Twisty problem in Firefox

[tspaul]

This issue is related to one I posted in July here (http://forums.adobe.com/message/2098638#2098638), but since the solution that worked then isn't working now (clearing the cache), I think something else is going on here.

We have recently converted from RoboHelp X5 to RoboHelp 8. We have been using the manual method on http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/twisty/twisty.htm to create twisties in RoboHelp X5. In some cases, we would like to continue using this method rather than applying twisty graphics to the style so that not all drop-down text is using the twisty graphics.

However, when we use this method to create twisties and generate the WebHelp output from RoboHelp 8, the twisties do not work in Firefox on Windows. (I have not tested Mac yet.) When I open the error console, I see a message like this:

Error: dropdown1 is not defined
Source File: file:///C:/Terri%20STAR%20Math%20Help%20Files/SM/ehlpdhtm.js
Line: 2978

Note that it appears to be looking for a definition in the ehlpdhtm.js file. I have verified the following:

-The twisty.js is listed as s source in the header of the topic.

-All code that we added manually matches what we saw on the grainge site cited above.

-Where there are multiple twisties in the topic, I make sure the dropdown numbers are different in both places.

-The twisty.js file is being included in the generated WebHelp folder.

The twisty graphics change, but the drop-down text does not appear.

Any ideas? Peter, if you're available, I'd really like your input.

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

I am dealing with problems of my own right now. Please set up a new project and see how it works there, then post back.

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[tspaul]

I have tried this in a brand new clean project created in RoboHelp 8, and the twisty still does not work in Firefox 3.0x or Firefox 3.5x on either Windows or Mac. The graphic changes when the link is clicked, but the drop-down text does not appear. Once again I made sure that the open twisty graphic was in the Baggage folder along with twisty.js, and both are included in generated WebHelp folder.

I can only conclude that this method of creating Twisties will not work in Firefox if created in RoboHelp 8. The error that I see in the Firefox Error Console is still the one I mentioned in my original post yesterday.

I compared the TextPopup functions in the old (X5) and new (RH8) ehlpdhtm.js files (noting that the functions had different names), and I see that the coding has changed in the RH8 function. Perhaps something in the new TextPopup function makes the twisty.js coding incompatible with it.

It looks to me like I will need to recommend to my writers that if they want to use Twisty graphics, they will need to apply them to the Drop-down Text style in RoboHelp. (Some of them were reluctant to do that because they didn't want all cases of drop-down text to use twisty graphics.)

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

I don't think the issue is RH. As mentioned in my topic, through the history of FF sometimes this method has worked and sometimes not. So you can set things up in RH and it works, later it does not and the only thing that has changed is FF.

I agree the RH way of doing twisties is not what is required and I have told Adobe this. You must do the same. The more people who report a bug or request a feature, the more likely it is to be actioned. Please follow this link.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

Does someone have a tame developer who would be willing to look at the code?

---

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[tspaul]

Thanks, Peter. I will certainly request the ability to control when the twisty graphics are used. (Thanks for the link to that form.)

For now I'll ask our writers to use the style method or to omit the twisties. If a developer does become available who can look at this, of course, that would be fantastic.

Tammy

[tspaul]

When I posted a feature request, I did get a reply that might help some of you out there. The person who replied from Adobe pointed out that we could have multiple style sheets - one with the twisty graphics applied to the drop-down text and one without the twisty graphics applied to drop-down text. We could then select the appropriate style sheet by topic.

We couldn't have both types of drop-down text (with and without twisties) in the same topic, but we could have drop-down text with twisties in one topic and drop-down text without twisties in another.

[Peter Grainge]

That is covered in the RoboHelp Tour on my site. http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh_tour/index.htm

I thought you were after topics where some twisties had topics and some did not.

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[tspaul]

Yes, that is what we are really after, and I did explain that to the person who replied to the feature request. I just thought it might be helpful to point this out to others. Thanks for putting this in the RoboHelp tour as well.

[tspaul]

One of our software engineers has come up with a solution that is working for us in Firefox, so I am marking this answered. I'm also providing the information here in hopes that it will help others.

We no longer need to use the twisty.js file at all to add twisties to drop-down text links without using the RoboHelp 8 Style method to apply twisty images. Instead, our software engineer has told us to add

<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddminus.gif" style="border: none; display: none;" src="ddminus.gif" />

<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddplus.gif" style="border: none;" src="ddplus.gif" />

A full sample drop-down link with a manually applied twisty image looks like this:

<a class="dropspot" href="javascript:TextPopup(this)" id="a2">

<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddminus.gif" style="border: none; display: none;" src="ddminus.gif" />
<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddplus.gif" style="border: none;" src="ddplus.gif" />

Note that you will need to substitute your "closed" twisty graphic's name for ddplus.gif, and you'll need to substitute your "open" twisty graphic's name for ddminus.gif. (By "closed," I mean the graphic you use when the drop-down text is not showing; by "open I mean the graphic you use when the drop-down text is showing.)

