Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi,
Has anybody got any ideas about Robohelp running on software that uses Apache. My file opens fine locally if I open the start page manually, but as soon as the help file is loaded into the software product it opens as a blank page in Firefox. Apparently this is to do with the fact that the software package in question uses Apache web server.
I'm not well enough informed on this side of things to even take a guess so any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Alex Samson
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi Alex
What is your output type? To my knowledge, if you are using basic WebHelp, the server software should not matter. I've seen some isssues reported with FlashHelp, where navigation doesn't show if you are running an IIS server. But this would be the first I've ever heard of WebHelp not being served. (if that's your output)
Cheers... Rick
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi Rick,
Thanks for the swift response. The output is Webhelp. Basically, when the file is opened straight from the output folder - i.e., clicking on index.htm, it opens fine in any browser. The moment the client incorporates the help file into their product it seems to go wrong. The product is a browser-based interface and the help file start page is accessed simply by clicking on a help link. Clicking on the help link simply opens a blank page with a couple of asci-like characters a the top of the screen and nothing else. This only happens in Firefox apparently.
Alex
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
I think this is because your server has not been configured for UTF-8 encoding.
See Item 22 on http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh7/using_rh7.htm
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Thanks Peter. I've regenerated using MOTW and sent the encoding information to the customer. I'll let you know if that works.
Alex
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi Peter,
Still having problems.
In the example you sent me via the link there is talk of:
I checked the code at the top of my pages, it currently reads:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
So utf-8 is already defined. I'm not sure I understand point 2. How do I 'set the 3 bytes utf-8 BOM' at the beginning of the fle if the characters are invisible?
Sorry for my general ignornace; this is all quite new to me.
Alex
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
You have done your bit.
It is for the administrator of the server to set it up to recognise UTF-8.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi Peter,
I'm still having no joy with this encoding issue. I passed on to the customer that they need to configure their apache server to recognise utf-8. They say they have but it has made no difference. One thing they have passed back to me is that on some of the pages there is a space before the first HTML tag. I've looked through every page and cannot see a space.
Do you have any more suggestions that I can try? I'm at a loss to explain this. The most frustrating thing is that when I open the files my end, direct from the output folder and into any browser, they open fine.
Very frustrated
Alex
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Nothing else to suggest unless you are using RoboHelp 8. If you are, email me via my site and I can send you an amended file that may help.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi All,
I've found the solution to this problem yesterday. In a nutshell the issue relates to the fact that RoboHelp outputs HTML with UTF-8 encoding, while the Linux web server I was uploading the Help to was onlu compatible with UTF-16. I fixed this by entering the following header informationa the top of every page of code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16" ?>
I suppose the other fix would be to have the web server configure to support UTF-8, but from a quick, short-term fix point of view, inserting the above header information worked really well.
Alex