RH8 crashes on converting RH7 project...

[Flaven]

...please bear with me, this is long: I've successfully converted four significant RoboHelp 7 projects to RoboHelp 8 -- however, I have one that continuously, repeatedly crashes RoboHelp: the conversion itself crashes (maybe 2/3 of the way through), but opens up the project on the next execution of RH8; if I attempt to save changes in most topics, RH8 crashes. If I attempt to preview most topics, RH8 crashes. If I attempt to update DHTML Effects, RH8 crashes.

I can compile (to either WebHelp or FlashHelp), but my "Normal" template (a stub) is replicated at the top of each and every topic in the compiled system. I've gone through the usual hoops (I've been around long enough), including deleting the CPD file, even the baggage, index, TOC and other configuration/parameter files...to no avail. I created a new, blank project and imported one file. RH8 crashed.

However, I can go back and open up any of the other converted systems and they run like clockwork, without a hitch.

The Vista Problem Report listed the crash as:

----------------------------------------------------

Problem signature

Problem Event Name:   APPCRASH

Application Name:           RoboHTML.exe

Application Version:       8.0.0.203

Application Timestamp:                4944f3bb

Fault Module Name:      ntdll.dll

Fault Module Version:   6.0.6002.18005

Fault Module Timestamp:            49e03824

Exception Code:               c015000f

Exception Offset:             0005b80a

OS Version:        6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.1

Locale ID:             1033

Additional Information 1:             fd00

Additional Information 2:             ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Additional Information 3:             fd00

Additional Information 4:             ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Extra information about the problem

Bucket ID:           1311412229

----------------------------------------------------------

At one point, before I uninstalled and reinstalled Visual Office 2008 on a long shot (try that some time: it's not a trivial task...), I'd received a debug message something like "yada-yada was activated while yad-yada was activated before yada-yada was deactivated" -- I Googled that, and the resolutions were horrific and I'm trying to forget.

After a full work week of  grubbing around, I found the solution to RH8 crashing on save: some topics could be individually saved, most not. I did some file diffs and discovered that a table at the very top of each topic was variously saved by RH7 as either:

<table x-use-null-cells style="width: 100%; x-cell-content-align: Center; border-right-style: Groove; border-right-width: ;

                                border-bottom-style: Groove; border-bottom-width: ; border-spacing: 0px;

                                border-spacing: 0px;" cellspacing=0 width=100%>

...or...

<table style="background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll;

                                background-image: url('Graphics/paper1a.jpg'); border-right-style: Groove;

                                border-bottom-style: Groove;" cellspacing="0" background="Graphics/paper1a.jpg" width="100%">

Topics with the first, crashed RH8. Always. Topics with the second were saved as expected.

OK, so that problem was solved (in a sense)....but, I still have the issue where my template (normal.htt -- which consists solely of a stubbed table as above and now corrected) gets inserted into the top of every published topic. For example:

The template ("Master Page") is a stub: "This is a stub."

In the generated output (local machine, no server/network, running Vista64), every topic begins with "This is a stub" -- even if I delete normal.htt...

I've submitted this as a bug, but would really appreciate any ideas. The first part, above, frazzled me no end--this part is driving me nuts. Again,all other projects have converted just fine and cause no issues.

Thank you in advance...

[Peter Grainge]

Not ignoring you but stuck for an answer. I'll give it some more thought after work.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Peter Grainge]

I wonder if the answer is in this part of your post?

"in the generated output (local machine, no server/network, running Vista64), every topic begins with "This is a stub" -- even if I delete normal.htt..."

RoboHelp 8 is not certified for 64 bit machines. Try installing the trial version on a 32 bit machine and see if you still get the problem.

If you do, create a new project on the 32 bit machine and import a topic that gives this problem. Then maybe we can look at it.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Flaven]

Thanks, Peter...this may be the reason(s) it ain't 64bit certified yet...<G> I'll run the project through a 32-bit XP system and let you know what happens.

[Flaven]

Sorry, Peter: no cigar. On a 32-bit XP Pro SP2 system (…ummmmmm…likely certified by Adobe)—exact sam...

1.        RH8 crashes on conversion about 2/3 through (that’s speculative, of course).

2.        Topics with the first RH7 table above crash RH8 on save.

3.        Topics with second table above save as expected.

4.        Update DHTML immediately crashes RH8.

5.        Output shows template (“Master Page”) in each topic, in additon to topic content.

I haven’t heard from Adobe tech support on the bug report, but if they’re watching: I’d be happy to send them the project. Nothing beats like seeing it first hand…<G>

[Peter Grainge]

Tech Support do not respond to bug reports, neither do Adobe in general, you should have been advised of that when you submitted the bug.

Do you still have RH7 on a machine so that you can create a small project with this problem?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Flaven]

Peter, I'm aware of Adobe's approach to bug reports and was not expecting contact--but have worked with them in the past on unusual issues. In regards to this issue, I'll probably zero-base the time I spent troubleshooting and reinstall RH7 on another machine to work this one project.

I appreciate your responses--it'll be interesting to see if others have encountered anything similar.

