Debugging: Microsoft JScript runtime error

Question

I am desperately in need of debugging help, been stuck at this error for 6 days now.....

the error I get in my ASp.net app is :

Microsoft JScript runtime error: Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManagerParserErrorException: The message received from the server could not be parsed. Common causes for this error are when the response is modified by calls to Response.Write(), response filters, HttpModules, or server trace is enabled.
Details: Error parsing near '<script type='text/j'.

Below is the relevant code snippet,

    CollyDataExchangeWebService Col_ValSub = new CollyDataExchangeWebService();
    CollyReportServiceRequest ServiceReq = new CollyReportServiceRequest();
    CollyReportServiceRequestData ServiceReqData = new CollyReportServiceRequestData();

    ServiceReqData.AmendmentIndicatorSpecified = true;
    ServiceReqData.AmendmentIndicator = false;

    ServiceReqData.CollyReport = ColRep;
    ServiceReq.ServiceRequestData = ServiceReqData;
    ServiceReq.ServiceRequestHeader = ServiceHeader;

    errValidate = null;

    //btnOK.OnClientClick = "MSGShow()";
    bool Valid = true;
    string ErrMsgs = "";

    if (((System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button)(sender)).CommandArgument == "Validate")
    {
        CollyReportServiceResponse ValResponse = Col_ValSub.validateReport(ServiceReq);


        switch (ValResponse.ServiceResponseHeader.ServiceStatus)
        {
            case ServiceStatus.Successful:

                btnOK.OnClientClick = "";
                valHeader.Text = "Validation is Completed. No errors were found";
                mlValPopup.Show();

                break;

            case ServiceStatus.ValidationErrors:
                Valid = false;
                ErrMsgs = ErrMsgs + _ValidationError(ValResponse);
                ValBTN.Update();
                mlValPopup.Show();
                break;

            case ServiceStatus.SystemError:
                btnOK.OnClientClick = "";
                Valid = false;
                ErrMsgs = ErrMsgs + _SystemError(ValResponse);
                ValBTN.Update();
                mlValPopup.Show();
                break;
        }

After hours of debugging I found this line to be causing the error:

CollyReportServiceResponse ValResponse = Col_ValSub.validateReport(ServiceReq);

After 6 days of debugging and frustration I found that SOME records cause this issue and others dont in OLDER versions of the code but in new version ALL of the records lead to this error so it has to do something with the data in the DB which means SOME method in the code behaves differently to nulls but I cant find out exactly what the issue is because my app is 30k lines of code

after searching around and trying various solutions, the below 2 are not the solutions to my issue.

forums.asp.net/t/1357862.aspx http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=656246

I want to mention that I am already having a difficult time dealing with this application because it was written by other programmers that are now long gone leaving behind non-documented or commented spaghetti code.

I did not code this but other programmers from past have put Response.Write in code:

   private void MessageBox(string msg)
    {
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(msg))
        {
            Global.tmpmsg = msg;
            msg = null;
        }
        Response.Write("<script type=\"text/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">");
        Response.Write("window.open('ErrorPage.aspx?msg=" + "','PopUp','screenX=0,screenY=0,width=700,height=340,resizable=1,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no');");
        Response.Write("</script>");

    }

This one is in another method:

        Response.Write("<script type=\"text/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">");
        Response.Write("alert('No search resuls were found');");
        Response.Write("</script>");

Or This:

if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(msg))
{
    Global.tmpmsg = msg;
    Response.Write("<script type=\"text/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">");
    Response.Write("window.open('ErrorPage.aspx?msg=" + "','PopUp','screenX=0,screenY=0,width=700,height=340,resizable=1,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no');");
    Response.Write("</script>");
}

After Jrummel`s comment I added this to code and then nothing at all happened.

private void MessageBox(string msg)
{/*
    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(msg))
    {
        Global.tmpmsg = msg;
        msg = null;
    }
    Response.Write("<script type=\"text/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">");
    Response.Write("window.open('ErrorPage.aspx?msg=" + "','PopUp','screenX=0,screenY=0,width=700,height=340,resizable=1,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no');");
    Response.Write("</script>");
    */
// Define the name and type of the client scripts on the page.
String csname1 = "PopupScript";
Type cstype = this.GetType();

