Moving TOC Entries Between Projects

[Jared Hess]

Howdy all ye grand RoboHelpers!

I have several topics and TOC entries in a smaller project that I'm trying to move over into our large core help project. I've imported the files already, but I'm wondering if there is there a fast and easy way to move the TOC entries? I know I can go in and modify the .HHC file and copy and paste the appropriate section of code into my core project's hhc file, but I'm just wondering if there's an easier way? I tried copying and pasting from one project to another, but that doesn't work.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Jared

Well, there's a huge potential wrinkle here.

* Do the topics you have imported reside in the exact relative folder location in the new project? For example, if the old project had four topics found in a folder named "MyFolder", do you have a matching "MyFolder" folder in the new project? If the answer to that is no, then copying the TOC entries will likely prove futile.

I see you have listed 7.03 as your RoboHelp version. Assuming you DO have a folder in the same location in the new project, you might be able to fudge things a bit by creating a New TOC and copying the one with the entries. Then using a placeholder in the existing TOC to insert the section you copied.

To create a new TOC:
Display the TOC Editing Pod.
Ensure you are able to see all the icons in the TOC Pod toolbar. This may require clicking and dragging to make it wider. Or you may click the dark blue area on the right side of the TOC Editor Toolbar and the extra icons will pop down. Click the icon with the yellow starburst on it. This should display the "Select TOC" dialog.
Click the New button.
Type a name to reference the TOC and click to place a check mark in the "Copy existing Table of Contents" check box. This should enable the button with the ellipsis on it.
Click the ellipsis button.
Browse to and select the TOC you wish to copy.
Edit the TOC so it has only the entries and arrangement you want.

To insert the TOC Placeholder:
From the main TOC, click the TOC Placeholder icon in the TOC editor toolbar. This icon looks like a page surrounded by two red brackets.
Click the "Select Table of Contents" drop-down and choose the new TOC.
Click OK.
Arrange the TOC Placeholder where you want it in the main TOC.

Hopefully this will help get you what you need... Rick

[KHuntington]

I'm having a slightly different but related issue. I'm hoping someone can offer a creative solution other than having to copy and paste the code or re-create the master TOC manually.

Our situation (RH7) is that several authors own individual projects that pertain to their specific subject area. However, all have the same TOC and folder structure (e.g., all have a book called "Procedures", another called "Work Instructions" and so forth). They didn't want to have separate books in the final master project because the end-users may not necessarily know which "book" to look in to find the procedure or work instruction they need (the subject areas sometimes overlap or are relatively transparent to the users). In other words, we want one master book called "Procedures" that merges the topics from all the subprojects' "Procedures" books in the TOC.

I was hoping the TOC placeholder would work like the Index placeholder, which merges all the entries. Thinking about it now, I guess that's totally wishful thinking, but does anyone know how to easily achieve this effect, even if it means re-thinking our architecture and workflow?

Thanks!

-Kristen

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Kristen.

Do the projects each of your authors work on need a book at all? My thinking is that if the TOC only contains topics that the master project could just contain a "Procedures" book inside which are the merged projects.

---

Read the RoboColum(n).

[KHuntington]

Thanks Colum, for giving this some thought. Yes, they do need books since there are hundreds of work instructions in a dozen or more functional areas. But we've sort of figured out a process whereby all authors check in their projects on Thursday EOB, and then the "robohelp administrator" gets the latest version of all subprojects, generates locally, and then publishes the master project on Friday. We have been able to collect the metrics (roboserver reports) using this methodology, by some small miracle. So it satisfies our requirements for the time being.

Also, in order to do "ad hoc" publishing, we have set up a test system on a file share, published the master to it to create the MergedProjects folder and subfolders, and then mapped the subprojects "output folder and start page" to that subfolder. We just generate the subproject to that location whenever necessary and have a shortcut to the "Master.htm" ("launch file") to view the whole sha-bang. That lets the different authors to psydo-publish their own projects independantly of the others.

That's how we ended up resolving the issue.

-Kristen

[Jared Hess]

Thanks Rick. The topics do not exist in the exact relative folder.

I did manage to get it to work the old way: copying and pasting .hhc code from one .hhc to another, and then updating the links and images inside RH.

I'll give your procedure a try the next time I have to do this. I appreciate your help and rapid responses.