<Symbol> tag. Where's it coming from? How do I remove them?

Report · Apr 29, 2009

Hi ya'll.

We have a wee problem. RoboHelp seems to be adding in <symbol> tags in front of HTML symbol codes and converting symbols to symbol codes inside the .htm text.

For example, consider this this sentence in our previous version's help, likely compiled in RH6:

If 'B' curves are present in the IGES file, select this check box to use them as the trim definition. You may also need to select this check box if the model has poorly defined 'C' trimming curves. By selecting this check box, the 'C' trimming curves will be regenerated from the 'B' trimming curves.

Now compare that with the topic from our current version's help, compiled with RH7:

If <symbol name="Single Opening Quote">‘B’ curves are present in the IGES file, select this check box to use them as the trim definition. You may also need to select this check box if the model has poorly defined <symbol name="Single Opening Quote">‘C’ trimming curves. By selecting this check box, the <symbol name="Single Opening Quote">‘C’ trimming curves will be regenerated from the <symbol name="Single Opening Quote">‘B’ trimming curves.

There are two issues.

1) The insertion of the <Symbol> tag.

2) The changing of the character symbol to an HTML code.

My main issue today, however, is with the <symbol> tag. These tags are now popping up during our quality management test done by our translation software. We've figured out how to set them as hidden in the translation software for future versions, but it's a pain in the current version sifting through what are invalid or invalid items.

I'd rather the <symbol> tags didn't clutter up my source at all.

My questions:

1) These <symbol> tags seeem, in my mind, to be purely informational. Is this correct, or do they serve some other purpose?

2) Is there a setting somewhere in RH to way to turn these tags off?

3) If they are always on, is there a comprehensive list of <symbol> tags with their named attributes so we can hide them in our translation software? So far, we've only detected these:

Thanks in advance for your help,

Jared Hess

RH 7 / Vista 32 Bit

Report · May 07, 2009

Just wondering if anyone has any bright ideas on this. What is the purpose of these <symbol> tags? I've verified that the <symbol> tags are entered with whatever symbol I select from Insert | HTML | Symbol. So I guess I can enter the symbols that way to get a comprehensive list of the attributes used that way. But I'd really like to know what Adobe was thinking adding in something that seems so non-standard...

Report · May 07, 2009

Hi there

LOL, good luck in getting anyone here (other than Adobe) to advise what Adobe was thinking when they do anything! Note that I'm not saying their thinking is flawed, mind you, it's just that sometimes it doesn't make sense to us. Probably largely because they are a huge entity with vast resources. And me? Well, I guess that makes me half vast. But enough about that.

Yes, the symbols are inserted in the exact same manner as you described. My guess here is that RoboHelp is surrounding the HTML Entity code with some special RoboHelp tagging so that the symbol is rendered as a true symbol and not simply displayed as the text representing the symbol. For example, perhaps you wanted a TradeMark symbol. There isn't an easy way to just type that symbol directly. So you need to use the Insert > HTML > Symbol... to pop the little sucker in there. What it inserts is <?rh-symbol_start name="Trademark" ?>™<?rh-symbol_end ?>. The HTML entity for this is ™. So RoboHelp is probably surrounding the character with the code to prevent it from simply presenting ™ when the topic displays.

At least that's my best educated guess... Rick

Report · May 07, 2009

Hi Rick.

Thanks for your answer.

That might be their thinking. Not sure. I did notice, however, that if I decompile a .chm project and modify an .htm file in a text editor, removing the <symbol> tag, it doesn't affect how the symbol code displays at all. In short ™ continues to properly display as the expected trademark symbol.

I can understand the <symbol> tag appearing inside of the source code if it's something that stays in RH. After all, it may be useful in knowing what the code is if working a lot in the HTML editor. Personally, I think anything RH-specific should be removed from the build target.

Report · May 07, 2009

Hi again

So you are saying the symbol tags pass on through to output. Hmmm

First off, as long as things are working, why do you care? Is it causing grief elsewhere? If so, I understand. But if not, it's just an annoyance.

Just wondering... Rick

Report · May 07, 2009

Yeah these tags are passing to the output target. In English it's fine, but as stated in my original post it is causing grief with our translation's quality management process because these tags are getting flagged as tags that haven't been moved over into the target language. Our Translation Coordinator is trying to determine why the <symbol> tags are even appearing in the source when they didn't used to and especially if they don't even do anything.

So, yeah, in English things are hunky dory. But for our translation process it adds another level of complexity and work to fix. This is one of the reasons in our translation process we've submitted decompiled .chm projects to translators because we assumed that compiling the project first would remove these RH-specific tags.

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<Symbol> tag. Where's it coming from? How do I remove them?