incomplete coding for buttons?

[blazertrails]

Hello all,

I am attempting to paste in PayPay shopping cart buttons into a website, but when I copy and paste the code they give me, it appears as though it's incomplete.

Here is the part of the code that is not working correctly:  <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick">
  <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="HWNQMZ74Z6V68">

I am working in an older version of Dreamweaver, so I don't know if that is part of the problem or not. When I paste in this code and look at the results, I have to icons, for lack of a better term, outside of the "Add to Cart" button, such as what you would see when you've missed a tag in your coding.

Thank you very much for any suggestions!

[AnnLock]

Hmmm...I wondering if this is what's happening with me. I'm doing a cart button, but it doesn't work. I used to build them without any trouble, but now it seems to not want to move between options. It tells me something is wrong with my website, but microsoft says nothing is wrong.

I'm using the latest version of Firefox on a MAC.

[blazertrails]

I contacted the merchant technical support, and basically was blown off. It's not anything wrong on their end, so it must be with my web developer program. They even suggested I hire a web designer! How do they know if I'm not already my own professional web designer?!

I've put these buttons in another site many years ago and had no problem. This time, it is just not working right. I've copied the code into  a Word file so I don't have to keep recreating one, and am pasting it into the design that way, but I'm still coming up with those funny little icon looking things that usually mean the coding is incorrect. They do seem to work, but they sure don't look pretty! The little icon things don't show up when I load it into the browser to preview it, which is good, and I can actually order it from there. I guess I'll run with it until I can figure out something different. Not that it's good, but I'm glad I'm not the only one having problelms! LOL!

[gearloose]

"Here is the part of the code that is not working correctly: "

In my case, the button code becomes corrputed in transmission, and therefore points to a nonexistant button.  This causes the message, 'There is a problem with the website..."  I can see this corruption as "View Source" on my storefront webpage..  Sometimes the corrupted code is on the button code when viewed in "edit Button" on the Paypal server.

When I view the code on my stored copy of the storefront, it is uncorrupted.

By corrupted, I mean that alphanumeric string that identified the button has either been truncated or scrambled.

I use a MANUAL coder, Edit Rocket.  Generally,. this failure happens on weekends, when many people online shop.

I have never seen the scrambled code appear on the HTML Storefront copy on my local machines

As is always the case with any IT department, the first thing always said is, "It isn't us".

So, whether it is Paypal, or whether it is my commercial hosting server doing compressed backups, given the denial poilcy of both IT departments, it is likely not to get resolved any time soon. .

One clue:  When this happens, ping and Traceroute to Paypal times out.  Could be a web fault between my host and Paypal.

So I just put a notice on my store that says, "If the weekend  button failure appears, just email me your shopping list and I'll send you an invoice".  It's either do that or lose the sales.

The first few times it happened, I was angry.  I am far beyond that now. Now I am resolved to fix it one way or another, even if it means running my own server, changing Storefronts, or taking CCs and firing everybody involved.

I am not selling trinkets. These sales are usually hundreds of dollars each. When my customers have a little problem buying goods, I have a huge problem.

Oh, it WILL get fixed. One way or another.

[PayPal_RobG]

All,

I realize how frustrating it is when your PayPal button(s) don't work. But rest assured, we (Merchant Technical Services) don't merely blow you off when you run into a problem. But keep in mind that it's impossible to know the intricate inner workings of each individual web editing program out there. There are literally thousands of different applications, with different versions, out there. 

As such, all we can do is confirm whether what you have is valid code or not, indicate what's missing from the code, and direct you to the vendor of the web editing application for additional assistance on why the web editing application removes certain parts of code.

Having said that though, we will usually (when possible) provide a workaround or alternative methods of accepting your payments.

With regards to your particular queries,what I would suggest doing is:

- Save your website locally on your hard drive

- Navigate to the folder where you saved the website

- Left-click once on the *.html page that contains your PayPal button HTML code

- Hold "Shift"

- Hover over "Open with" and click "Select program"

- Select "Notepad" from the list and click "Ok" (Note: Do not tick the "Assign to this application in the future" tickbox.)

Your website's HTML page should now open in Notepad. If you haven't seen this much HTML before: this is the bare bones of your website.

Now you'll need to go through this HTML file and find your PayPal button (tip: Use F3 / Edit > Search and search for "paypal.com").

Once you found the PayPal button, remove everything starting with <form ...>  and ending with </form>, including all lines starting with <input type="hidden".......>

Paste the fresh code in the area we just cleaned up and save the HTML code by clicking on 'File' followed by 'Save'.

When you re-open the page in Dreamweaver and/or your internet browser, the PayPal button should be working.

Hope this helped. Please let me know if you receive any further errors.

You can also log a ticket with us directly at https://www.paypal.com/mts/

As stated, although we may not be able to assist you when it comes to the particular for your web editing application, we can usually figure out *why* it's failing.

For those using Google Sites: I have created special instructions for you in a blog post of mine on https://www.x.com/developers/community/blogs/ppmtsrobertg/how-fix-your-paypal-button-google-sites-pa...