Problem when rows in tables conditionalized

[SueC2009]

Hi all,

I'm really *really* hoping someone can help me with this.

I am using TCS 3, using FrameMaker integration to create Webhelp from my Frame source.

I use conditional text.

I set my conditions within FrameMaker and have Robohelp use the Frame conditional settings.

My tables are not that complicated, but in some cases, I have an entire row conditioned so that it does not appear in one stream of my output (i stream across my product releases with the same source).

I set my conditions properly in Frame but when I create the output, the Webhelp output has additional empty columns randomly placed at the right edge of my table (not across the entire table, either, just some rows show the extra empty columns). In one case, a row appears several rows below where it should have appeared.

When I delete the conditional text altogether from the rows in the table, the output generates correctly; obviously, this is not a solution.

Also of note: this problem only occurs if there are straddled rows or columns in the same table (even if the conditioned rows are not the ones that are straddled).

Has anyone seen this? Any solutions?

Thanks in advance.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I’ve never seen that happen, but I’ve never tried to do it that way; I wonder if RH isn’t seeing the table itself as hidden, only the table contents. I’d be tempted to experiment with a small sample table – make sure that the row is fully conditioned and that it disappears when you do the FM show/hide on it before pulling it into RH; or turn it around and suck all the content into RH and then use the CBT expression in the SSL to hide the row to see what you get.

[Peter Grainge]

When working in RoboHelp you have to select the whole row rather than just the contents of the row when applying a tag.

That is to simply avoid and empty row which is not quite what you are seeing. However, it may prompt you to apply your tags in Fm in a different way that does fix the problem.

Jeff is your man on what to do in Fm.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

@Peter – thanks for the vote of confidence ;>)

FM allows you to hide just the contents of a cell, so you’d be left with an empty cell or row in your table. I’ve only ever hid the entire table (contents & table gridlines), not a particular row in FM. I do remember that I had to really force it to hide the table grid part – FM’s first inclination is to apply the condition to just the contents.