Error in Experience Editor when Saving Rendering with Image Field Rendering Parameter

Question

I have a rendering that has a custom rendering parameters template. That rendering parameters template contains an image field. When I add the component to the page, add an image to the field, and try to save the page, I get the following error in the Sitecore log:

3200 13:40:13 ERROR After parsing a value an unexpected character was encountered: {. Path 'scLayout', line 1, position 2665.
Exception: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException
Message: After parsing a value an unexpected character was encountered: {. Path 'scLayout', line 1, position 2665.
Source: Newtonsoft.Json
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ParsePostValue()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ReadInternal()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.Read()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(String value, Type type, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject[T](String value, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at Sitecore.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Server.Requests.PipelineProcessorRequest`1.Process(RequestArgs requestArgs)

When I debug I get the following error in Visual Studio:

System.Web.HttpRequestValidationException occurred
Message: Exception thrown: 'System.Web.HttpRequestValidationException' in System.Web.dll
Additional information: A potentially dangerous Request.Form value was detected from the client (data="...und Image=<image mediaid="{04D...").

This seems to suggest that my Rendering Parameter value is not getting properly encoded before posting back to Sitecore. Is there any way to resolve this?

This is occurring in Sitecore 8.2 Initial Release.

Answer 1

This has been acknowledged as a bug in this version of Sitecore (v8.2 Initial Release). The issue will occur for any field type, used in a Rendering Parameters template, whose value contains XML.

The solution provided by Sitecore Support is to update the postServerRequest function in the \sitecore\shell\client\Sitecore\ExperienceEditor\ExperienceEditor.js file.

Original Code

postServerRequest: function (requestType, commandContext, handler, async) {
    var token = $('input[name="__RequestVerificationToken"]').val();
    jQuery.ajax({
        url: "/-/speak/request/v1/expeditor/" + requestType,
        data: {
            __RequestVerificationToken: token,
            data: unescape(JSON.stringify(commandContext))
        },
        success: handler,
        type: "POST",
        async: async != undefined ? async : false
    });
}

Updated Code

postServerRequest: function (requestType, commandContext, handler, async) {
    var token = $('input[name="__RequestVerificationToken"]').val();

    var ajaxData = unescape(JSON.stringify(commandContext));
    if (commandContext && commandContext.scLayout){
        var obj = JSON.parse(commandContext.scLayout);
        if (obj && obj.r && obj.r.d && obj.r.d.forEach){
            obj.r.d.forEach(function(x,y){
                if (x.r && x.r.forEach) {
                    x.r.forEach(function(a,z){
                        var val = a["@par"];
                        if (val && val.length > 0){
                            ajaxData = ajaxData.replace(unescape(val), val);
                        }                       
                    });
                }
            });
        }
    }

    jQuery.ajax({
        url: "/-/speak/request/v1/expeditor/" + requestType,
        data: {
            __RequestVerificationToken: token,
            data: ajaxData
        },
        success: handler,
        type: "POST",
        async: async != undefined ? async : false
    });
}

The public reference number given to this bug report is 88222.

Answer 2

This is a known issue of Sitecore version 8.0 Update-6 (rev. 151127), version 8.0 Update-7 (rev. 160115), version 8.1 Update-1 (rev. 151207), and version 8.2 initial release (rev. 160729) where it fails to save items with a field of type "Rule editor". It seems you just found another case of that same bug. It makes me think that this bug affect all the fields that store XML in their raw value.

The problem was diagnosed and a workaround was provided in this StackOverflow question: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35029713/save-return-error-in-sitecore-page-editor/35443212#35443212

Answer 3

There are additional issues found with Sitecore Versions 8.1 and 8.2 with regard to SPEAK UI and how markup langugage fields like rich text editors, image fields, and link fields store data that caused numerous issues.

Sitecore issued Public Reference #88491 which addresses various issues on Save action.

The following save actions are adjusted in the ExperienceEditor pipeline as part of the patch:

Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CheckItemLock Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CheckRevision Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.Validators Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.ValidateFields Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CheckBaseTemplateFieldChange Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CheckTemplateFieldChange Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CheckLinks Sitecore.Support.ExperienceEditor.Speak.Ribbon.Requests.SaveItem.CallServerSavePipeline