Assign information types to books and pages

[Guest]

Hi,

I'm using Robohelp 7 HTML and am trying to Assign information types to books and pages. The information types are defined however I have no way of assigning them to the topics/books. All my categories are marked as "inclusive"

The Adobe Hep file says that:

1. Click View > Pods > Topic List. The Topics List appears.

2. From the Topics list, select the topic.

3. Click Properties .

4. Click the Information Types Tab. .......

There is no such Tab.

What am I doing wrong? Can someone please help

[RoboWizard · Accepted solution]

Hi there

You aren't doing anything wrong. What you have done is stumble across a feature of HTML Help that was never properly and fully implemented. I had a play with Information Types back in 2000 and concluded that they weren't worth the effort.

For one thing, they are far from intuitive for end users. An end user has to know they exist, then right-click the TOC and choose to sort the TOC by the Information Type (or types) that are available.

If you choose to continue with Information Types, I believe the process you follow is to create the types. Sounds like you have gotten that far. Then in the TOC you right-click the Books and Pages and examine the properties. On the ensuing dialog you click the Advanced tab and enable the Use Information Types option. Then you assign the types by clicking the Add... button near the bottom.

As Information types are only used with the TOC, it comes as no surprise there is nothing in Topic Properties to deal with them. Additionally, they only apply to CHM format and are totally moot if your output is WebHelp or FlashHelp.

My best advice would be to suggest to Adobe that incorrect information exists in the help. I'll be doing that with the comment you posted in the help topic. I just opened RoboHelp X5 and even as far back as X5 there is no Information Types tab in the Topic Properties.

Cheers... Rick

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[Guest]

Thanks Rick,

In my version there isn't even an option to enable the "Use Information Types" in the advanced tab. I'm going to give this up as it seems to complicate things even further. I'm going to have to look for something else for our needs.

Thanks for your help

Edna

[RoboWizard]

Hi there

I'm confident the option is there. Likely you have the primary layout configured for something other than Microsoft HTML Help. As Information Types only apply to that specific output, the development team disables the option as it has no meaning.

If you really want to confirm your copy of RoboHelp isn't broken, try configuring Microsoft HTML Help as the primary layout. Then check the properties of a TOC element again.

I think abandoning them is likely a time efficient move on your part. They seem to be like I view eating artichokes. Lots of work for no more than you get out of it in the end!

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

[Guest]

Aha! That's where it was hiding....

Thanks Rick. However the MS HTML Help is not what I'm looking for.