Patch 8.0.1 negates custom popup size [RH8 html, Webhelp]

[Guest]

I installed RH8 patch 8.0.1, and am finding the custom pop-up sizes I set are no long in effect.

Per our approach, we insert an image into its own html topic.

The image is then called as a pop-up in a step-by-step topic.

Prior to the patch, the pop-up window size was 5-8 pixels taller and wider than the image and displayed with a nice white margin:

Pop-up settings for this image: Display in custom sized pop-up

Following the patch installation, the pop-up defaults to a scrolling window, irrespective of the custom window size.  i.e.  I tested custom sized pop-ups that were 5 - 15 pixels larger than the image width and height dimensions, and all resulted in the same size window, with scrollbar, as shown here:

What can I do to recover the image pop-up displayed without scrollbars?

[Guest]

Here's how the pop-up looks in HTML.  The yellow highlights indicates new code added due to the patch updates, I assume.

What part of the code affects the scrollbar display?  Is there an easy way to fix this throughout the project?

HTML of Popup - With Scrollbars (ignores custom pop-up size 205x140)

<a href="javascript:void(0);" id="a2" onmouseover="if (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) >= 4 && typeof(BSPSPopupOnMouseOver) == 'function') BSPSPopupOnMouseOver(event);" class="BSSCPopup" onclick="BSSCPopup('../../njbeck_screen_prints/orms_icr__excelopen.htm',205,140);return false;">

HTML of Popup - Without Scrollbars (preferred)

<a href="javascript:BSSCPopup('../../NJBECK_Screen_Prints/ORMS_ICR__ExcelOpen.htm',205,140);" id="a2">

[Guest]

I uninstalled Robohelp 8.0.1 and reinstalled Robohelp 8.0.

The custom-sized pop-ups are working properly again.

I hope this custom sized pop-up issue gets added to the next patch.

[Peter Grainge]

You didn't need to reinstall. When you uninstall a RH patch, you are doing just that, uninstalling the patch only. If you had refreshed Add/Remove programs, you would have seen 8.0.0 still there.

I realise it is too late now but it might help you another time.

As to the problem, have you reported it to Adobe?

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

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[Guest]

Thanks Peter, that's helpful advice regarding the bug report.

For anyone else that chances on this post, I just want to add a few more learnings:

All pop-ups may not have this issue, but we created over 50 topics using the 5-8 pixel margin over image dimensions, and there are 10-20 image pop-ups per topic. All existing topics would display with scrolling pop-up images. with the patch.  Once the patch was removed, pop-ups did not include scrollbars.

Going forward, when we use custom-sized popup for images with the RH8 html 8.0.1 patch installed, the pop-up size must be at least 13 pixels wider  and 23 pixels taller than the original image.  It's a huge effort to apply that correction to all existing pop-ups.  Hard to say if we do that, or just work with RH 8.0.0 and not patch it.  We hope Adobe has a solution that doesn't disrupt dimensions of existing pop-ups before we need to roll out another solution.

[Peter Grainge]

Using one of the better Find and Replace tools, such as FAR from http://www.helpware.net, could you not do a mass search in a copy of the project?

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[EileenPalsson]

Hi, I've been having massive problems with non-working popup links (generating script errors) ever since I upgraded to 8.0.1.

The popup links look like this right after I insert them:

<a href="javascript:BSSCPopup('../glossary/mytopic.htm');" id="a3">GlossaryWord</a>

But somehow RH is automatically changing them to this:

<a href="javascript:void(0);" id="A3" onmouseover="if (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) &gt;= 4 && typeof(BSPSPopupOnMouseOver) == 'function') BSPSPopupOnMouseOver(event)" onclick="javascript:BSSCPopup('../glossary/mytopic.htm');;return false">GlossaryWord</a>

Note that these are auto-sizing popups.

This is driving me insane and I've spent 2 whole days trying to figure out what is happening.

But now to my real question: I thought I'd try uninstalling 8.0.1 and reverting to 8.0. But I can't find 8.0.1. in Add or Remove Programs, even though Show updates is selected. I think it may be because I obtained 8.0.1. by performing an update of Technical Communication Suite 2. But no update is listed under Technical Communication Suite 2, either. So how do I back up to RH 8.0?

BTW, I saw that earlier today version 8.0.2 was released. I managed to update to 8.0.2 before I decided to revert to 8.0. And I did find 8.0.2 in the Add or Remove Programs list.

And yes, I'm sure I have 8.0.1 -- at least, it says I do when I select Help -> About RoboHelp HTML.

[EileenPalsson]

By the way, why won't this topic show up in a forum search? Replace "Search Forums" with "negates", a word in the subject line. There's only one hit, and it's not this thread. Replace "Search Forums" with "patch installation" and that results in no hits, even though "patch installation" is included in the original post.

I can't imagine what I might be doing wrong -- I mean, it's just a simple search, right? Looked in vain for instructions on how to search.