As we hoped, this approach allows us to choose which drop-down text links will use twisty images and which will not. Since this approach takes advantage of code that's already in the ehlpdhtm.js file, the separate twisty.js file is not needed.

I hope this works for others as well as us!

Tammy

[Peter Grainge]

Tammy

Now why didn't Adobe think of that?

Thanks for posting this way of setting up specific twisties. Two questions:

1. Does it also work in IE please?
2. Have you tried it with any of the Show / Hide methods that open / close all twisties in a page?

I know I can test it to find out but just wondered if you have already tried.

Thanks.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

[tspaul]

I did test this in IE too on Windows, and it worked. It also looks like it works fine in Safari on Mac. I tested Firefox on Mac and Windows.

I haven't tested it with the Show/Hide method that opens and closes all twisties on the page. Sorry about that!

Tammy

[RoboWizard]

Hi there

I might suggest two little tweaks to that code.

Before tweak

<a class="dropspot" href="javascript:TextPopup(this)" id="a2">

<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddminus.gif" style="border: none; display: none;" src="ddminus.gif" />
<img class="TwistyImage" alt="ddplus.gif" style="border: none;" src="ddplus.gif" />

After tweak

<a class="dropspot" href="javascript:TextPopup(this)" id="a2">

<img class="TwistyImage" alt="Collapse" style="border: none; display: none;" src="ddminus.gif" />
<img class="TwistyImage" alt="Expand" style="border: none;" src="ddplus.gif" />

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

[RoboWizard]

Hi again

One other thing to consider here. I don't recall seeing this mentioned. If it was, I offer my sincere apologies.

You will also need to ensure the images used are added to the list of Baggage Files. If not, they likely won't appear in the output unless they are used as simple images in a topic somewhere. I suppose one way around that would be to have a page explaining how to use the images. Then insert them on that page as simple images. Otherwise, if only JavaScript references them, RoboHelp will be totally unaware they should be propagated to the output.

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

[tspaul]

Hi Rick,

I appreciate the tweaks, but what do they do? Could you explain why you recommend them? Thanks!

Tammy

[tspaul]

Sorry - I get the purpose of the tweaks now. You're just using better alt text. It's been a long week....

[Peter Grainge]

I found a buried note to retest the twisty method on my site and have just tested a project upgraded from 7 to 8 and a brand new project created in 8.

Both work as designed.

---

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[Peter Grainge]

I would also like to correct my statement about this method sometimes working in FF and sometimes not. It is the Show / Hide script that suffers that problem.

---

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[Peter Grainge]

Hmm. So yesterday it worked in RH8 but today it does not!

However, I have spent most of the day playing with the different twisty and showhide scripts and now have various solutions:

• With RH8 to include Twisties alone and Show / Hide alone that work in CHMs, IE and FF but do not work combined.
  
• With earlier versions to include Twisties alone, Show / Hide alone and Twisties combined but not working in FF.

I will be updating the instructions on my site as soon as I can.

---

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[tspaul]

When you refer to the method you're testing, is it the original method from your site (with the twisty.js file) or the one I posted above? That one has been working for us across browsers and versions.

[Peter Grainge]

When you say "that one, which one are you referring to? Your version can only work in RH8 as it relies on the TwistyImage function in RH8, or that was my understanding. Your version is working fine in the browsers I have tested.

Where I had fun and games was that when I tested Friday night, "my" old version still worked in RH8. On Saturday it was dead as you found. Nothing would get it working again although bizarrely at one point it failed on two dropdowns in a topic but worked on a third. Unfortunately I didn't save the code there and could not get it to happen again.

Where I am now is that your twisty method is good for RH8 and an old script from Jesse Brossard is working fine to produce show / hide functionality from RH8 with dropdowns that do not have twisties. The missing bit is a script that will enable Show All / Hide All that works with your twisty method. Then for RH8 we would have all the permutations covered. I tried combining the two but in the test topic the individual dropdowns work fine until the Show / Hide script is run, then they work but the twisties stop twisting! Grrr!

For earlier versions of RH, the old methods can be used except none work in Firefox.

---

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[tspaul]

Thanks for the explanation! That should have occurred to me. I'm sorry about the frustrations involved with Firefox. I don't know that it will help, but I remember that sometimes the problems would disappear in Firefox 3.0 versions if I cleared the cache, but that seemed hit and miss too.

[Guest]

Yes Peter,

I can confirm that with RH 8 you can use the "original" Twisty method with the single-button ShowHide script works fine under IE, Firefox, and Google Chrome.

Unfortunately the only twisty method that currently works in AIR is TS Paul's method, for which there is no corresponding working ShowHide implementation.

I don't know if this is going off-topic, does anyone know if there's a way of getting twisties to work with a single button Showhide script so that it works correctly in Adobe AIR format?