Numbered list font display problem in preview

[Margaret_Becker]

Why does the HTML code look different when I open it in RH than it does when I open it with a text editor? For example, in my documents opened with RoboHTML R8, I get this:

<ol>
   <li class="p-Procedure-Step"><p class="Procedure-Step">Select planar curves.</p></li>
   <li class="p-Procedure-Step"><p class="Procedure-Step">Select the surface.</p></li>
</ol>

But when I open the same file in a text editor, I get this:

<ol>
  <li class=Procedure-Step><p class=Procedure-Step>Select planar curves.</p></li>
  <li class=Procedure-Step><p class=Procedure-Step>Select the surface.</p></li>
</ol>

Notice that in the RH HTML view, an extra p- appears in the li class= statement. It does not appear in the text editor. In addition, the style name is surrounded by quotes in RoboHTML, but is not in the text editor.

Normally, I would not notice this, but I have a problem with the display of the list numbering in the Preview window in RH. While the text format is Verdana x-small, the number itself is Times New Roman 12pt. I found that deleting the p- in the style name fixes the problem, but the only way to get rid of it is to delete it in RH. I would like to be able to fix this all in one go with a batch script using a text editor, but since the text does not exist, it can't be done.

Any ideas?

[Peter Grainge]

I would download FAR and BKReplaceEm to see if they view the text the same way as RH.

Also try one or two other text editors. There are plenty of good free text editors out there. Programmers Notepad or Notepad ++ are two.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Margaret_Becker]

I've tried:

Notepad

Notepad++

Programmers Notepad

Edit Plus

Coffee Cup

Nvu/Composer

Mass File Editor

Microsoft HTML Help Workshop

None display the p- except RH HTML view.

[RoboWizard]

Hi there

Weighing in with my own thoughts on this.

Perhaps you are simply seeing a "RoboHelp way" of rendering in the WYSIWYG editor? I recall that in older versions of RoboHelp, the infamous (yet innocuous) KADOV tagging provided a means to assist rendering things in WYSIWYG. So you ended up with many KADOV styles in your CSS file. I believe there was one matching KADOV style for each "typically defined" style. So I'm wondering if this isn't what's happening here. But instead of seeing the dreadful KADOV, you are seeing p- and RoboHelp is only adding that in its own WYSIWYG view.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Margaret_Becker]

Well, I guess that would be fine except this extra p- screws up the display of list numbers in RH's preview. Also it isn't in the WYSIWYG/Design view, it's in the HTML code view that the extra p- appears.

In addition, kadov tags still display in other text editors, but are invisible in RH HTML view. So the p- is visible in RH, but invisible elsewhere, while kadov tags are invisible in RH but visible elsewhere. I wouldn't care if the extra p- didn't cause a problem. And how the heck can RH display something that doesn't seem to exist in the file? This is making me crazy.

~M Becker

www.rhino3d.com

[Peter Grainge]

Create a new project with just one topic that exhibits the p problem and one topic that exhibits the kadov problem. Use the topic to describe how it is impacting on the output. Zip it up and send it to me via www.cutesendit.com. You can get my address from my site.

Please use the style sheet you are using in the project giving trouble.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Margaret_Becker]

While I was creating the sample project, I discovered the problem could be fixed by setting the Background Text style to the font to match my normal text. I consider the problem to be resolved.

I'd still like to know what the mechanism is whereby RoboHTML puts extra text into the file that does not exist when using an outside text editor. Just curious.

~Margaret

[Peter Grainge]

That's why I asked you to create a small sample project. With that the cause can be investigated.

________________________________________

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

[Margaret_Becker]

This just seems to be the way RoboHTML works. I'd like to understand it a little better, but it isn't really necessary to getting the job done.

[Peter Grainge]

I would like to investigate this further.Whilst you have a fix it is not "just the way RH works". Part of the problem is that I think your lists should be created in a different way to start with. I would like to see how things are working just for the list. Also I want to check out how you are seeing different things in the Design Editor and Notepad.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips