iPad support for adding comments on Confluence

Question

We recently began testing our doc site (Confluence 4.2.1) on tablets. Most functionality/layouts/etc work fine, with one exception:

On iPad 1 and 3 (didn't have a 2 handy), when the user clicks on a comment box, no keyboard appears. The user cannot add a comment.

A workaround which I figured out is to click on one of the buttons in the comment box's header, and then the cursor appears in the text field.

I assume this has something to do with not having the proper focus, but I was hoping someone might have a programmatic fix.

Matthew J. Horn · Answer

Sorry, it's 4.2.3, not 4.2.1. I'll see if the traditional comment editor works, but then I'll have to decide if I want to give iPad users slightly less functionality for the greater good.

Paul Curren · Answer

Is it definitely Confluence 4.2.x? I ask because that version will use a dynamically loaded comment editor whereas earlier versions will load the editor on a page refresh.

If definitely 4.2.x then could you try loading the "traditional" comment editor and see if it has the same problem? This would be done by appending the following to your view page URL:

"showComments=true&showCommentArea=true#addcomment"

e.g.

http://localhost:8080/confluence/display/ds/A+page+with+macros?showComments=true&showCommentArea=true#addcomment

If this works then apart from raising a bug report we have a few work around options. Off the top of my head:

1) You can disable the quick-comment plugin if you can do without it for all clients

2) You can disable just the 'Hide traditional comment mechanism' component of the quick-comment plugin. This will enable the display of the "traditional" add comment button.