Transform a Word document into a RoboHelp7 project

[Guest]

Hi all,

One question: Is it possible to transform a Word document into a RoboHelp7 project besides copy and paste from the document into the project?

Thank you

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Unfortunately there is no "one click  operation" that will magickally transform a Word document into a  project. But you may create a project in RoboHelp 7, then import a Word  document to populate the topics.

Here's a bit on why  it's impossible. A project consists of much more than what is contained  in the Word document. For example, in RoboHelp HTML, a project consists  of a main project file, all the HTML pages, a file containing the Table  of Contents data, a file containing the Index data and numerous other  files that handle all sorts of bits and pieces of the project.

My memory of RoboHelp for Word is vague at best, but there are similar issues there. (You didn't say which product you were using)

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 SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

Hi Rick,

Thank you for your response.

Sorry for not giving enough details about what I am using. I tried something with RoboHelp7 and it did not quite work out, and as I have now the trial of RoboHelp8, I gave it a try and found that nice feature that was not available in RoboHelp7, import a project from Word. I thought that this was it, however it does import the Word document in one sole htm file with a kind of TOC. It does not manage to "break" the one file in several htm files, which would be the features from the TOC. I was guessing that as it already does this, it would not be too big a problem to also "break" the one file by topics in several htm files.

Now I have to do it myself "manually", i.e. copy topics and paste them into different htm files.

It is a lot of work, especially when you have a big project, which I do, but... that is life. Never get bored, eh? And never say that you are tired, right?

Have a great weekend,

Bogdan

[Peter Grainge]

When you import, one of the dialogs allows you to tick Paginate against various styles. You need to do that for all the styles you want RoboHelp to use to start new topics.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Captiv8r]

Hi Bogdan

Indeed RoboHelp is capable of splitting the Word document into different HTML files. This is called "Pagination". You should be able to configure this when you attempt to import the Word document.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 moments from now - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

Than you so much Peter and Rick!

I will check this out right away and let you know how the "ostilities" go on, OK?

Bogdan

[Guest]

Hi Peter & Rick,

I attempted to create a RoboHelp project by importing a Word document:

- File/New.../Projec

- Import/Word Documents (*.doc)

I followed the screens and did not encounter any "Pagination".

I also created an empty project and attempted to import a Word document by:

- File/Import/Word document

Went through the same steps as above and also did not find any "Pagination".

Could you please be so kind and tell me what I am doing wrong?

Thank you,

Bogdan

[RoboColum_n_]

The pagination is achieved when you map your Word styles to your RoboHelp styles. If you go into the Import tab in your project settings you'll see an Edit button next to the Edit Conversion Settings for Word Documents section.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry Colum but whilst that screen does bring up the dialog you describe, you will see there are no Word styles there. The same dialog comes up when you import but this time with the styles so that you can set pagination and whatever else.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Thank you guys!

I already found the way to do it. It is not as straightforward as I would like to, however it is a beginning.

I managed in RoboHelp for Word to import the document and to split it in topics. I should have worked more on the headings to split it in the topics I wanted, however it is OK. I learned something.

Thank you again,

Bogdan

[Guest]

I guess I was too happy too soon.

I tried again the same procedure, and every time I try to import the Adobe RoboHelp 8 for Word project into RoboHelp8 I get a system error and RoboHelp crashes.

What I was doing the first time when I thought that it would work was:

- import the Word document into RoboHelp 8 for Word

- open the RoboHelp8 for Word document from RoboHelp8 and then work through the topics to sort them properly

I tried to import the Word document directly from RoboHelp, however I get only one topic in a kind of Word format, with a Word kind of TOC. I did not get to that screen that Colum was talking about where I can set the breaking into topics, therefore I opted for the RoboHelp for Word.

I would like to import the document directly from RoboHelp and have it broken into topics, however I did not manage to get there.

Did anybody do that before? If so, could anybody show me how I could import the Word document directly from RoboHelp and have it broken into topics?

Thank you,

Bogdan

[Guest]

I am a rooky here - but have just been working on the same type of task.  In the Project Settings window (File pulldown menu), go to the Import tab.  In the Word Document box choose Edit.  There you can set the Pagination option for Headers.  In my case I want to form a new topic at each Header 1.  So I clicked Header 1 and ticked the Pagination box.  I have not tried this yet but from my research I *think* that is how it is supposed to work.

