'Share a link' text not highlighted and difficult to copy

pb66 · 29 October 2017 14:49

How does everyone get on with the share a link button at the bottom of each post?

More often than not the link is not highlighted for me and getting it to highlight with a click (as opposed to dragging the mouse over the whole link text) without following the link is really tricky. Plus on top of that, quite often even when the link text is highlighted, I use CTRL-C and it doesn’t copy the link, several stabs later it will.

This has been like this for some while but I had a dodgy mouse that needed replacing, it only since buying a new mouse (that works perfectly everywhere else) that I have realized it isn’t my mouse that’s the problem.

Thinking about it now, there should really be a “copy to clipboard” button alongside the twitter and email buttons.

Robert.Wall · 29 October 2017 16:03

I think you might have a dodgy browser. I’ve just had it work 5/5 times for each post here, and 2/2 for each post in Cannot edit dashboards
(Opera 48.0 + Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit)

Similarly Chromium Version 62.0.3202.62 (Official Build) Built on Ubuntu , running on Ubuntu 16.04 (64-bit)

pb66 · 29 October 2017 16:15

Running Chrome Version 62.0.3202.75 (Official Build) (64-bit) as I always have

Just tried your reply above and got this

when I expected and occasionally get

however on occasions when it is already selected, using crtl-c will not work, when I paste (ctrl-p) somewhere else, my previously used cut&paste content is usually pasted, not the link I just used ctrl-c on.

Gwil · 29 October 2017 17:15

On my Chrome - Version 61.0.3163.123 (Official Build) (64-bit) - Chrome OS, I’m seeing the same thing as you (Paul).

Robert.Wall · 29 October 2017 17:48

Every time, on clicking the [chain], I got

And doing [ctrl]-[c] and then pasting it here [ctrl]-[v]
https://community.openenergymonitor.org/t/what-happened-to-the-images/5496/5?u=robert.wall

pb66 · 29 October 2017 20:27

I like the red, no mistaking that’s selected. I don’t even get a box around the link.

I think this is a Chrome issue too!

this is the same post and share link in MS edge

the text is selected (albeit in blue) and there is a border/box

Robert.Wall · 29 October 2017 21:22

I’ve just found out how to log in with Firefox (cookies were not enabled for the https:// … URL )

And I’ve not problem here either with the [chain] link. It’s appeared properly for each post in this thread, and pastes OK:

https://community.openenergymonitor.org/t/what-happened-to-the-images/5496/10?u=robert.wall

Firefox 56.0 (64-bit) for Ubuntu.

And finally (I’m running out of browsers) Firefox in Winten in a VM - that too works for each post here.

Robert.Wall · 29 October 2017 22:03

Bad News (maybe) for your Chrome only theory. I’ve just downloaded Version 62.0.3202.75 (Official Build) (64-bit)
on my Winten VM (VirtualBox Graphical User Interface Version 5.0.40_Ubuntu r115130) and it’s behaved properly for me - blue highlight too.

Gwil · 30 October 2017 10:16

Paul, I have been checking the Discourse forum and came across this thread.

Does your device have a touch screen? Mine does.

pb66 · 30 October 2017 10:42

Yes it does have a touchscreen although it also does it when the touchscreen isn’t in use, eg right now I am using that touchscreen laptop, but the laptop lid is shut and I have a large (non-touch) screen attached in single monitor mode, therefore only using a mouse not touch.

It does seem that topic is related although it’s nearly 2 years old, one of the topics linking to that same topic is this one which was last updated in May this year, is it worth giving it a nudge with a link back here? It would mean moving/spliting this thread into a public category, but I don’t see that as a problem.

In fact now I think about it, there maybe other users suffering the same issue so putting this in the public forum might be useful to them too. In the “forum” category I guess.

Gwil · 30 October 2017 11:34

No objection to that; is making this thread public ok with you @Robert.Wall ?

