FM 2022 XSLT issue - any info on this ?

[4everJang]

Using XSLT via ExtendScript, using CallClient to the transformation code. With FM 2022 I am getting this error message: "Failed to initialize: javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory"

Does anyone have an idea what is causing this and how to fix it ? Anyone from Adobe watching this forum ? Are there dependencies on the installed Java version ? If this is a bug I need to move all my clients away from FM 2022 until it is fixed. Please let me (and others on this forum) know asap.

[Priya21933415etri]

Can you please share the CallClient api with arguments ?

[4everJang]

It looks like there was some random Windows error, possibly caused by another component. I tried running the same client with a simple XSL and that worked. Retrying the original code then also worked. It was an alarming type of error message, but it looks like it was some false alarm in the end. 

[frameexpert]

Hi Jang, I have seen this with FrameMaker 2020 and a restart of FrameMaker usually resolves it. It looks like the XSLT processor being invoked is initialized the first time you use it because I notice that my first transform of a FrameMaker session is slower than following transforms.

[4everJang]

Yes, the first use causes the XSLT processor to load. I have tried for years to get a switch in the maker.ini so that the processor can be loaded on startup - depending on that switch - but so far there has not been any action on this from the developer team. I keep trying, as almost all of my applications are using XSLT and there is usually plenty time when FM is starting up - until the moment the user clicks on something that requires a transform.

[JonBe]

Hi Jang, was a bug report created for this issue? I have just had it happen with 2022 Update 4 so there has been no change still.

[4everJang]

I have not tried Update 4 yet as I have moved to a new Mac and FrameMaker for ARM-based hardware (via Virtual PC layer) does not support scripting. Which means I am moving away from FM as I refuse to be forced to get a native Windows machine. Not sure why FM has been made available for ARM-based Windows at all if scripting is not included.

[JonBe]

Thanks Jang. My next computer will be a Mac, so no FM I guess. I presume that there is no bug report on this?

[4everJang]

I might file a bug report. To be honest, I have not yet checked the latest update to see if scripting is supported now. It seems obvious that it should be, as a number of plug-ins will depend on it. I told the tech team about my scripting requirement but the only answer I received a while ago is that it was not supported in that particular beta. Have not heard back since, so I am assuming it is not available in the update either. And as I have moved away from coding for a long while I have not yet taken the time to check things out since that beta.

[frameexpert]

I rolled back to Update 3 because FrameScript and FrameSLT won't run in Update 4 until they are recompiled. The lack of scripting support in the ARM version bothers me because of what it may mean for future FrameMaker versions. The Creative Cloud apps have dropped ExtendScript support and have a new scripting model. Unfortunately, the FrameMaker team has been silent about their future scripting plans.

ExtendScript has been quite good and, in my opinion, the FrameMaker team should update and maintain it. It's a shame that they are letting it die out. FrameMaker is much less useful without a good scripting environment. Just ask my hundreds of clients.

[4everJang]

I fully agree. It would have made more sense to drop the FDK, as programming clients in Visual Studio C++ brings the hassle of having to recompile for every FM version - and using specific VS versions to do so. Scripts, once they work and not rely on outdated FM features, will continue to work without any need for recompilation. And Adobe has issued the Visual Studio Code plug-in for ExtendScript, which is a step down from ESTK but does mean the scripting option still exists going forward.

[Russ Ward]

Hi Rick, FrameSLT and the rest of the plugins have been recompiled for update 4. That doesn't help with FrameScript obviously, but just FYI. And I agree with everything you are saying about scripting support.

[frameexpert]

Thank you Russ. I love FrameSLT! You wrote a masterpiece.

[JonBe]

Hi Rick, and c++ plugins built with the Update 4 FDK will not work with 2022 Update 3, which means that the rollout requires both re-built plugins and Update 4 installed together.

[Russ Ward]

Wow, fantastic. I did not know that.

[JonBe]

Hi Russ, unfortunately I did not note the actual error, just that I had to install Update 4 to resolve it. At the time I was testing code to align graphics, but it may have been something else. I have spent the last little while trying various actions with FM2022 Update 3 and plugins built with the Update 4 FDK, without issues, including the menu items to align graphics. It may be that there was something else going on. It might have been an issue while I was debugging for example. I will be reverting the plugins to the prior FDK as we need to get a release out for testing. I will attempt to try and recreate the error after that.