Disappearing Blocks

[Kathy]

I keep having an issue where my procedure and variable blocks keep disappearing. Worse is when I upload my saved aia files they also have the missing blocks. I have experienced this three times already and am getting extremely furstrated because I'm running out of working aia files. I have lost days worth of work right now and I'm creeping on weeks. Please help me. My app name is CouponShoppingListDeveloperTryAgain

[Abraham Getzler]

Try switching to Chrome or disabling Firefox addons.

ABG

[Abraham Getzler]

I just checked Maxthon 4, and it works even better than Chrome with AI2.

ABG

[Abraham Getzler]

I notice in your snapshot that your procedure calls do not have parameters.

In the past, I have noticed a bug in AI2 Typeblocking where a procedure call block

that is entered through typeblocking will appear without parameter sockets, and will have no way

to add them after the fact.  (The procedure calll blocks in the procedure palette do not

have this defect.

Have you been using typeblocking to insert procedure calls?

ABG

[Kathy]

I noticed that defect as well and for that reason I have not been using typeblocking for procedures. They always seem to come out backwards, the ones with parameters do not have slots and vice versa. I am mainly using Chrome and I tried Firefox with the same results. I will try Maxthon4 (never heard of it before lol) and see what happens. Is AI2 compatable with the new Windows 10? Thanks for trying to help. I will report back if Maxthon worked. 

[Kathy]

I just tried Marthon4 with the same results. My blocks are gone and I have the same issue with all the aia files I have stored and uploaded. I don't know what to do. If I can't get a working file I will have to start over and it is 7 months worth of work. Either that or try to find the almost 200 holes I now have.

[Abraham Getzler]

I have assigned this thread to one of the developer(s) at MIT.

In the meantime, I suggest looking for old backups of .aia files.

ABG

[Kathy]

Thank you. I have found one that is over a week old that worked. I'm afraid to start working again in case this happens again and my backups don't work again. I will await feedback from tech support and see if there is a solution or at the least if I am doing something wrong.

[Taifun]

how many screens does your app have?

or do you use loads of components in only one screen (arrangements, labels, buttons etc) if yes, how many? 

did you upload loads of assets (images, video audio files)?

Taifun

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Trying to push the limits of App Inventor! Snippets and Tutorials from Pura Vida Apps by Taifun.         

[Taifun]

there are 143 red warnings in your screen

which error messages appear after clicking one of the warnings?

Taifun

[Kathy]

My app has 4 screens but only 2 have blocks in them. The blocks on the splash screen are complete and unchanged. The MainScreen is were the problem is. There a lot of components, block, procedures, variables assets. It is a very in depth and complicated app. I have been working on it for 7 months off and on. I originally started it in AI Classic and am in the process of recreating it in AI2. If the amount of blocks, procedures and variables is the issue I can add another screen but since a lot of the blocks overlap on various screens I figured it was better to create the illusion of multiple screens. Everything fit and worked without issues on classic other then the horrendous load time. lol Thank you for inquiring.

[Kathy]

The error reads, "Select a valid item in the drop down." I take it's because the procedures and variables are no longer there.

[Taifun]

are you aware, that there is a converter tool available to convert your App Inventor Classic project into an App Inventor 2 project?

http://convert.appinventor.mit.edu/

The MainScreen is were the problem is. There a lot of components, block, procedures, variables assets. It is a very in depth and complicated app

too much components in one screen can be a problem...

in your case probably it would be better to split the logic into 2 screens...

you also can take a look into reducing redundancy

see Enis' tips here http://twodogapps.com/?page_id=686#Redundancy and here http://twodogapps.com/?page_id=686#Procedures

Taifun

[Abraham Getzler]

How many global variables do you have?

Perhaps some of the logic can be represented as data in tables?

I have seen restaurant apps like that in the past,

where the developer thought they had to code for every menu item.

ABG

[Abraham Getzler]

If you have not yet done so,  check out local variables, new to AI2.

They can help limit the length of variable name pulldown lists by reducing the scope of names.

ABG

[jis]

I repaired Kathy's project and sent it back to her. The problem turned out to be an ASCII "null" character that somehow get inserted into one of the text strings in the project. This fouled up the XML parsing of the blocks, which resulted in serious carnage!

-Jeff