Error Message when editing the "Geothermal Potential in Onshore Nova Scotia" record - can't save any edits in Editor

[LauraBeazley]

was just trying to update a couple records in gCat (adding links to records) and noticed certain functions weren't working, Then noticed I can't save anything in the editor. got this error message

[jmckenna]

Steps provided by @LauraBeazley

It was a ZIP file download link that was on the geoscience website:
The zip file contains a GDB and A shapefile so was a bit on the larger size and it was also compressed.

Here's the website:
[Geothermal Potential in Onshore Nova Scotia | novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/download/dp534dds.asp)

Here is the link I was trying to add as a "DOwnload link" to the metadata record (Add Download in gCat)

Download link
https://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/data/exe/dp534v1sg_NS_Geothermal_Potential.zip

Notice that how geoscience makes the download link is just with a click of a button

Vs how we do the download linking on the GDD is a different URL that doesn't say ZIP, rather it looks like a command:

https://nsgi.novascotia.ca/WSF_DDS/DDS.svc/DownloadFile?tkey=kNNpTdP4QuNRSYtt&id=179

[jmckenna]

• logs state a problem with the "filename" in the <abstract> field, but could have been the previous field in that Distribution entry, such as <url> or <title> or <name>

[jmckenna]

Also, importantly: the error doesn't occur when editing any other record, it only occurs whey trying to edit the "Geothermal" record - everything points to a problem inside the record, most likely a url in the Distribution (does the url resolve to something that contains a special character...hmm...to investigate...)

[jmckenna]

Also, the GeoNetwork log error includes part of the problem text:

ERROR [geonetwork] - A sequence of more than one item is not allowed as the first argument of normalize-space() ("As part of a collaborative pro...",

I checked the downloaded XML from that record, and my suspicions are confirmed, the <abstract> contains a single quote, likely causing the breakage:

<gmd:abstract>
<gco:CharacterString>
As part of a collaborative project with Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture (NSDA) and Nova Scotia’s Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM), the Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) held a request for proposals to assess the geothermal resources in onshore Nova Scotia. The team of INRS and Enki GeoSolutions was selected for a study to provide:1) A review of the general types of geothermal resources in Nova Scotia with reference to key regional, national and global examples;2) A preliminary evaluation of the potential/favorability of Nova Scotia’s geothermal resources (direct use of heat, electricity generation, and heating and cooling from abandoned mines);3) Recommendations for next steps to further de-risk targeted areas;4) A discussion about the economic case for potential geothermal resource exploration and development in the province.
</gco:CharacterString>
</gmd:abstract>

[jmckenna]

Maybe that error has always been in the logs for that record, and this is a 'red herring' not sure....but, now, now you can understand the importance of my earlier long warning email about filenames etc, here we are again likely wasting time on a related special character issue (see, this is not my first rodeo ha). With software, best to avoid all this and do not include special characters, anywhere :)

Problem is not solved, but that explains the error I found in the logs at 9:19am

[jmckenna]

2024-06-19T15:18:17,387 ERROR [geonetwork] - A sequence of more than one item is not allowed as the first argument of normalize-space() ("As part of", "")