Error in Google Docs

dstillman

This discussion was created from comments split from: Google Docs stuck on "{Updating}".

trynk01

I’m having the same issue-before I clicked the V2 I just kept getting the “updating…” but now it also gives me the notice “ Zotero experienced an error updating your document. would you like to view troubleshooting instructions?”. my debug code is D1262073533 if that helps.

dstillman

(Please always start new threads for new issues. I've moved this to a new thread.)

First, if you've enabled Google Docs Integration v2, you should disable it. It's not stable due to a bug in Google Docs.

After that, if you're still having trouble, disable all other browser extensions, reload Google Docs, and try again, and if you're still having trouble provide Debug IDs from both the Zotero Connector and Zotero.

trynk01

I have done all that and am still having the same issue. It works fine on a new doc but if I leave or have been working on the doc for a while it starts having the same issue. I have Debug ID D944890711 from Zotero, and D68969024 from Zotero Connector. It looks like it might be something with Javascript: see report ID 576946948

dstillman

Non-fatal Google Docs Error: An error occurred while updating fields.

Approximately how many citations do you have in the document?

If you haven't disabled "Automatically update citations" in the plugin's Document Preferences window, you should definitely do that.

Beyond that, this is a vague error from Google Docs, so unfortunately there's not much we can tell you. If you're sure you've disabled all other extensions, you'd want to try in a copy of the document (File → Make a copy), and if it's still not working you should try to isolate a particular part of the document that's breaking things by following the last step on the troubleshooting page in the copy.

trynk01

I only have 13 citations in this doc, a lot more in other ones. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason why it breaks. I do have that disabled. When I make a copy of the doc it lets me fix one citation but stops there, and the error (showing updating citation but never filling in with citation info) still occurs when I have a completely blank document.
Thanks for your help-hope it somehow resolves soon.

dstillman

the error still occurs when I have a completely blank document

Running what action?

If you don't mind sharing the document privately, can you make a copy that reproduces the problem (ideally the smallest possible excerpt), create a public share link, and send it to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread?

trynk01

I just sent an email on this error showing {updating} citation on Google Docs but never filling in with citation info

dstillman

Oh, but that's with a broken citation, though. If something is stuck on "{Updating}", it's broken and you need to reinsert it. We would need to see a document with active citations that breaks reliably when you perform a specific operation.

trynk01

That's my problem though, i keep re-inserting the citation and it is stuck on "{Updating}." theres no reason or pattern behind it breaking that I can discern, and no matter how I try to reinsert it it is still stuck on "{Updating}." I've been through all the trouble-shooting, I refresh Zotero, nothing. My debug IDs I sent should show the operation (inserting a citation) failing, and that happens every time.

dstillman

If I delete the footnote with "{Updating}" in the document you sent and click Add/Edit Citation in the same place in the text, I'm able to insert a new footnote with a citation without an error. Are you saying you can't?

Note that usually when people see "{Updating}" for more than a few seconds, the citation dialog is just behind another window. It's part of the Zotero app and due to OS limitations isn't always reliably brought to the front, so you should cycle through Zotero windows to make sure it's not there.

trynk01

Yes, I am saying I cannot, and no, its not an issue of the window being in the background. I can type in my citation and add it just fine-but it never loads and stays on "{Updating}" no matter how long I leave it or no matter how many times I insert a citation.

dstillman

But you said it works in a new, empty document? If so, what are the exact steps to getting it to appear from the moment you open the new document?

Does it matter what item you try to cite?

Also, can you just confirm again that you're trying this with absolutely no other browser extensions enabled?

The except you sent just had one paragraph of text, a footnote with "{Updating}", and a placeholder for an empty bibliography. If you remove the "{Updating}" and the Zotero bibliography, there shouldn't be much difference between that and an empty document. You can completely clear the document to see if that makes a difference.

In any case, we'd want to see another Debug ID from the Zotero Connector for reproducing this in the smallest possible document with no broken citations, and we'd want to see a copy of that document. You should restore the document using the version history, confirm that you can reliably reproduce the problem from that state, restore the state again, and share a copy with us.