Windows Exp print error for VT Coordinator

[McLaughlinES]

My VT coordinator has been able to use all of the print out functions except for the Household report. I had her come to the church to replicate the problem. I had started Chrome before she got there; no problem. Then as an after thought she started back in but clicked on Windows Explorer. Printing from the Household tab just stalled. We have a new clerks computer with an up to date Windows Explorer. She returned home and used Chrome with no problem.

[mevans]

Please clarify: Were you unable to generate the PDF, or was the PDF generated, but you couldn't print it?

[jdlessley]

We have a new clerks computer with an up to date Windows Explorer. She returned home and used Chrome with no problem.

You mention Windows Explorer and Chrome in the same context. Did you mean to say the latest version of Internet Explorer instead of Windows Explorer?

[McLaughlinES]

She was using Windows Explorer at home. Would not create the PDF. When we met at the church we used Chrome first with no problem. We then opened Windows Explorer on the clerk computer (new 1 yr ago) and again it create PDFs for all other tabs except the household tab.

[McLaughlinES]

Sorry: Internet Explorer would not create PDF.

[williamjackson]

I was able to reproduce this with Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1:

1. Go to the Households tab (https://www.lds.org/htvt/#/households)
2. Change Quorum/Auxiliary to Relief Society (I'm a ward clerk so I can see them all)
3. Click Print, select Relief Society Sisters, then click Print
4. Instead of generating a PDF, a new tab opens with the message "This page can't be displayed"

I believe the problem is that when you have more than about 147 entries in the list you want to print, the URL for generating the PDF is too long.

The URL looks like this:

Code: Select all

https://www.lds.org/htvt/services/v1/<unit_number>/print?auxiliaryId=<aux_id>&reportType=HOUSEHOLDS&individualIds=<individual_id>%2C<individual_id>%2C<individual_id>%2C<individual_id>%2C<individual_id>%2C<individual_id>%2C<...>

The maximum URL length is 2,083 characters in Internet Explorer. So there is really nothing you can do besides use another browser or somehow filter the list so it is short enough to print.

[russellhltn]

Hmmmm. I get nervous when I see URLs like that. It makes me wonder if the app is secure.

[aebrown]

Hmmmm. I get nervous when I see URLs like that. It makes me wonder if the app is secure.

Why would that make it insecure? You still have to have a valid session with LDS.org in order for the request to work, and you can't poke individual IDs or any other data that will let you see any data you don't already have rights to see. All the permissions are still enforced on the back end.

[russellhltn]

All the permissions are still enforced on the back end.

As long as that's true, then that's fine. But speaking about web apps in general (not just church-developed apps), that that doesn't always happen.

[scgallafent]

Hmmmm. I get nervous when I see URLs like that. It makes me wonder if the app is secure.

You can put it in the URL or post it with request data. It's more visible in the URL, but there are plenty of browser extensions that will let you tamper with data for a POST request. Either way, you've got to enforce the restriction on the back end. Rule #1: Never trust the user.

One advantage to putting it in the URL is that it can be bookmarked.