[Guest]

Peter,

I'd given up on this problem and uninstalled the 8.0.1 patch.   We have 1265 image topics, with multiple pop-up instances for each image topic.  I need a correction for every custom-sized pop-up.

I can see the decision not to install the upgrade was short-sighted, however, as the next patch 8.0.2 is critical if we hope to have a stable project.

• How would I use search and replace to revise 1265 custom pop-up sizes?  Can you demonstrate given the example above?  The image is 200x135.  The pop-up size in the existing project is 205x140.  With the new patch, the pop-up size needs to be 213x158.  What do I use as a search term in a mass search and replace to avoid fixing one pop-up at a time? Surely you don't suggest I find the code and do the mental math to add 13 and 23 to the original dimensions for 1265n pop-ups?  Sorry if I'm missing the obvious.

• Is there any chance I can use search and replace to modify the html to insert something like, scrollbars=no, instead?

• On another tact, external research suggests the scrollbars disappear in Internet Explorer if I work with the css properties governing scrollbar colors, as referenced here so the color matches the background window color.

From http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/tips/html/transparent_hidden_scrollbar_code.php3 :

Here are the cascading style sheet properties once again.

Note: These properties are recognized by Internet Explorer (5.5 and above) and are ignored by FireFox, Opera and Netscape.

• scrollbar-track-color: Sets the color for scroll bar track
• scrollbar-face-color: Sets the color for the scroll bar slider
• scrollbar-arrow-color: Sets the scroll bar arrow color
• scrollbar-3dlight-color: Sets the scroll bar 3D light color
• scrollbar-highlight-color: Sets the scroll bar highlight color
• scrollbar-shadow-color: Sets the scroll bar shadow color
• scrollbar-darkshadow-color: Sets the scroll bar dark shadow color

Any help is appreciated!

[Peter Grainge]

Eileen and Norbec

I am going to have to go out shortly so I cannot stop to read your posts in detail.

Short answer re the updates.

8.0.2 has to be uninstalled, then you will see 8.0.1. (You may need to refresh Add/Remove)

Then remove that and you will be left with 8.0.0 as part of TCS or standalone.

However, you can apply 8.0.2 and reverse out just the popup changes that came in 801. That is done by applying a different ehlpdhtm.js file that I will have shortly. Mail me via my site.

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[Peter Grainge]

I have a completely different popup problem but a fix is to set the Convert to HTML option before generating the help.

I wonder if with 801 at least applied if that would work for you two? Would you please both give it a try?

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[EileenPalsson]

Peter, I appreciate your efforts on this issue!

If by "Convert to HTML" you mean Tools -> Options and then select Convert RoboHelp edited topics to HTML, we already have that selected. It's not solving our problem.

Regarding your comment:

However, you can apply 8.0.2 and reverse out just the popup changes that came in 801. That is done by applying a different ehlpdhtm.js file that I will have shortly.

I would be willing to try that. We would like to have all the updates. If we use your ehlpdhtm.js file with 8.0.2, I assume we still have to manually run Popup Placement Fixer.jsx, which was provided in another thread? (That fix was made unnecessary by 8.0.1.)

[Peter Grainge]

Yes that is the setting that I meant. OK that idea is out. As to the other thread, I cannot comment but I'll see what I can find out.

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[Praful_Jain · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

I have written yet another script file specifically for the RoboHelp users who had custom size popups and are looking for a way to retain that size after applying RoboHelp Service Release 8.0.1. This script file will increase the width and height of custom popup by 12 for width and 20 for height. It is easy to customize the script based on your specific popup size requirements.

Any one who has installed 8.0.1 or 8.0.2 patch can use this script file.

Hope this takes care of the custom popup size problem. I am uploading this script file to https://acrobat.com/#d=MnZJ7fa-qKvpB*AAnSdo*A

Also I am attaching the script file here as well.

Thanks

Praful Jain

[EileenPalsson]

Praful, will your script also fix the problem I described above?

I have not been able to fix the broken links in any automatic way even after uninstalling 802 and 801. Here's what I tried:

1. Deleted 802.
2. Deleted 801.
3. Deleted the CPD file.
4. Opened the project and recompiled. (Links still broken.)
5. Ran Popup Placement Fixer.jsx and recompiled. (Links still broken.)
6. Ran Update DHTML Effects in Topics and recompiled (Links still broken.)

Some thoughts:

What happens with the ehlpdhtml.js file when we upgrade RH and then delete the patches? Could ehlpdhtml.js be part of the problem?

Or is it perhaps the case that 801 messed up the links, and the links can only be fixed manually, even after reverting to version 8.0?

Please help. I do not dare open any more of our help projects in RH until I have a solution for this problem (or am sure how to prevent it from happening again).

Thank you.

[Peter Grainge]

The procedure to fix popup problems should be:

Install both patches.

Work on a copy of your project so that no matter what goes wrong, it doesn't matter.

