Can I delete multiple topics in RH10 without deleting links to the deleted topic?

[Paul_SH]

If I delete a topic in the Project Manager in RH10 then I get the option to not delete links to the deleted topic (useful as I then want to search on broken links). The downside is I can only delete one topic at a time. However, I can delete multiple topics using the Topic List but it deletes the link to the topic as well.

Does anyone know how I can delete multiple topics in RH10 and keep the broken links to the deleted topic?

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

By submitting a feature request! It has been that way for many versions.

Please follow this link.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

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[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Until Adobe changes behavior, this is likely the best way:

Right-click a topic in the Project Manager pod and choose Explore. This should open Windows Explorer at the project location.

Locate and delete the topics using Windows Explorer.

Return to RoboHelp and you have accomplished part of your goal.

The topics will still be listed in the Project, but will show a red x indication that they cannot be found. And I"m guessing that because you want to delete the topics but not remove the references, this will actually be fine as you are likely going to replace the topics at a later point, no?

Hope this helps... Rick

[Paul_SH]

Thanks Rick, I hadn't thought of that.

Paul

[Peter Grainge]

Neither had I, just remember not to play cards with Rick.

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[starrd]

   It does flag some of the files in Project Manager (using RH 10) but for some reason does not flag them all unless you restart RH.  It definitely does not show the broken links, which was a goal in my case. The primary thing I wanted was also to do a bulk delete.  I have 243 files that I want to delete and handle separately. Heading over to the wish form.

[starrd]

Ok.  Update for those who use legacy QnAs for scraps of helpful information.  I did as Peter suggested and filed a wish.  The team got back to me already to point out that the feature does exist so I'm logging it here in case anyone else makes my mistake.

You can multi-select from the Topics List pod, not the Project Manager pod.  Delete is available there. Also, conditional is available but it's hidden under ...Properties...Advanced.

Yay for this!

[Peter Grainge]

When you delete that way (via the Topic List) all links are removed from other topics and just the text of the link is left. In your first post you wanted the links left so I am not seeing how this is the solution you wanted.

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[starrd]

Hi Peter

I tried it this morning again with assorted tests and it appears something is odd.

Deleting an individual file behaves the same as from project manager - you get the same dialogs.

Deleting bulk files pops a different dialog referring to patching the links.  I'll reopen the feature request with the developer.

[Peter Grainge]

Exactly. Multiple delete has always worked that way.

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[Paula R. Stern]

Okay - I have to ask...why would you want to keep the broken links?

And, if you want to keep them because in the future you'll want to resurrent the topics so why not use conditional tags to block out the topics in the current build without deleting them?

[Paul_SH]

I was splitting up a help project into smaller projects so I didn't want the links to disappear when I deleted topics as I'd still need them as external links. 

[Peter Grainge]

But then the link would have a different path anyway. Are you separating the projects with a view to creating smaller projects that are then merged?

f the projects are going to be independant you will need to delete the topics one by one and then amend them one by one. If you are going to create merged help, it might be better to tackle it in a different way. It depends on the number of cross project links.

Tell us more.

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[Paul_SH]

Yes, split into independent projects. I deleted the topics one by one once I realised I couldn't delete multiple topics in the Topic List AND keep the links to the topics. I know the path changed, but I needed to know where the old links were, which I couldn't do if it the links were removed.

[Paula R. Stern]

okay - one question further...why do you need to split them into individual projects. As RoboHelp gets more robust, I find that I am joining projects together to minimize repeated text. Using conditional tags, I can generate numerous smaller documents and still save on content reuse.

If there is any chance in the future of needing to "share" some of the info, I'd go with heavy use of conditional tags over breaking them into smaller topics. With conditional tags, you only "ship" the files you need anyway, so the fact that they are contained within a larger problem is no longer a major issue.

[Paul_SH]

We split the project because a) It was taking ages to generate the online help b) multiple authors wanted to work on different parts of the help at the same time so conditional tags were becoming confusing.

[starrd]

To all above - In my case, the topic set to be deleted is reference material that has been historically maintained both in the webhelp project and in an FM book, but not with single sourcing into the webhelp project. Duplicated effort. The webhelp project is a huge, flat legacy structure that covers many products so I was hoping to avoid introducing single sourcing for just the reference piece. I'd hoped to just produce a tagged PDF and change the original links to point to that.  A separate issue is making that a non-option though; I can't get the successive links to the PDF to open to the topic except in Firefox. Ideally this project would be rebuilt as a merged webhelp but our project lifecycles are so short that this may not be feasible. The ideas here have been helpful though.

[Paula R. Stern]

Check out the new collaboration features in RH11 - makes working with a team that much better. The sync feature enables you to have multiple authors working on the same project.

I hear you about the large project. I had one years ago that I thought was freezing RH. It "crashed" about four times and I stopped and restarted the program until the fifth time, I just gave up and went home...the next morning, i came in to find that it had not frozen/crashed at all - it just took hours to compile because the project was so huge. I got in the habit of only compiling once a day (at night when i was ready to shut down).

[Peter Grainge]

To clarify Paula's answer, the sync feature is not intended to allow multiple authors to work on the same project at the same time, it is about sharing specific topics and other resources.

Dropbox and other cloud based shares can be used but you have to start outside Rh by copying the whole project into Dropbox. Then each author will effectively have a local copy. Before starting work, they must ensure Dropbox is synced or they could be working on out of date files.

The danger is that two authors would both open the same topic or make a change that impacts a shared file, such as the TOC or index. Syncing does not replace source control. If you can be certain two authors will not work simultaneously on a project and will check Dropbox is synced before starting work, then it is OK to work this way. I am UK based and worked successfully this way with someone US based.

If you copy whole folders to the cloud from inside Rh, you will likely find that dependant resources in other are not placed in the same folder as in Rh.

With single topics and other resources these are not issues as Rh was designed to deal with that.

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