Hyperlinks not Printing

[AlScott8001]

Well, not sure if this falls under here of Printed Documentation. So bear with me if I've posted this in the wrong place.
Here's the problem:
The helpfile HTML has created perfectly, and one page is a list of links to PDF files which the Users can complete etc...
Now - when I create the DOC from the HelpFile everything is fine - BUT - the PDF files do not appear in the final generated DOC, although obviously the page with the 'links' ie a list of the available forms does appear.
Tried everything I can think of here, and the only one I can get to work - which is a pain - is to convert the PDF file to a JPG, resize it, and pop that onto the page - then generate the DOC.
Well that's the problem.

[Peter Grainge]

So the topic has links to PDFs.

The printed document shows that page with all the links.

You want the content of the PDFs to appear as well.

Is that the issue? If not please clarify.

[AlScott8001]

Hi Peter,
Yes - sorry about that. I want the PDF files actually to appear in the DOC - ie as their own pages that'll be included in the index/TOC etc...
So we have a page that lists the forms:
• Access Card Authorization Form
• Class II Terminal Incident Report
• EE Verification Consent
• EPIC Powerserver Change Request
• EPIC CMP Password Authorization Request ver 1.2
• EPROM CFC
• Machine Game Log Book
• PC Password Authorization
• Power Touch Claims
• PowerBingo Bonanza Log Book
• Purchasing Order Form

But of course these are only links to the files. What I want are the actual PDF files themselves to be in the final PDF document as pages.

[Peter Grainge]

First, it cannot be done from RH, or any other tool come to that. I don't think there's even a way you can Word to display a PDF in the DOC. They are different file formats.

The only thing I can think of is some of the better PDF programs let you append a PDF to another PDF. Maybe some will let you insert one PDF at a specific point. If any program is going to do it, it will be Adobe Acrobat.

Try that forum to check if it can be done. I wish you luck on this one.

[AlScott8001]

Yup - that works with merging the PDF forms into the final generated PDF from RH.
Bit of a pity though - as it would be useful to be able to include them into the INDEX or TOC, so your page #'s would be continuous.
Though I do have an idea that could work. I'll let you know my 'cheat'
At least Acrobat does make merging PDF files together easy.
Thanks Peter

[AlScott8001]

Well the 'cheat' worked. Created a PDF file combining all the 'user-forms', then combined the PDF from my Project with that file.
Not perfect I grant you, don't get the page numbers for the attached file. I can live with that unless I have a burst of inspiration!

[Chet Zeshonski]

I'm not sure I understand the situation perfectly, but let me throw another cheat at you:

1. Generate your DOC file from your Help project.

2. In the DOC file, include a few blank "placeholder" topics for your PDF forms. To add a placeholder, insert a new blank page with a Header 1 tag. Insert as many page breaks as needed so that the length of each placeholder topic matches the length of the appropriate PDF form.

3. Update the TOC in your DOC file; this will list the "placeholders" in your TOC on the appropriate pages.

4. Generate a PDF file from your DOC file.

5. Use Adobe Acrobat Professional to replace the placeholder topics with the PDF forms.

6. Use the Add Headers & Footers option in Acrobat to add page numbers to the forms you inserted into your document.

If you've done all that correctly, you should end up with a PDF file of your help that includes numbered pages for your forms.

Here's a quick example that illustrates the process. Suppose you have four chapters for your document:

1. Faxing Forms to a Central Database
2. Sample Fax Form
3. Troubleshooting the Faxing Process

Chapters 1 and 3 are included in your Help topics; chapter 2 is a 5-page form you wish to insert. First, generate your DOC file. If you created a placeholder topic for chapter 2 in RH, great; when you open the final DOC file, go to chapter 2, insert 4 additional page breaks, and then update your TOC. If you didn't create a placeholder topic in RH, don't worry: open the DOC, insert 5 new pages into the right spot, type "Chapter 2" in Header 1 style on the first of those 5 pages, and then update your TOC.

In either case, you will end up with a 5-page break for chapter 2, with a matching title in your TOC. Next, generate the PDF file. When it is complete, open the file in Adobe Acrobat, click the Document menu, and then click the Replace button. Navigate to your PDF form, and replace the 5 pages in your Help PDF with the form. Next, click the Document menu, click the Add Headers & Footers button, and use the features of the Add Headers & Footers dialog to create page numbers for the 5 form pages that match the formatting used elsewhere in your document.

Hope this helps.