Stylesheets and applying to imported Word docs. (RHx5)

[Extremeboarder]

I've been reading a comments about style sheets, importing Word docs and formatting issues (in regards to importing Word docs and pre-determined styles/bullets/numbering).  I also saw that someone was trying to create a css outside of RH and was having issues.  This leads me to a couple of questions.

1.  When importing Word docs, does RH create a separate css for each doc, or is there an option to not have this occur when performing the import process?

2.  If I am understanding css', you should only have one per project, if you want all of html pages to appear identical, correct?

3.  What do you do if you've made the mistake of having several different css' out there, making everything appear funky?  Can you create a new project and import the documents without the css and apply a new css (created in the new project) to all of the html files?  Will this assist in correcting a lot of the spacing, bullet and numbering problems?

4.  Can I view the default css and edit it?

I think I have a big problem on my hands.  I was trying to make things easier for SMEs who were designated to write procedures in Word by creating the pre-defined formats.  After reading PG's pages, I sunk into my chair.  I was having the problems he mentioned.  I tried to edit some of the pages in the html editor and appear to have made them worse.  I was trying to simplify the code a little (with what knowledge I currently have with html, which is minimal).  I am fortunate that I only have about 200 documents that could be impacted.  Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Rob

[Peter Grainge]

This can all be resolved so panic not. However, it is late here so I will reply in the morning.

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[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

1] When importing Word docs, does RH create a separate css for each doc, or is there an option to not have this occur when performing the import process?

That's the way it is, no option.

2.  If I am understanding css', you should only have one per project, if you want all of html pages to appear identical, correct?

With the "if you want them identical" proviso, you would only have one CSS but you don't have to have them all identical. That is your call.

3.  What do you do if you've made the mistake of having several different css' out there, making everything appear funky?  Can you create a new project and import the documents without the css and apply a new css (created in the new project) to all of the html files?  Will this assist in correcting a lot of the spacing, bullet and numbering problems?

It's not a mistake but if you want to get out of that situation, you need to do some cleaning up. The first step will be to create a CSS that contains all your existing style names, note I say names. Each of your CSS files will have a variety of styles but let's make it easy for this explanation. One has H1, H2, P and P.Note (a class) while another has One has H1, H2, P and P.Warning (a class). Now let's say you have just two topics, one has CSS_1 and one has CSS_2. The H1, H2 and P styles may be the same or different but assuming they are different, you now want them to be the same so what you want is a CSS with H1, H2, P, P.Note and P.Warning. You could then apply that to both topics and all the content would be displayed as defined in CSS_3. Obviously the real task is bigger but the principals are the same.

The way I would tackle it is to create a new CSS and copy in the styles from the biggest of your existing CSS files. Then I would look at the others and copy in any styles that are not already in. That gives you all the style names, albeit with the wrong appearance. Then you start working through the styles to get them right. It is not as bad as it sounds. I recommend using Top Style from http://www.bradsoft.com. There's a free version that only opens one CSS at a time but you can see what you are doing with it. The others can be open in Notepad.

4.  Can I view the default css and edit it?

Yes.

I think I have a big problem on my hands.  I was trying to make things easier for SMEs who were designated to write procedures in Word by creating the pre-defined formats.  After reading PG's pages, I sunk into my chair.  I was having the problems he mentioned.  I tried to edit some of the pages in the html editor and appear to have made them worse.  I was trying to simplify the code a little (with what knowledge I currently have with html, which is minimal).  I am fortunate that I only have about 200 documents that could be impacted.  Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Next time you need input from the SMEs, output to one Word template from RH so that they all have the same appearance. Their job is provide content so the styles are irrelevant to them.

Yes you've got some work but it isn't too massive. Hope this helps.

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[Extremeboarder]

Peter,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question thoroughly.  I will fix everything that is already in our project, using one of the options you have provided.  Going forward, importing Word docs will cause new css' to be created, however, I can apply a different css once the topic is created, correct?  Then I can just delete the newly created css. so that it keeps the project clean (only having 1 css throughout the project).

[Peter Grainge]

Yes new imports will have their own CSS and yes you can replace it. Provided all the styles in the document are in the CSS it will be OK. If the SME has created a new style or amended one, then new styles will have no style applied or the CSS style will be applied and the amendment ignored.

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