Javahelp/Oracle Help

[techwriter1995]

We're using Robohelp to create Javahelp & Oracle help. We name our popups in this fashion: ap_address_popup. When building, oracle & javahelp duplicate these topics in the build folder & add the text popup_topic to the file name. So in the final folder, I have a file name ap_address_popup and ap_address_popup_popup_topic. Duplicating all these file names is making my output folders ridiculously large. Can anyone tell me how to stop this?

I tried removing the word popup. Also, all my popups are currently defined as auto-sizing. I tried changing that. What is making it do this?

[RoboColum_n_]

I have never heard of RH adding additional topics. Can you give us some further detail about these popups? Are they DHTML, hyperlinks, etc.?

[techwriter1995]

I have my project divided into folders, ap, gl, etc. So when I do the build, Robohelp creates the !SSL!/IOracle_Help folder then my folders inside. Inside my ap folder for example, there are now two htm files for every popup. Example would be ap_address_info_popup.htm which I created and ap_address_info_popup_popup_topic.htm which was somehow created by the build. Does that help?

[Peter Grainge]

Does one set of names have an old date. I am wondering if there is something historic in the folder. Try generating the help to a new folder.

You are generating the two outputs to different folders?

[techwriter1995]

I've deleted everything in the !SSL! folder every time I've tried to generate to make sure I'm not looking at old files.

I was previously generating javahelp then viewing it in oracle. Then I realized I could create oracle in Robohelp so now I'm only generating the Oracle Help.

[RoboColum_n_]

I'm still not clear how you are generating the popups. Are you aware of the limitations with Oracle help when using links?

[techwriter1995]

I highlight the link. Click the Insert Popup icon then select Display in Auto Sizing Popup.

I read all the limitations about using oracle help, yes. But the popups display fine. I just don't understand why I'm getting all these duplicate files.

[Captiv8r]

Hi all

Okay, perhaps this will help. I'm not sure I understand what is happening, but I'll toss this into the mix.

First off, to Colum. You said you never heard of RoboHelp adding additional topics. Actually it's quite common in my experience. When I conduct a RoboHelp class, I always refer to WebHelp as a "swarm" of files because you end up with more than you began with. I created a project and counted files. I have a graph that shows that if you have 20 topics, you end up with as many as 217 files. And if that 20 grows to 200 topics, the WebHelp output has 463 files.

Now we know that many of the files are simply there to support WebHelp and the way it operates. But part of what accounts for the additional file overhead is related to Text-Only popups. Each Text-Only popup gets converted to an individual HTML topic page. So yes, RoboHelp is creating additional topics for these.

What seems puzzling in this case is why the additional topics are being created for other types of popups. Usually you are pointing to existing topics. As the topics should already be part of the project, it's puzzling to me how (or why) RoboHelp is seeing fit to create the additional topics.

I suppose if I were in Cindy's shoes, one thing I would do to troubleshoot the situation is to rule out any oddness that is totally "Oracle Help" related. To do this, simply generate a WebHelp layout and see if you get the same mix of files. If no, then you know it's related to either the fact it's Oracle Help, or possibly the layout itself is corrupt in some way. If so, try re-creating the layout.

If the same thing happens in WebHelp, It would seem that RoboHelp has possibly lost track of the fact the files are actually part of the project. In this case you may need to consider blowing away the .CPD file and letting it rebuild.

Just some thoughts from the fringe... Rick

[techwriter1995]

Thanks, Rick! I just created a webhelp file & the duplication did not occur. So that narrows it down - it only occurs in Javahelp & Oracle Help which is unfortunately what our subsidiary needs from me. 🙂

[techwriter1995]

One of my co-workers just found this on a site called Need Scripts. ( http://www.needscripts.com/Resource/10438.html) Some of you might be familiar with it.
>>>Help Popups
This is a JavaScript component with which you can enable your website with a pop-up help box similar to Microsoft Windows. The help pop-ups can be customized very easily. JavaScript creates the entire HTML page for the popup and thus enables it to load very quickly when the user moves the cursor on an item in which a help pop-up is defined.
>>>>
So maybe it's just the way javahelp works? Sounds like it.

[techwriter1995 · Accepted solution]

ok just found this on this site: I guess I have my answer.

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/messageview.cfm?forumid=65&catid=449&threadid=1314255&e...