With 8.0.1 popups should work except for two issues. 8.0.2 should also be installed but has no effect on popups.

1. The custom size, Praful has just provided a script for that.
2. Popup placement in CHMs. The Popup Placement Fixer needs to be run for that.

Try that and then post the results and if you have broken links, what links are they?

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[EileenPalsson]

Peter, your procedure did not fix my problem. This is what I did:

1. Reinstalled both patches.
2. Compiled HTML Help. Popup links still broken.
3. Ran Popup Placement Fixer (even though I have tried that before, and even though I believe that problem was fixed in 801 -- at least I didn't have that problem in my other projects after updating to 801).
4. Recompiled. Popup links still broken.
5. Ran Praful's new JSX (even though he did not state that it would fix anything but these custom popup size problems).
6. Recompiled. Popup links still broken.

Here's what I think: I upgraded this particular project from RH7 to RH8 after installing the 801 patch. This is the only project in which so many popup links were broken after upgrading. (Previously I upgraded from RH7 to RH8 without the 801 patch.) So I think 801 caused the links to be broken during the upgrade.

Since then I've done all kinds of other adjustments that were necessary due to the upgrade. So I sincerely hope that we can get a fix for those broken links that does not mean I have to back up to a pre-RH8 version of my project and then re-upgrade it using some new ehlpdhtml.js or something.

(Why oh why does Adobe not thoroughly test what happens to JS code during the upgrade process?)

[Praful_Jain]

Hi,

Can you share with me the RH7 project where this link break is happening, This will help me in locating the problem faster.

Again, the script file I shared, just resizes the custom popups in all the topics, so that they do not show scroll bar, it has nothing to do with other problem or fixes.

Thanks

-Praful

[John_Meidl]

Praful or Peter,

I'm also having a cut-off pop-up image map problem -- when I generate to WebHelp, but not when I generate to Microsoft HTML Help (the popups work fine in chm output). I have RH 8 and have upgraded to 8.0.1 and also to 8.0.2.

Please note that my issue is with auto-sized popups. (My project doesn't use custom-sized popups as the other users in this string were dealing with)

(If you'd like me to start a new discussion topic, let me know.)

I use these auto-sized popups to give short field definitions for a window. Here are two examples of these truncated popups from one of my topics:

Even though my issue is with auto-sized popups, should I try the script file that you (Praful_Jain) provided on November 24, which increases a custom-sized popup by 12 (width) and 20 (height)? Or should I try some other fix?

Thank you!

[Peter Grainge]

If you add an extra line below the last line of text in the topic that is "popped up", that will fix the problem.

I've encountered it too.

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[John_Meidl]

Peter, thank you for this tip.

The good news is that adding a blank line at the end seems to make the full popup viewable again.

The bad news is that each of the RoboHelp projects that I am responsible for updating annually has probably hundreds of images, with each image having anywhere from 5 to 30 image-map popups, so there would not be time for me to edit every single pop-up in an existing project.

Should I report this "cutoff popup" issue to Adobe?

[Peter Grainge]

So cheat. Use a find and replace tool.

Search =

</body>

Replace =

<p>&#160;</p>
</body>

That adds a blank line to the bottom of each topic. Job done.

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[LostatWork]

Adding an extra line hasn't helped on many of my pop-ups.  The bottom text remains truncated on several of them, especially pop-ups I have on the lower portions of images.

Plus, it's troubling that we're spending a lot of work time now trying to make pop-ups display properly when they worked flawlessly until November 2009.  Quite frankly, I'm not sure how I can deliver a project until this pop-up issue is resolved.

Peter - Do you know if RoboHelp is checking into this pop-up issue?  I contacted them through their customer portal, but received a response that indicated that they weren't aware and didn't understand the issue.

I was excited about upgrading to RoboHelp 8, but the last month of topics disappearing and now the pop-ups being hosed is making RoboHelp software something I would no longer recommend to any colleagues.

[Peter Grainge]

As I understand it, with 801 applied there are four issues outstanding:

- A CHM only problem whereby text popups in topics with dropdown hotspots are not positioned correctly. Run the PopupPlacementFixer script to fix that.

- 801 created a problem whereby custom size popup are not the specified size.  The CustomPopupSizeFixer script adds to the defined sized by determined amounts that can be changed.

- Problems will also be encountered with popups if the CSS contains negative left margins.

- The bottom line of text is cut off necessitating an additional line being added.

I think you are only seeing the last problem but in your case that solution is not working? I can't see why the extra line would not work. Can you recreate this is in a two topic project that I could see?

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[LostatWork]

Hey Peter,

Below is an image of a truncated pop-up (one of many in my project).  I added three extra lines to the Member Information topic to see if your fix would work, yet it still truncates the bottom text.  This pop-up was set up to "Display in auto-sizing popup" as I've done for years with no hassle until November 2009.  In fact, this pop-up below functioned perfectly as an "auto-sizing popup" until November 2009.