On pages like this one, I find that as I try to read, the stupid thing violently JOLTS up and down at seemingly random intervals. Seriously considering disabling JS, hitting the Save button and downloading an off-line copy of the docs or just CTRL-A/CTRL-C (though I'll lose formatting that way). I use a screen magnifier (Windows Magnifier at work, whatever Linux calls their "zoom" at home) so I move the mouse around just to control the magnified area on the screen. Unfortunately, I'm guessing this is triggering some crazy JS events to dynamically load/reload/re-re-re-reload content on hover, rendering the page essentially unreadable (or a headache-inducing nightmare of whoops it jumped again oh crap there it goes again, jibbidy-jibbidy-jibbity-jump, jump, jump, jumpty-jump... hmmm, wonder if I can time all this juking and jiving to music 
). Seriously, please make it stop. Is there a setting somewhere I can use to turn off all the dancy reload nonsense or whatever it's doing? Or maybe it's just a Firefox/Windows combo thing (I'm on the latest Firefox, on Windows 10 x64, if that helps). Sorry, this is definitely more rant-like than anything I normally allow myself to post, but this is getting ridiculous. it's hard enough to find stuff in these docs without all the shake, rattle'n'roll!
Would you be willing to provide a screen recording of the issue, specific steps to reproduce, and details about the accessibility software/features you're using? More technical details and less colorful embellishments would be appreciated to help identify the issue you're describing.
Of course. idk how I would provide the screen recording, but as far as steps to reproduce, there I can help:
- Click the "X" button on the message about browser storage - I don't need the page to store anything, so I usually have to do that. If I want to store something for reference, like I said that's what copy/paste is for
Probably unrelated, but I did it, so I figured it was worth mentioning (unless storage is somehow required to stabilize the page? ). - Move the mouse up and down slowly, as if you were reading with your mouse cursor. See, magnification software like Windows Magnifier and Linux "zoom" (unrelated to the video software called Zoom lol) work as if you were holding up a physical magnifying glass to the screen. It enlarges the area around the mouse cursor, as big or as small as you need it. But unfortunately this also means it's probably triggering all kinds of wild hover effects. Designers today are hover-lovers, my team probably being the only exception (lol).
Anyway, here are some other things I've noticed, to help you guys try and figure out why it's doing this:
- My "browser zoom" is set to 100% (on Firefox press CTRL-0 to make sure this is the case).
- My screen resolution is 1920x1080; the mouse's x-position is about half of that, so horizontally centered, more or less.
- When the mouse is in the middle of the screen, nothing happens. But as I start to move closer to the top or bottom, JavaScript Dance Party Time! w00t!
I think what I might do next time I need to try to read pages like this is use the developer tools to go into mobile mode; maybe the page was so mobile-optimized that the issue is responsive-design-related. Regardless, for the moment, I have code that isn't going to write itself, so I need to get back to it. But if there is anything else I can do to help, I'm glad to do that.
Unfortunately, I do not have access to a windows or linux computer to test with. I'll ask around and see if I can find someone who has one. I tried using the zoom accessibility feature on macos, but it doesn't cause any issues.
Your IT department may have recommendations for screen recording software they support. You can upload the video to a hosting site of your choice that you are able to share with me (e.g. an unlisted youtube video or dropbox file).
It is not; the site is designed for 720p displays and larger.
Oh wow, you're the first Mac user I've met in a long time, lol... you're as rare as us Linux guys.
All joking aside, the issue also occurs when I have magnification turned off. Magnification software is usually a native thing, not a browser thing, so whether you're using it or not shouldn't have any effect one way or the other. I've been able to reproduce it with Magnifier turned off; I can't read anything, but moving the mouse still causes stuff to move around on the page - that much I can see. The problem is just a lot more obvious - and intense - when you're trying to actually read with Magnifier turned on. Also, as I've continued researching the docs today I've noticed other pages don't have this problem. So maybe it's just this one and pages like it - and I don't have to use that one. As often as I've said I couldn't find {X} in the docs, a quick DuckDuckGo search usually leads to useful results.
And once things slow down work-wise, I'll look into screen recording stuff. I know a few good ones on Linux. Maybe after I log off tonight I'll see if I can reproduce it on Linux, and record it there.
Regardless, thank you very much for taking the time to look into this - and for all your hard work on all my dumb questions. I'm sure most of the API-related stuff I'm asking about is common knowledge to those who have been using it for longer, to where the docs just don't need the things I feel they're missing.
I was able to find someone with a windows VM (we mostly use macs) and they were unable to reproduce the issue using the Windows magnifier. Since this is the first time this issue has come up and it's not readily reproducible by anyone I've had test, it seems likely that there's something in your environment that's triggering the behavior.
Do you have any colleagues that can reproduce this behavior? If so, what's different between your environments and other colleagues that can't reproduce? I totally believe you that this is happening, but I'm unable to reproduce it. Once I'm able to reproduce it, I can investigate if there's anything that can be done in the site to avoid what's causing it.
Unfortunately, I'm the only Magnifier user on our team, and those outside our team are, ironically, actively taking calls. I don't know what environment variables (no cheesy pun intended) outside of the browser could be causing it (we don't use a lot of extensions here or anything). But the fact that you were unable to reproduce it on Firefox on Windows 10 64-bit would lead me to the same conclusion. Whatever it is, it must not be CSS/JS pulling a stunt on me. If there is no dynamically-loading content moving the page around as you mouse around the page, then maybe it's a Firefox bug or something. Like I said, I'll mess with it on Linux and see what I can find out. But for now, CTRL-A/CTRL-C will have to do (lol). Not the end of the world. But it has been driving me nuts, so I figured it was worth asking. No harm in asking. If I don't run into it on my home laptop - then yes it's definitely something wonky on Windoze. If I can... like I said I'll get you that video recording.
Anyway that's cool that you guys are all on Macs over there. I know one guy who uses one out of the dozens of programmer/IT type folks out there, lol. Good to see some variety in OS choices.