Just tried on Chrome version 60.0.3112.101 (Official Build) (64-bit) on Ubuntu - [non-touch] and links are highlighted correctly as Robert observed.

pb66 · 30 October 2017 11:41

It might also be of use to Discourse to know it works correctly in MS Edge, for me only Chrome is an issue. That would suggest it is possible to fix, ie that it’s not impossible for it to work correctly on a touch enable laptop.

Robert.Wall · 30 October 2017 12:00

@Gwil
No problem.

And my laptop is not a touchscreen one, I was using a Logitech USB wireless mouse (and not the in-built touchpad, though a quick test of two links shows that too works properly for me). It sounds as if the touch screen is significant.

glyn.hudson · 30 October 2017 16:27

I’ve been unable to replicate using non-touch screen Chrome and Firefox. Both work fine. Yes, it would be a good idea for someone who is experiencing the issue and is able to easily explain it to report the issue to Discourse.

Gwil · 30 October 2017 16:50

I’ve posted on there; I think Paul and Robert have given a very good account of the issue and what conditions are needed to try and replicate it. I’ve linked to this thread.

pb66 · 30 October 2017 17:01

i’m happy to explain further if needed but it does seem pretty straight forward, might not be helpful duplicating all the steps on the Discourse forum, a link should be fine.

After reading the comments on the Discourse forum I can confirm now that it is when you try to use the “share” button on a page that has been clicked on. If I nav to a page and immediately use the “share” button it seems ok, this was not previously obvious as I do try to link to specific posts where possible, therefore I nav to the page then scroll through and find the post so it’s rare I “share” from an unclicked page. I have tested and any page that the “share” button text isn’t working correctly on, seems to be fixed with a page refresh. This also expalins why the share button text highlights correctly after following the link, it has nothing to do with following the link par se, it is because a new “unclicked” page is opened.

[EDIT]
And just to confirm, in MS Edge browser, I can apparently click many times all over the page and the share box text still works as expected. If I get a chance I will try installing another browser or 2 and see what happens there.

pb66 · 30 October 2017 17:57

Ok! Ya gonna love this!

I have just tried Firefox 47.0.2.

Freshly loaded page, click the share button for Gwil’s “I’ve posted on there;…” post and the text is highlighted when the box opens BUT there is no text box outline. CTRL-C gets this

https://community.openenergymonitor.org/t/share-a-link-text-not-highlighted-and-difficult-to-copy/5507/17?u=pb66

clicked around the page a few times and then tried the share link in Glyn’s “I’ve been unable to replicate…” post and got

pb66Paul
29m

i’m happy to explain further if needed but it does seem pretty straight forward, might not be helpful duplicating all the steps on the Discourse forum, a link should be fine.

After reading the comments on the Discourse forum I can confirm now that it is when you try to use the “share” button on a page that has been clicked on. If I nav to a page and immediately use the “share” button it seems ok, this was not previously obvious as I do try to link to specific posts where possible, therefore I nav to the page then scroll through and find the post so it’s rare I “share” from an unclicked page. I have tested and any page that the “share” button text isn’t working correctly on, seems to be fixed with a page refresh. This also expalins why the share button text highlights correctly after following the link, it has nothing to do with following the link par se, it is because a new “unclicked” page is opened.

[EDIT]
And just to confirm, in MS Edge browser, I can apparently click many times all over the page and the share box text still works as expected. If I get a chance I will try installing another browser or 2 and see what happens there.

which is (what was at the time) the entire last post! (ie not the one I clicked share on but 2 down from it)

Refreshed the page and tried that same share button again without clicking anywhere on the page first and got

https://community.openenergymonitor.org/t/share-a-link-text-not-highlighted-and-difficult-to-copy/5507/16?u=pb66

I managed to get this output a couple of times so I started writing this post, but I have tried retracing these steps and now I cannot get it to fault to order, but it was definitely happening when I wasn’t trying. attached is a text file I was using to dump the clipboard into (in no specific order) you can see it happened 3 times, at no point did I knowingly select that last post. I hope it’s not a red herring but thought I should report it all the same, it might make more sense to the Discourse guys than it does to me.

New Text Document.txt (4.7 KB)

Currently Firefox seems to be working fine even though the text box border is missing