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Hi
I'm in the process of overhauling a long-standing software manual. It is used solely by internal customers, so I want to be able to highlight in the Table Of Contents when there's a new or updated topic. I used to use Innovasys's Help Studio 3, which includes this feature as part of its output options. You simply check a box called "Mark topics as new in the TOC" and set the date. However, I have yet to find a simple way to achieve the same effect in RoboHelp 8.
Can anybody give me some pointers?
Regards
Matt
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Hi Matt.
If you right click on your TOC page, select Properties and click the Advanced tab. In there is a "Mark as New" option that changes the icon of the TOC page to include a red star in the top left hand corner. You can also do this on a TOC book.
Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.
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Hi there
If you are creating CHM output you just right-click the TOC node and choose Properties. There you have a tab labeled Advanced. Click the Advanced tab and you will see the Mark as new option.
If you are creating WebHelp or FlashHelp, you are pretty much up a creek flowing with excrement with no means of propulsion! At least as far as the TOC goes.
I did develop a method that worked quite well for me. You may read about it at the link below.
Click here to read about the method.
Another method I've used is by creating See Also keywords. NewJan, NewFeb... RevJan, RevFeb... Then assign the topics to the See Also keywords. Once you do this, create a single page that has nothing but See Also links. The nice thing about this approach is that it makes maintenance super easy. After you update or add a topic, you just assign it to the corresponding See Also keyword.
If you need a more detailed description, let me know... Rick
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Thanks, guys. Since reading your posts I've noticed the "Mark as New" option is also at the bottom of the context menu for the TOC (at least it is on RH8). I don't know how I missed that before; I guess I was expecting to see it as part of the Generate options.
In lieu of Help Studio's method of marking topics as new from a single date, I'll have a look at applying your method, Captiv8r.
Thanks again.
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Did you have to do anything special to enable the "Mark as New" right-click option? It's greyed out in my project and I can't even find it mentioned in the "help"...
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Hi there
Likely it only will be available if your Primary Layout is configured as Microsoft HTML Help (.CHM).
Cheers... Rick
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I thought maybe that was the case, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
(The HTML Help option for setting it in the Advanced tab of the Properties dialog box showed up as expected, however.)
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So basically the answer is no, you can't have a single item in the TOC of a Robo HTML help
system show an icon with Updated hung on it.
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Hi there
No, the correct answer is "it depends on your output type". Carefully read through the thread to discover why.
Cheers... Rick
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I did read it. It can only be done if your output is CHM. Why would anyone who's using Robohelp to create a website create an output of CHM. So the answer is no, you can't do this if you're outputing to html.
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Hello again
I'm not following your logic. CHM is HTML output. CHM=Compilied HtMl.
Sure, the answer is no if you are only talking about a web based output. At least using the TOC as the only means of indication, sure. But even then, you still have options as have been outlined in this thread.
Cheers... Rick
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