footnotes damage after endnote insert

[ttl]

There is a bug in Affinity Publisher 2.3.0 when it spontaneously damages a footnotes.

Until using footnotes only, everything seems to be OK. The problem starts after inserting an endnote.

Then when user for example try to modify any paragraph style (even if it has no connection with footnotes or endnotes), Publisher damages all footnotes which are located in order after newly created endnote. It damages them in this way:

• footnote's references are converted into endnotes references
• footnote's text frames are hidden on their original locations - pages

Footnotes located in order before newly created endnote are untouched.

The bug can be reproducced in attached document (all footnotes are created manually, but bug appears also in text imported from Word containing foot and endnotes):

1. Open the document. There are footnotes only. Their references are emphasized in big bold red.
2. Go to spread 2-3 and notice that on page 3 there are two footnotes c and d.
3. Insert an endnote on page 2 somewhere after footnote b but before footnote c.
4. Return view on spread 2-3. You should see big bold green (character style for endnote references) number at location where you inserted an endnote. All is still OK.
5. Now try to edit paragraph style - for example H1 - and keep your attention to bottom of page 3. Either immediately or after changing any paragraph style the problem occurs. Footnote's c and d bodies (text frames) disappear and their references in main text are replaced with numbers 2 and 3 formatted as endnotes references - big bold green.

The bug can be reverted only manually - placing cursor to every broken reference and in Notes palette's menu selecting Convert selection to Footnote.

It seems to me that when Publisher is doing internal refresh/update of notes and reaches first endnote, that then it processes all further notes as endnotes - as if it forget the type of note it is processing.

Bug found in Publisher 2.3.0.2165 on Win10.

footnotes and endnotes.afpub

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, ttl said:

Then when user for example try to modify any paragraph style (even if it has no connection with footnotes or endnotes), Publisher damages all footnotes ...

Wow.

I made my own Document and added some Footnotes, three over two pages, and an Endnote after the first Footnote. Then I changed the name of a Paragraph Style, this was the only edit I made, and Bang! from the first (only) Endnote on the Footnotes* got changed to endnotes. This is messed up. 

 

* Keep wanting to write Feetnote.

[MikeTO]

3 hours ago, ttl said:

Now try to edit paragraph style - for example H1 - and keep your attention to bottom of page 3. Either immediately or after changing any paragraph style the problem occurs. Footnote's c and d bodies (text frames) disappear and their references in main text are replaced with numbers 2 and 3 formatted as endnotes references - big bold green.

Unfortunately, the footnote frame disappearing is a well-known bug that has existed since the first release of 2.0. You have to diligently check your document for invisible footnotes or sidenotes before you publish. It's a bit easier with sidenotes because you can sometimes make them reappear with a few extra blank lines at the end, but you're out of luck with an invisible footnote, there is no easy way to fix them. I hope this bug will be fixed soon.

AFAIK, the footnotes changing to endnotes without intervention has not been previously reported. I'm able to reproduce it with your steps and test document. I can also reproduce it with your steps by creating a new para style rather than editing an existing one. I wasn't able to reproduce it with my own document but that's not important.

Cheers

Edited December 22, 2023 by MikeTO
Added links

[stokerg]

Hi @ttl,

Thanks for reporting these.

As @MikeTOhas said, we are aware of disappearing footnotes and that is already logged with the Developers.

The 2nd issue you raised, isn't something we had logged, so I've just logged that with the Developers

[ttl]

Hi @stokerg,

I have researched more on this (for now on Publisher 2.3.1, win 10). And found that sidenotes are corrupted in same way as footnotes.

After a lot of experimenting, I have finally figured out how Publisher corrupts the notes, i.e. all foot/sidenotes after newly created endnote:

• after 1st action first two foot/sidenotes are "corrupted to endnotes" (as I described in initial post) and types of all other foot/sidenotes are changed to types of original foot/sidenotes sequence, i.e. just like if Publisher take all types of notes and applied them two notes further.
• after every next action a first foot/sidenote immediately after last endnote is corrupted to endnote and types of all other foot/sidenotes are changed to types of original foot/sidenotes sequence, i.e. just like if Publisher take all types of notes and applied them one note further.
• all foot/sidenotes which are before newly added endnote are untouched

By 1st action I mean raising an Edit Text Style dialog by right-click on any paragraph style. By every next action I mean changing of any Text Style parameter, for example font size.

