Jotform is very buggy because of FOUC - sometimes the TTL is very long

eshlepper

Asked on September 24, 2014 at 2:34 AM

PS. I like Jotform, but it's very buggy and subject to FOUCs. Sometimes the TTL is very long (not my browser cache), and updates don't 'take'.
Ben

Replied on September 24, 2014 at 9:09 AM

Hi,

Can you please tell us if you are opening the jotforms directly or if you mean by 'subject to FOUCs' when the jotform is on your website?

Also if you can give us the link to the jotforms in question we can take a look and see what might be the reasons that they load slowly for you.

Also can you tell us a bit more about the issue with 'updates not taking'?

Best Regards,
Ben
eshlepper

Replied on September 24, 2014 at 6:41 PM

Ben,

1. Forms always work well where embedded. But, the UI sometimes is wonky: descriptions and text areas don't wrap, and explode out of their container elements (ie overflow: hidden or no-wrap, but it's not wrapping. Just rolls off the page. Another thing I've seen often is when "viewing" a form using the View Form function and certain themes, the backgrounds don't show up.

2. Updates frequently aren't visible immediately in the UI, such as changes to the text of auto responders. I'll edit it, then return a second later, and in addition to HTML markup being stripped, even other plain edits are missing. Sometimes I come back the next day, and the version isn't what I expected: Voila, the edits that went missing are now live. It makes me think that there's a problem with the TTL being very long.

3. FOUCs are more than just flashes. It's often stuck with unusual content, mis-matched fonts, or the look of a missing style sheet.

I'll keep an eye out for something that I can screenshot, or show the source of.

But, for something that you can duplicate yourself, on a very long form, the UI can jump around and dump you back at the top of the form editor repeatedly. INFURIATING. Also, the lightbox popup editor for individual form element settings pops up in a fixed position, near the top of the form. So, if editing a form field near the bottom of a long form, when the settings icon is clicked, the popup pops up at the top of the page. You have to manually scroll all the way up to it, and when you save it, you back at the top of the form… endless scrolling up and down and up and down. A scroll-to function that brings it into view would be ok, but disorienting. I'd go with making the popup popup IN the viewable browser window area.
Ashwin JotForm Support

Replied on September 24, 2014 at 11:49 PM

Hello eshlepper,

1. We would like to take a look at the JotForm where you are having this UI issue. I am not sure if the cause of this but it could be that the width of your form must have been increased or some custom css may be causing it. Please share the web page URL where you have embedded yout form and we will take a look.

2. Please let us know which HTML code was stripped? Our back end team has implemented few security related enhancements where script codes are not allowed in any part of your JotForm. Please let us know the code which you were trying to add and we will take a look.

Sometimes I come back the next day, and the version isn't what I expected:

Please be noted that we have auto save feature and if you open your editor in two separate browser, one will always overwrite the other version. You can always take advantage of our "Revision History" feature to revert back to an earlier version of your form. The following guide should help you: http://www.jotform.com/blog/95-Introducing-Form-Revisions-Never-Lose-Your-Work-Again-

3. Style sheet issues. I would suggest you to please share a screenshot of the issue and we will take a look. The following guide should help you upload image in your forum post: http://www.jotform.com/answers/277033

The question related to lightbox is moved to a new thread: http://www.jotform.com/answers/434105

Thank you!