Help editing ASPX files on a Mac

January 3, 2009 3:36 PM

I'm trying to edit some text in some very simple ASPX files on my mac, but when I post the files, I get a generic runtime error from the server. I'm using BBEdit on the Mac. Is there a way to successfully edit and upload ASPX files using a Mac?
posted by drobot to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Response by poster: A little more info - I tested by simply uploading a previously working file from my Mac - so, even when I upload an unedited ASPX, the file stops working. Thanks.
posted by drobot at 3:45 PM on January 3, 2009

if you include the error we may be able to provide more insight into the cause of the problem.
posted by phil at 4:03 PM on January 3, 2009

Response by poster: It's the generic "Server Error in '/' Application.
Runtime Error
Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.
"

Unfortunately I don't have access to update web.config to give me a more substantial error message, so maybe until I can do that there's not that much can be done - I thought there might be a simple answer. I just tried to edit a file using Textpad from my PC and produced the same result (error) - the only way I can edit is using Sharepoint Designer which I'm not as experienced with - was hoping to do some pretty fance finding and replacing using BBEdit, so maybe I just need to figure out how to do this with Sharepoint Designer (ugh)
posted by drobot at 4:07 PM on January 3, 2009

i don't have a solution to your problem but wanted to add that text editor may not be the source of the problem. i just editing several aspx pages in textpad and did not encounter errors.

what type of changes are you making? have altered the id of a control, either intentionally or by mistake, without updating the appropriate .cs file?
posted by phil at 4:25 PM on January 3, 2009

If you are using UTF encoded files, then make sure that BBEdit is set to save them with no BOM (byte order mark). If you have a BOM in the file (it's a couple of bytes - invisible to you - at the very beginning of the file), it will screw up the parsing on the server. HTH
posted by woodblock100 at 6:04 PM on January 3, 2009

What are you using to transfer the files. Some FTP clients will do lend ending conversion unless you tell them to use binary mode.
posted by Good Brain at 6:05 PM on January 3, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses - phil - I thought that might be part of the problem - the way i tested is I opened an ASPX file that was working and then saved it without making any changes and saw the error. The no BOM suggestion didn't work. As far as the edits, these are very simple ASPXs - all HTML, in fact - I'm just editing some text. To upload the files, I'm connected to a VPN and copying the files to a share. What's interesting is I'm trying the same thing from my PC with textpad and having the same problems. If I use Sharepoint Designer from my PC, it works ok.
posted by drobot at 7:16 PM on January 3, 2009

wow... not sure what happened with my last post.

would it be possible to make copies of the working and none working pages available for download?
posted by phil at 8:05 PM on January 3, 2009

Shouldn't be the editor, I do .aspx work on a daily basis using TextMate, Dreamweaver and occasionaly BBEdit without having any significant changes to my setups and all work fine.
posted by furtive at 11:25 PM on January 3, 2009

What happens if you upload the file without even opening it? Are the permissions of the uploaded file identical to the original file?
posted by paulg at 1:48 AM on January 4, 2009