My description is surely not understandable, so I attached a document to recreate the bug and see what is happening after actions:

• Open the document. All footnote numbers in text are styled in bold red, sidenote numbers in text are style in bold cyan and endnote numbers in text are styled in bold green. (initially there are no endnotes in the document, only a character style is prepared)
• Notice the sequence of types of notes below the line "PUT ENDNOTE HERE." The sequence is: red, red, cyan, cyan, red, cyan, red, cyan, i.e. types of notes are foot, foot, side, side, foot, side, foot side.
• Put an endnote at end of line "PUT ENDNOTE HERE." After you return to page 1, the green number appears here. All is still ok - all notes following the newly added endnote are still untouched.
• Now raise a dialog for editing paragraph style H1 (this is a 1st action I have mentioned above). Immediately after the window appears, original footnotes b and c are corrupted to endnotes (their numbers are green now and their text frames are hidden on their original locations) and all types of other foot/sidenotes are changed to following: red, red, cyan, cyan, red, cyan. (last two (red, cyan) from original sequence of types of notes are of course wasted).
• Try to change any style parameter, for example size (this is a every next action I have mentioned above). Immediately after a change (Edit Text Style window still opened) first foot/side note after last endnote (in this case after endnote 3) is corrupted to endnote (its number is green and its text frame is hidden on its original location) and all types of other foot/sidenotes are changed to following: red, red, cyan, cyan, red. (last one (cyan) from previous sequence of types of notes is of course wasted)
• Every next action, i.e. change of any Text Style parameter repeats same corruption as described in previous bullet until all notes are corrupted to endnotes, i.e. to green. It is interesting that even clicking Cancel in Edit Text Style dialog acts as action.

Hope it helps programmers to find and correct this bug.

footnotes sidenotes and endnotes.afpub

[MikeTO]

This is a great bug report! It happens for me with your steps, too.

[ttl]

Nine months later, v 2.5.5 and that horrible bug is still present…

[ttl]

Next two minor updates (2.5.6 and 2.5.7) are out and this bug is still present (I tested it again creating new document in 2.5.7). How man can trust the software (and how I could start to use it in serious production) when this horrible bug, which can corrupt your document without possibility of recovering (undo can't help as it is internal mess of Publisher), is hidden inside? I provided detailed behavior of this bug here and still nothing happened. Big disappointment of Affinity's (no)bugfixing.

[MikeTO]

4 hours ago, ttl said:

Next two minor updates (2.5.6 and 2.5.7) are out and this bug is still present (I tested it again creating new document in 2.5.7). How man can trust the software (and how I could start to use it in serious production) when this horrible bug, which can corrupt your document without possibility of recovering (undo can't help as it is internal mess of Publisher), is hidden inside? I provided detailed behavior of this bug here and still nothing happened. Big disappointment of Affinity's (no)bugfixing.

This bug is apparently fixed for 2.6.0 but I haven't tested it myself. The notes for build 3027 state the following bug is fixed but it's not tagged with a bug ID so threads like this haven't been updated yet.

"Footnotes become invisible if the last footnote on the page is shifted onward by flow control"

[Patrick Connor]

49 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

This bug is apparently fixed for 2.6.0 but I haven't tested it myself.

Unless @Affinity Info Bot has posted to a thread to say an issue has been fixed, please do not wake up threads saying something is apparently fixed when it is not, as it will lead to frustration when the user tries the beta and finds it not to be true. The issue "Footnotes become invisible if the last footnote on the page is shifted onward by flow control" [AF-5359] which was fixed is not the same as this customer's issue "Footnotes can become Endnotes by editing a Paragraph style " [AF-1639] 

[ttl]

Just to be mentioned in this original thread, the bug is still in Beta build 2.6.0.3027 (Windows 10, not know if MacOS version too) as I mentioned here.

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "Footnotes can become Endnotes by editing a Paragraph style" (REF: AF-1639) has been fixed by the developers in the latest beta build (2.6.0.3058). The fix is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Affinity Info Bot to notify us.