Problems with Expanding and Drop-down Text in Firefox

[tspaul]

I am evaluating RoboHelp 8 because we're considering upgrading from X5. In X5, our expanding text and drop-down text are working for all our supported browsers (IE 7 and 8 on Windows, Safari 2.x and higher on Windows and Mac, and Firefox).

The expanding text and drop-down text, most of which was set up originally in X5, works just fine in Safari (both Mac and Windows) and IE (Windows) in the RoboHelp 8 WebHelp output from the trial version. However, I'm running into some problems in Firefox 3.0.11, which is the only version I've tested so far.

In Windows Firefox, neither expanding text nor drop-down text will work, regardless of whether I created it in RoboHelp X5 or RoboHelp 8.

In Mac Firefox, expanding text works, and most drop-down text works, but drop-down text with a numbered list does not work.

I was using Peter Grainge's method to create twisties for my drop-down text (not necessary now in RoboHelp 8 where you can do this in a character style), and I'm wondering if some of my manual coding may be conflicting with the new code. However, even a drop-down text link created in RoboHelp 8 is not working for me in Windows. When I click one of the expanding text links or drop-down links in Firefox Windows, I see the error "TextPopup is not defined" for the line javascript:TextPopup(this).

Any ideas? Anything we could do to fix this if we do indeed upgrade to RoboHelp 8? There are other reasons why we'd really like to, but this has us concerned.

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

ORDINARY DROPDOWNS / EXPANDING TEXT

These should work in FF regardless of which RH version you are using. Have you tested in a new project?

TWISTIES

I have tested the method on my site for twisties and it still works in RH8. I didn't test how it would work in a topic where you are also using the Adobe method as I couldn't conceive that anyone would want both methods.

The downside of Adobe's implementation is that the twisty gets applied to all dropdowns whereas my way is applied to just those dropdowns where you want them. Also Adobe have not provided a Show All / Hide All option.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[tspaul]

The suggestion, then, would be to start a new clean project and see if that makes a difference? I will certainly give it a shot.

On Mac in my current project, the old and new twisties work unless there is a numbered-list in the drop-down text. Then, clicking the link does nothing. Have you tested a drop-down with a numbered list? On Windows, as I mentioned, neither expanding text nor drop-down text is working in my current project. Again, all of this is only happening in Firefox. The other browsers work fine.

I will try the new clean project, but I'm a little concerned. Most of the time we are updating existing projects, not creating new ones. If the problem only happens in existing projects, that will affect most of our work.

Good point about the downside of the Adobe twisties.

Tammy

[tspaul]

In a clean project, the expanding text and drop-down text is all working as expected, just as you suggested. I'm going to go ahead and mark this answered since it appears to be something I need to figure out in my project. I don't know if it will be something that others who are upgrading projects will run into - it may be unique to mine.

Thanks for your help as always, Peter. Your advice and your Web site are a great help.

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

Maybe the next step would be to import a rogue topic into the new project.

Post back if you just cannot fix it.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[tspaul]

I'm afraid I'm still stumped on why this doesn't work in my project upgraded from X5, but it does work in a new clean project that I create from scratch. I've included the topic that works from the test "clean" project created in RoboHelp 8 (First_Topic.htm) and a sample topic from my RoboHelp X5 upgraded project (Assign2Teams.htm). In Assign2Teams.htm, I recreated all expanding text links and drop-down text links in RoboHelp 8.

The problem is now limited to Firefox 3.0.11 on Windows XP. Everything seems to work in my other browsers on Mac and Windows.

Is there anything you can see in the code that might explain why it doesn't work? In the Firefox Error Console, I get the error "Error: TextPopup is not defined
Source File: javascript:TextPopup(this)
Line: 1" when I click one of the expanding or drop-down links in Assign2Teams.htm. I don't get this error for any of the links in the First_Topic.htm file.

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

Attachments like that will not work on the forum as the javascript files don't get uploaded.

Can you confirm that a topic that does not work in the upgraded project does work in  in the clean project? I am not clear whether that is the case.

Also, if you import a good topic from the new project, does it still work in the upgraded project?

Finally, why not try it on a PC with the latest version of Firefox 3.5.1. Avoid 3.5 as it had issues.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[tspaul]

Your suggestions have been very helpful. I have tried importing the files from the old/upgraded project into the clean project and vice versa, and then importing all topics into a brand new clean project. I think the nonworking items are the product of a few different conflicting factors, and that by redoing my drop-down links in all topics, I can resolve the problem.

Thanks!

Tammy

[Captiv8r]

Hi Tammy

My intent here is certainly not to tread on anyone's toes, but at any point along the way did you try from inside RoboHelp clicking Tools > Update DHTML Effects in Topics?

I know that the drop-downs are DHTML effects. So wondering if you had tried that and if it worked or if it failed.

Additionally you would want to ensure you have completed a Bug Report to advise the developers a project upgrade failed for you in this manner.

Cheers... Rick

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[tspaul]

Thanks, Rick!

I have started to zero in on the problem. This morning, after retesting various combinations, I figured out that the problem doesn't happen until I actually put the help in our software, so I think the problem is more on our side than RoboHelp's. When I open the topic in Firefox Windows before putting the help in our software, the problem doesn't occur. If I do find any evidence that it is something in RoboHelp, though, I will certainly fill out the bug report.

Thanks much for the tip about updating the DHTML Effects. I didn't know about that one and will keep it in mind for the future. In this case I don't think it will help since the effects work until I put the help in our software.

Tammy

[tspaul]

One more piece of information: the problem also does not occur in the latest version of Firefox (3.5.1), even when the help is in our software, so this appears to be a very narrow problem related to the operation of the help in our software.

Tammy

[tspaul]

I cleared the cache, and the problem went away. I'm feeling pretty stupid right about now.

Thanks for your help and advice!

Tammy