Hope that gets us both one more stepping stone closer to our goal!!

Cindy

[Guest]

Hi Cindy,

Thank you very much for your reply.

So, I open a new project, I edit the import settings, and then I import the Word document, right?

The only thing is that when I do that, the topics all get that weird frame that in order to get rid of, I have to copy the content of it, delete the frame and paste it w/o the frame.

The nice thing with the RoboHelp for Word is that you get the project imported the first time as you wish, using your ccs page, and then open it in RoboHelp. The problem is that when I try to do that RoboHelp crashes. The very first time I did that, it did it very nice, however whenever I tried afterwards, it crashed on my other machines. So, I do not know if it is a machine issue, or it is a RoboHelp8 issue.

By the way, your suggestions were for RoboHelp7 or RoboHelp8. I am asking you that because I tried to do this in RoboHelp7 and there was no Import tab for the Project properties.

Bogdan

[Guest]

Hi all,

I was wondering if there is a better way to get a RoboHelp for Word project into RoboHelp8 other then opening the RoboHelp8 for Word project from RoboHelp8.

I managed to do this once, however since then the only thing I get is RoboHelp8 crashes.

I was wondering if it would be possible to export the project from RoboHelp8 for Word to RoboHelp8, or import the RoboHelp8 for Word project into RoboHelp8.

Thank you,

Bogdan

[RoboColum_n_]

Whoa!!! First of all we are talking about getting a Word file into RH HTML and now we are talking about a RH for Word project. If we'd have known that we could have suggested importing the WinHelp file. This is the way I'd go. You can do this by using the import options when creating a new project.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

I tried importing a Word document directly into RoboHelp8, however it does not create the topics as I wish and if I manage to make it create them then their style is not quite what I would expect. It does not let you choose a style sheet like the RoboHelp8 for Word.

The major issue that I have now is that when I try importing/opening the RoboHelp8 for Word project in RoboHelp8, it crashes.

I managed only once to make it work and it was nice. I liked how he imported it, however, now for some reason, it crashez every time I open/import the project with RoboHelp8.

And I tried on several systems, not just one. I wonder if there is a bug in RoboHelp8. Being from the same family should make it work w/o any glitches, right?

Bogdan

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Bogdan.

What I was referring to was that if you had the project in a RH for Word project your source was an .RTF document and output type more than likely a WinHelp file. If this is the case, I was suggesting leaving the Word file import route and using the import WinHelp route instead. If you create a new project in RH HTML you'll find an Import tab when creating the project that you point to the WinHelp file. This not only creates the project but imports the topics.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

My source is actually a docx file.

What I do not quite get from what you are saying is, the WinHelp do I have to create it from RoboHelp8 for Word or should it be already there?

I guess that after I import the docx file, then I will have to generate the WinHelp file, right? Which I would be then able to import as I open a new RoboHelp8 project, correct?

I will check this and let you know how it works, OK?

Thank you,

Bogdan

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Bogdan.

Can you take a big step backwards here to avoid any further confusion on both our paths

In your old RH for Word project, what was your output type? Also when you worked inside your RH for Word project you'd have had an .RTF file not a DOCX file as your source. It sounds like you may have generated a .DOCX file from your source. Is this right? If so, what I was suggesting is that you put the DOCX file to one side and try a different method of getting your content into a RH HTML project. Typically the RH for Word application is used to generate a WinHelp file which you can use to import into a RH HTML project. Let us know the answers to the above and we'll go from there.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

I was actually having the project type as FlashHelp before, so I will put it now as WinHelp2000, right? Or WinHelp 4?

I tried to generate automatically the WinHelp2000 and it gave me an error message about inconsistencies in the project.

Bogdan

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

This is what I did now:

- I generated a new empty RoboHelp8 for Word project that has as primary layer the WinHelp2000

- I imported the Word document (.docx file) into this project beaking it into topics according to the headings

- after that finished, I opened RoboHelp8 and used the Import tab in which I specified as Import Type WinHelp Project (*.hpj)

Is this correct? Is this what you suggested?

I tried to choose as Import Type WinHelp(*.hlp) however id did not work.

Bogdan