RH8 won't upgrade RH7 project. He'p Me!

[Guest]

RH8 starts, and then I open the RH7 project, and then RH8 says it will "upgrade" the project, and then it says "Error reading RHFrameStyleMappings.apj file". Yes, that file exists, size 0, in the local copy of the project. I have not set up RoboHelp Server 3.1 to point to the server, yet. What do I have to do to get moving? Thx.

[Guest]

The problem probably has to do with the fact I backed up my local project cache by making a copy, and I tried to open the copy. So let me re-phrase the question, .....   How do I safely test RH8 by upgrading my RH7 project, while leaving a safe copy of my RH7 project? It's apparently not good enough to copy the local RH7-based directory to a new name and to try to open the .xpj file in the new directory with RH8.

[______3]

See my last entry here: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/111021

[Guest]

It appears to me that the procedure describes how to change the name of the project, so that an existing set of files can be cloned and renamed for the new version of the product. Right?

I might or might not be able to pull off that horrific process, and I always wanted to know how to do that, but that's not my specific problem.

I copied my RH7 project to a folder called "SafeDontMessWithThis", and then I tried to upgrade the untouched RH7 project to RH8, and the simple conversion from Rh7 to RH8 doesn't work. Any advice for me?

[______3]

The procedure takes about 10 minutes and should be used if you move the project... anywhere.

My finding is that if the project is moved, copied, etc. it will fail to open properly.

---

Use the procedure to dig into your files anyway. Its a good debugging step.

If like my project, you might find some dated references pointing off into the weeds... or worse, a previous release.

(They really have to fix this issue).

---

Just remove the RHFrameStyleMappings.apj file from your project. My project upgraded fine without it.

You of course need it when you get down to business w.RH8, but right now removing it might get you through the conversion.

For me, it was the variables files. Eventually I found an inconsistency with the file's XML-specified encoding (UTF-8) and actual encoding (ANSI), made a fix and the file was read right in.

[Peter Grainge]

I always move or copy projects by zipping them first. Always works.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[EileenPalsson]

Hi, I am having the same problem upgrading a RH7 project to RH8: "Error reading RHFrameStyleMappings.apj file". My RH7 project did not have such a file, so I created one with the content I found on another thread.

Now for the next error message: "Error in reading RHFrameDocs.apj" - oh for heaven's sake! My RH7 does not contain that file, either. So I copied one from another project that I had just successfully upgraded to RH8. But it didn't work -- I still get the same message.

Why doesn't RH8 simply insert the files that are "missing"? Grr.

What now? Any advice? Thanks.

BTW, unlike the original poster in this thread, I did not move the project.

[EileenPalsson]

Anybody? Still can't open my RH7 project in RH8.

Thanks. /Eileen

[RoboColum_n_]

As you will have seen on the other post, these files are occasionally not produced when you upgrade the project. I wonder then, assuming you still have a backup of your RH7 project if you can delete the upgraded RH8 project, take another backup of your RH7 project and try upgrading it again. Just a thought.

---

Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips,  tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.

[EileenPalsson]

I don't have an upgraded project to delete. RH8 refuses to upgrade the project without the missing file, RHFrameDocs.apj. Any chance you could provide a "generic" version of this file that would allow RH8 to proceed?

/Eileen

[RoboColum_n_]

Try pasting this into Notepad and saving as RHFrameDocs.apj:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rhpml majorversion="3" minorversion="0">
<fm_docs>
  <fm_doc>
   <file_name>__GLOBAL__</file_name>
   <afolderid></afolderid>
   <pfldID></pfldID>
   <type>6</type>
   <location>2</location>
   <flags>0</flags>
   <cshstring>TopicAlias</cshstring>
   <authorstatus>0</authorstatus>
   <adv_flag>0</adv_flag>
   <override_flag>0</override_flag>
   <imagesettingsflag>0</imagesettingsflag>
   <imagecolorbitdepth>24</imagecolorbitdepth>
   <imagejpgquality>100</imagejpgquality>
   <stylemapping_css>RHStyleMapping.css</stylemapping_css>
   <ParentContainerName></ParentContainerName>
   <rel_file></rel_file>
   <status>0</status>
   <template_name></template_name>
   <cbt_mode>2</cbt_mode>
   <buildtags></buildtags>
   <toc_assoc>0</toc_assoc>
   <index_assoc>0</index_assoc>
   <glossary_assoc>0</glossary_assoc>
   <gen_files/>
  </fm_doc>
</fm_docs>
</rhpml>

---

Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips,  tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.

[EileenPalsson]

Thank you, Colum. RH still complained about the file, so I deleted the CPD file and tried again. This time I got a different error message: "An error occurred while trying to read data from <path\RHFrameDocs.apj> <1>." (I didn't previously get that <1> at the end.) Any more ideas what I could try?

Thanks.

[RoboColum_n_]

I was tempted to ask before what sort of FM integration you had in this project. If memory serves me right (and mine is a little shell shocked after we got a wrong number at 3:30am this morning who then proceeded to ring back to ensure it was not me that had got it wrong - Grrrr!) RH7 had some FM integration features.

---

Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips,  tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.

[EileenPalsson]

Thanks, Colum. We had no FM integration before. We didn't even have FM. We just upgraded from RH7 to TCS 2. Grateful if you have any tips, because I'm still stuck.

