Why do I get a "too_long" error when posting an announcement?

[david_dralle]

When I post a simple one paragraph announcement with two small images, I am getting a "too_long" error message that will not allow me to post my content. How long is "too_long", and how do I get around this error to post what I need for my course? 

Thanks for any help! 

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi  @david_dralle ...

That's certainly strange.  Would you be able to copy/paste the HTML code from your announcement as a reply here so that we could take a look at it for you?

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-13008-4152719750 

When you post the HTML code back here in the Community, you can click on the three dots which will show more options.  Then, select "More" >> "Syntax highlighter".  Select "HTML/XML" from the drop-down list, and then paste in your HTML code from your announcement.

Thanks, and looking forward to hearing back from you soon, David!

[david_dralle · Accepted solution]

Hey there,

So I was messing around with it, and I think it has to do with the inclusion of images in the announcement. If I remove the “copy-paste” images, and instead upload images to my “files” then add the image with the insert image button, I no longer get the error.

A couple bits of feedback on that: 1) If it’s an error with the images, the error message (too_long) should be more informative, and 2) If I copy-paste the image in, it should automatically upload to my files (or something). It’s a bit onerous having to upload the image to the files folder (a separate context menu), then go back to my announcement and use the insert function to drop that image into the announcement.

Thanks!

David

[Stef_retired]

Hey there,  @david_dralle ‌, the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE) doesn't currently support copy-paste, so that might be partly what's going on. You might want to support and follow the feature idea https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/3613-paste-images-into-canvas .

However, you don't have to upload images to your Files area first before composing the announcement. You can upload them from your computer "on the fly" by using the Content Selector that appears on the right side of the screen in edit mode.

[david_dralle]

Great, thank you! I will support that feature, and will try the content selector you mentioned. Thanks for the help.