// Get a ClientScriptManager reference from the Page class.
ClientScriptManager cs = Page.ClientScript;

// Check to see if the startup script is already registered.
if (!cs.IsStartupScriptRegistered(cstype, csname1))
{
    String cstext1 = "<script type=\"text/javascript\" language=\"javascript\">" + " " + "window.open('ErrorPage.aspx?msg=" + "','PopUp','screenX=0,screenY=0,width=700,height=340,resizable=1,status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no');" + " " + "</script>";
  cs.RegisterStartupScript(cstype, csname1, cstext1, false);
}



}

I don't see any relation between the error and code snippet. Where is the <script> tag? — jrummell
– jrummell, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 13:00
That line in particular doesn't show any js registering and your error is javascript related. You'll need to show us more relevant code. — Claudio Redi
– Claudio Redi, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 13:01
The error mentions Response.Write(), are you using it anywhere? — jrummell
– jrummell, Commented Jul 11, 2012 at 13:02

Bulvak · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-19 17:33:56Z

I have found the error after 2 weeks of debugging and 2 days of Brute Forcing:

In one of the 800 DB columns that I have there was a null/improper value. This value reacted with one of the 150 methods in my ASP.NET code in such a way as to present a JavaScript error even though Response.Write() was NOT the issue. I have not found which method it was that reacted to this value but I have found the solution which is to simply input a valid value on the column record..

How a programmer can brute force to find the issue:

In my case after long days of debugging I took a sample of one working record and another sample of an error leading record. Once I had achieved this, I used

DELETE FROM tablename WHERE UniqueColID= unique identifier for the error causing record

Then I did:

INSERT INTO tablename ([uniqueIdentifier],[ column 2],[column 3]) SELECT @UniqueIdentifierofErrorCausingRecord, column2, [column3] FROM TableName WHERE [uniqueIdentifier]=@UniqueIdentifierForWorkingRecord;

What the first statement does is delete the non working record then the 2nd statement reinserts that record with identical column values of the working record but with the UniqueIdentifier of the Non working record. This way I can go through each table to find which table is causing the error and then I can pinpoint which column of that table is the issue.

The specific issue in my case was DateTime.TryParse() because a table column value was inserted in improper format.. The code performed field population in one of the methods without a try and catch using the DateTime.Parse method.... After some testing it seems even a try/catch is not able to pick this error up as it is a javascript error..

jrummell · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-11 13:09:14Z

1

Don't use Response.Write(). ~~Instead, create a LiteralControl and add it to the page.~~

Use ClientScriptManager to add scripts to the page. Here's an example from MSDN:

// Define the name and type of the client scripts on the page.
String csname1 = "PopupScript";
Type cstype = this.GetType();

// Get a ClientScriptManager reference from the Page class.
ClientScriptManager cs = Page.ClientScript;

// Check to see if the startup script is already registered.
if (!cs.IsStartupScriptRegistered(cstype, csname1))
{
  String cstext1 = "alert('Hello World');";
  cs.RegisterStartupScript(cstype, csname1, cstext1, true);
}

answered Jul 11, 2012 at 13:09

jrummell

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8 Comments

Bulvak Over a year ago

@jrumell Can you please elaborate a little more, I am not very experienced with ASP.net or any of these response.write methods.

Bulvak Over a year ago

@jrumell after your edit I updated post, it seems nothing at all happens now which isn`t the wanted behaviour either.

jrummell Over a year ago

If you look at your generated html, you will probably see two sets of script tags wrapping your script, along with another javscript error. The last parameter in RegisterStartupScript() indicates whether or not the runtime will add surrounding <script> tags. So you need to either change it to false, or remove the script tags from your script string.

Bulvak Over a year ago

@jrumell even after I changed it to false nothing happens.

Bulvak Over a year ago

let us continue this discussion in chat

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