Any Issues With Embedded Files?

[Gary Lewis]

A friend of mine recently told me that embedded files are problematic on forums and web sites, and especially for users of mobile devices.  So, I'd like to know if any of you are having problems with them.

But, you are probably asking "What is an embedded file?"  Basically that's a file, like a spreadsheet, Word document, or a pdf that I put on a page rather than just giving you a link to the document.  Here are some examples:

The first post of the Dad's Truck Build thread, which has a Word doc on it that is "the book" on Dad's truck.
 And as I have just tried it on my iPhone 10 I can't see it.  Can you?

The TSB Index, which is a spreadsheet showing all of the TSB's I know of and, eventually, will have links to them.  But, I couldn't use it on my iPhone 10, even in landscape, as I couldn't scroll.  So I turned scrolling on and it appears to work on my phone now.  How 'bout for you?

The shop manual section on the AOD (Driveline/Transmissions/Automatic Transmissions/AOD) is a pdf that comes up on my iPhone in portrait mode and I can scroll, but it doesn't come up in landscape mode.

So, I need to here from all y'all.  What works and what doesn't?  There are 10's if not 100 other embedded docs on the site, and I need to know whether to do more of them or if I need to change something.

PLEASE!

[Ford F834]

Gary, they are a bit clumsy to use on the phone, but they work and I don’t see anything that really needs changed. By clumsy I mean that even in landscape mode you have to scroll side to side to read everything. In a table that makes it hard to follow a row all the way across. I guess if you could zoom in and out that might be better, but zooming out to see the whole thing is going to make it awfully small. It is also sometimes tricky with scrolling the document vs scrolling the page that it’s embedded into... but such is the nature of a tiny phone screen. At least it does work. On the TSB index the fixed header is not scaled the same as the table, and does not move with the table as you scroll side to side... but it does serve as a reminder as to what the headers are and is still useful even though it does not stay over the correct columns. As I come across other embedded files I will watch for problems but at the moment I don’t see anything major.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, I noticed that last night as well on the header.  If I remember correctly it is a screen shot.  Duh!

Anyway, thanks.  If you find other anomalies please let me know.

[85lebaront2]

I haven't had a problem, but, I have never even tried this site on my phone. First it is a iPhone 5S which means a small screen (don't want a big wonky one as it won't fit in a breast pocket). I also don't generally use my iPad to browse.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Bill.  This little Microsoft tablet works fine on the embedded files, although I haven't tried a small iPad.

Jonathan - Have you tried the first post in Dad's Truck Build with you phone?  It doesn't work on my iPhone X with either Safari or Chrome.  The file shows until I try to scroll, and then it goes away.  But if I kill the app and open it again the file shows again until I touch the screen.

[Ford F834]

Gary, I have not updated my OS in a while. I’m running version 11.2.1 I believe. I don’t seem to be having any issue with the word document at the beginning of the Dad’s Truck thread.

[Gary Lewis]

Hmmm, I'm now on 12.2.  I wonder if that's it.  Thanks.

[Ford F834]

I often procrastinate updates when everything is working, but when I go back home on Monday maybe I can update the phone to see if it causes me to have the issue?

[Gary Lewis]

I guess, if you are game that would be good.  12.2 is said to be a good one, although I wasn't having problems with 12.1.

[Ford F834]

Okay, I’ll try updating once I’m back home with wifi. I’m not opposed, it’s mostly laziness. Seems like every ten minutes some app or another wants an update! It gets tiresome so I put it off as long as it’s working.