping, it isn't doing so in the cases I have mentioned. Thanks.
Oleg Chernavin 12/17/2013 07:05 am
Yes, the symbol ? is replaced with @ because filenames cannot contain it. The links should be corrected as well, so there is a direct match between filenames and links. Otherwise, browsers will be unable to find a filename file.asp?parameter on the disk.

The Map tab shows URLs, not filenames. It actually changes @ symbol to ?. But it is only for display purposes.

It is strange that Flash applet fails to work with @ and works with ? in the links. Can you please show me a particular example?

Regarding 'set.htm?v=11.60' vs 'set.htmv=11.60' case - can you please also tell me the URL of the page where I can reproduce this?

Thank you!

Best regards,
Oleg Chernavin
MP Staff

P.S. I also saw an E-mail from you. But I decided to reply here, because your forum messages contain more details.
Joem79 12/17/2013 03:12 pm
Thanks very much for the response.

I have been downloading Starfall.com. Pretty much every URL from the website uses a 'set.htm' file. And every instance of the file is named improperly in Windows Explorer. But of course OE will handle the offline website properly if it is loaded in the following way:

http://127.0.0.1:800/Default/www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm@f

But if I attempt to export the website or load it from the 'Index.htm' or 'Default.htm', then it becomes unusable due to missing files (actually misnamed files). I would think when OE exports a project, it would fix the filenames. In my case, it is not.

The flash videos example:

src="../../../ni/level-k/letters/leo-letters_F6.swf?letter=a&datestamp=20060824&20100603"

Notice many of the videos use the 'leo-letters_F6.swf' with different calls to determine what video will actually play/. The example above shows a call for the "letter a" video. You can change it to letter=b to load a different video. If I switched the ? to a @ it wouldn't work at all.

I managed to find a workaround by using a 3rd party program that would run through all the 'play.htm' files and change all instances of @ into ?. It made the videos work for the most part. But there are still a few that will not because they are loading slightly different. And I am not knowledgeable enough to figure it out.

I think the best thing would be to just download the Starfall.com website (only 100MB+) and check things out. So far, the website works for me in OE. I can load it with an external browser, but only with the 127.0.0.1....which of course puts OE in control of it. It just will not work any other way regardless of what I try.

This seems like a good website to play with. Because no other offline program can get it. And from what I have seen, quite a few parents out there are trying to get it offline. (wink).

Thanks.
Oleg Chernavin 12/20/2013 02:48 pm
I am a bit confused with this site. Can you please give me a direct online URL of the play?xxx page with the wrong link to the .swf file?

Oleg.