[Peter Grainge]

The reason I was suggesting RH7 was so that you could create a small project for me to look at.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Flaven]

Peter, I do appreciate the assistance. I did reinstall RH7, manually installed the three updates (through 7.0.3), re-ran the orginal project in RH7.

It opened fine in RH7, absolutely no issues. On a whim (I already "knew" the answer), I then picked up the project in RH8 and experienced the same behavior as noted above. I did catch, this time, that the "conversion" crashed while the status line was noting "Fetched Style Sheets" -- I restored the original RH7 project, deleted all css files, but the "conversion" crashed anyway...<G>

Let me know what you need...

[Peter Grainge]

I need you to create a new project in RH7. Import one topic that is causing this problem. Make a copy of the project at this stage. Try opening it in RH8 to prove the table is what is causing the problem. Assuming it is, zip up the copy you did not attempt to upgrade and send it to me via http://www.cutesendit.com. Include a link to this thread.

You can get an address from my site.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Peter Grainge]

The email from cutesendit did not include the link requested so I used the email address and that bounced.

What is causing the crashing is the DHTML effect you have included. I found that if I remove that in RH7, then upgrade the project, it works.

I opened the project in RH8 by double clicking the XPJ and the first time I tested this theory, it crashed again. However, on double clicking the XPJ again it worked. Second time I tried it out, I had to double  click the XPJ a third time before it opened without crashing.

Try that to see if you get the same result.

If you do, then how many topics are affected in the real project? If we can find a way of clearing the DHTML in using multi file find and replace, would that be an option?

Please also test one other thing. Create another RH7 project and create a topic with similar effects but do this in a clean topic, in other words no imported topics or style sheets. Then upgrade that.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Flaven]

Thanks, Peter...I'm not sure what you mean by "link requested" (it was in the subject line)--my apologies if I misundertood.

I just now tested what you suggested, but there is no change from what I'd reported earlier: RH8 will crash on the initial opening of the project (the "conversion" step), but will open on subsequent executions. The topic, now with no DHTML, still crashes RH8 when attempting to save a change (any change, except deleting the entire contents of the file, in which case it will save).

I had resolved, previously, that the table at the top of the topic is the major cuprit (see leading message): modify that table with the second piece of code (or remove it) in RH7 and the topic converts to RH8 fine...but output still includes an impression of the Master page in addition to the topic content. That's actually the piece of this issue that's driving me nuts...<G>

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry I just looked in the body of the message for a link.

I had missed the fact you were able to open the project after the initial crash.

I will not be able to look at this any more this evening but I will take a look as soon as I can.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Peter Grainge]

Not getting anywhere. I am going to ask someone else to take a look. Before I do, does this omit anything that matters?

• On upgrading the project from RH7 to RH8, the conversion crashes (maybe 2/3 of the way through), but opens up the project on the next execution of RH8
• Attempt to save changes in most topics, RH8 crashes.
• Attempt to preview most topics, RH8 crashes.
• Attempt to update DHTML Effects, RH8 crashes.
• Updating the DHTML Effects in RH7 before the upgrade and updating in RH8 both have no effect.
• If you remove all the content except the heading, it still crashes.
• If you delete the supplied topic, create a new one based on the template and remove everything but the heading, it is OK.
• Import the FrmHelp.htm topic into a new project, same problems.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Flaven]

...it is a head-banger...<G>

Instead of "heading", I'd refer to it as the first table to avoid confusion; but, I think the list is good to go.

Thanks, Peter.

Ross Flaven

Boulder, CO

"Things end, new things form, new things end, newer things form. I just like to be there." ~ John Barnes

[Flaven]

Thanks to the help from Peter, this issue is resolved (and—depending on how you look at it—is two bu...

1.       For the “printing” of the stubbed text in the Master Page on each topic when output: “Template” pages in RH7 became “Master Pages” in RH8. A new RH8 Master Page contains a special body tag that prevents contained stub text from displaying in the output. Anything outside the special body tag displays on all output associated with the Master Page. In RH7 Templates, on the other hand, nothing would show/was supposed to show on output…getting the picture? <G>

So, fixing the RH7 converted Template with the RH8 code fixed that (everything from the RH7 Template was outside the special body tag). Peter alternatively suggested removing links to the Template in RH7, deleting it, then building a new Master Page in RH8 for new topics.

2.       For the continuous crashing of RH8 and inability to save or preview certain topics: Throughout the years and various RoboHelp upgrades, the tables I had at the top of each topic to contain the topic title and summary text were variously started in the HTML as either “<table x-use-null-cells style=” or “<table style=”. RH7 was perfectly happy with either syntax.

RH8 is not at all happy with “<table x-use-null-cells style=”.

Any topic containing that string in the RH7 HTML would crash the project (indeed, crashed the conversion) when I attempted to save or preview the topic. With an external editor, I went though each of 300 topics and replaced all instances of “<table x-use-null-cells style=” with “<table style=” and the project is again 100%.

Again, thanks to Peter for the help in getting this figured out!