Topics x-ed out

[Kocs_Zita]

Hi,

I have updated one of my projects from RoboHelp 5x to Robohelp 8, and now when i want to edit it, all my topics are x-ed out ( i added an image) and if i double-click on any of them, the TOC Page Properties dialog box appears.

Does anyone know what the problem might be?

Many thanks!!!

[Peter Grainge]

Are the topics also missing in Project Manager? If not, it sounds like somehow the TOC is corrupted and you might need to recreate it.

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@petergrainge

[Kocs_Zita]

Well, Peter, I opened it from the Project Manager, double clicked on Table of Contents and it opens the books and topics. And that is what I see. Also, there are many broken links.

[Peter Grainge]

That's what I was getting at. The topics are all in the project but the TOC has somehow got corrupted so each TOC item will show as a broken link. If you open the Topic List and drag the topics to the TOC one by one, removing the broken items as you go, the broken links will get corrected.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

Actually, I'm not sure we are at one yet. You opened the TOC from Project Manager. Ignore that for now. Do the topics show there under Project Files?

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@petergrainge

[Kocs_Zita]

That is the problem, no topics in Project Files, nor in View > Pods > Topic List. Sorry that I was not clear about it, but I have been looking at it since then, and no topics anywhere except for the ones in the TOC.

[Peter Grainge]

I think I would be inclined to grab a copy of the backup before you upgraded and try again. The project is on a local drive and no source control is involved, correct?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Kocs_Zita]

Thank you, Peter! The project is saved on Clear Case, so I suppose I can go back to before I upgraded, but I do not have any older version of RoboHelp to open it with. I will try with a local copy.

[Peter Grainge]

Any source control gurus watching? Should the project have been checked out with X5, upgraded and then checked in as a new project? Any way out now?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Amebr]

I think it's best to have the entire project checked out of source control before upgrading. But this can be done manually through source control before opening the project in RH.

My testing on upgrading RH6 to RH8 was a little flaky and sometimes it did take a couple of attempts - checkout, upgrade, fail, delete off disk, get old version using Label (seems to be the only reliable method in VSS), upgrade, worked this time, check in.

I recommend ensuring everything is shipshape in the old version before upgrading - tidying up links and unused files, deleting the project off disk and getting all files afresh, to make sure there aren't any broken links hiding because of legacy files and cached info in the cpd. But it should all still work if you don't have an old version to go back to for the tidy up.

Possibly just deleting the cpd to ensure it doesn't try to add anything back into the project incorrectly might help. Also maybe manually ensure all files are writable after checking out of source control - VSS sometimes didn't seem to mark files correctly.

HTH

Amebr

P.S. You shouldn't need to check it in as a new project, although you can if you want. Also, it wouldn't hurt to double-check that all new files have been added to source control correctly (not forgetting to EXCLUDE the cpd and pss as usual. I can't remember if there are any other new ones that should be left out for RH8).

[Kocs_Zita]

Thank you all for your replies. I will try to get someone with RoboHelp x5 to try and open the old version, to see if it works, and then upgrade it again.