Sorry about your spoiled night's sleep! Yikes.

/Eileen

[RoboColum_n_]

I have to admit to clutching at straws here so would be happy if anyone else had something concrete to offer. However I've been looking at the "new" RH8 project files that get created. Have you a RHExtDocAuxData.apj file? If so, does it have the following content:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rhpml majorversion="3" minorversion="0">
<FMDocs/>
</rhpml>

My gut feel is that as the <FMDocs/> tag may be key.

---

Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips,  tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.

[EileenPalsson]

Yes, my project does have an RHExtDocAuxData.apj file, and it does contain that tag. Do you have any suggestions what to DO with that tag? I tried simply deleting it, to no effect.

So I deleted this from the XPJ file:

  <RHFrameDocsCollectionFileName>RHFrameDocs.apj</RHFrameDocsCollectionFileName>
  <RHFrameStylesMappingFileName>RHFrameStyleMappings.apj</RHFrameStylesMappingFileName>

That didn't have any effect, either.

Then I started suspecting that the error message was wrong -- that is, that the file it mentions, RHFrameDocs.apj, is not the file that is actually causing problems -- because RH8 displays exactly same error message whether this file is missing or present. So I compared the list of files in my XPJ file with the files that are present in the project. As I result, I deleted these from the XPJ file:

  <ExternalFileCollectionFilename>rhextern.apj</ExternalFileCollectionFilename>
  <FramesetCollectionFilename>rhframeset.apj</FramesetCollectionFilename>
<MergedHelpCollectionFilename>rhmhelp.apj</MergedHelpCollectionFilename>
<VariableCollectionFilename>rhvariable.apj</VariableCollectionFilename>

Also deleted the <ignoredwords>.

None of this made any difference whatsoever.

So I changed this line in RHFrameDocs.apj:
   <stylemapping_css>RHStyleMapping.css</stylemapping_css>

To this:

   <stylemapping_css>fmstyles.css</stylemapping_css>

When that didn't have any effect, I added this back into the XPJ file:

  <RHFrameDocsCollectionFileName>RHFrameDocs.apj</RHFrameDocsCollectionFileName>
  <RHFrameStylesMappingFileName>RHFrameStyleMappings.apj</RHFrameStylesMappingFileName>

Each time I tried something new, I deleted the CPD file first, just in case.

By now I'm at the end of my tether -- I can't get this project to open in RH8 and wish I'd never upgraded.

[Peter Grainge]

Are you trying to open the project where the upgrade has failed or do you have a copy untouched by RH8, that is a backup before you tried to upgrade?

How big is that project zipped?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[EileenPalsson]

Yes, I keep trying to open the project where the upgrade has failed. Are you suggesting that the upgrade process itself is messing something up, so that every time I try something new, I must revert to the original RH7 project?

The complete zipped project is only 739 KB. Why -- are you up for a challenge? 🙂

/Eileen

[Peter Grainge]

I am suggesting that the upgrade messed up first time and now you are trying to upgrade a messed up project.

So first try upgrading a copy of your clean backup. If that fails, then respond to Rick's question.

After that post back where you are, then maybe.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[Captiv8r]

Hi Eileen

In one thread you were talking about four files that were not present in the upgraded project and RoboHelp was giving you grief about the four missing files. I suggested you create a totally new project to create them and copy the missing files to the upgraded project.

I'm not sure I saw a reply from you as to whether you had tried this or not. As you still seem to be stuck, I'm guessing that this failed? Or that perhaps you failed to see it? I was curious if what I suggested was a possible workaround.

Cheers... Rick

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[EileenPalsson]

Rick, thank you for your assistance.

Yes, I did try creating a fresh, new RH8 project and copying the missing files over to the new project. Unfortunately, it didn't make any difference whatsoever. Sorry I failed to post a response there.

/Eileen

[Peter Grainge]

And have you tried upgrading the clean copy of the backup?

If you have, see my contact page.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[______3]

Have you created a copy of the project and put the new one you are

trying to upgrade in another location?

Another long-standing bug is that RH uses hard-coded directory path

references in its project files.

If this is the case, then either move the un-upgraded file set to the

original location, or do a windows search on your original path on all

files in your RH project directory and 'fix' paths in those that turn

up. There should be four or five... don't waste time doing the same for

output files.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I'm not sure what you mean by the bug and hard coded paths. I've used RoboHelp for more years than I care to remember and I don't ever recall anything being hard coded that would tie it to a specific folder on my PC. I can freely move projects to any folder I like and as long as I maintain the relative structure things work.

I'm confused by the reference... Rick

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[______3]

Rick,

I'm glad you can move your project wherever you wish.

I cannot do the same with mine.

The following files in my project have path rooted in "c:" and branching

off to individual project directories.

Adobe AIR.ssl

eHlpDhtm.js

pblsvrs.sss

RHExtDocAuxData.apj

RHFrameDocs.apj

<project name>.pss

If I move the project, RH trips all over itself -- in a manner very

similar to that reported in this thread -- and ultimately hoses

(technical term) the project.

I can only move a project by manually hacking the hard-coded paths in

these files /before/ attempting to open the project.

I call this feature a bug.