Update DHTML Effects in Topics

[NL_Derek-56V59O]

Hi all,

In several posts I have seen our gurus (you know who you are !-) recommending Tools > Update DHTML as a possible fix for various vague and/or ill-defined problems.

Has anyone looked into what the command does, or possible side-effects? Should we add it to our toolkit along with "Reboot" and "Rename CPD"?

Just wondering.

--- Derek

[Peter Grainge]

When you upgrade a project, RoboHelp rewrites the code. When you view a topic in HTML View and then switch back to Design View, RoboHelp rewrites the code.

Clicking Update DHTML sounds like it just rewrites the code for DHTML but in fact it does the same job as above. In theory because of the two scenarios above, the code should always be correct for the version but sometimes it isn't. Running Update DHTML blasts through all the topics in a project correcting any code errors.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

I am leaving the above post for the benefit of anyone else who asks the same question as Derek but I am also adding that the information I gave is incorrect.

It has since been learned that Update DHTML does not rewrite the code as stated so this advice will not be given in future.

[Guest]

Peter Grainge wrote:

...Update DHTML does not rewrite the code as stated...

But is such updating of all topics required, and if so how do we do it?

(From one whose RH sometimes crashes on saves)

Peter B

[Peter Grainge]

By switching to HTML view and making a small change, on returning to Design View the code gets rewritten. Contrary to what I had been told, there is no way to force all topics to be rewritten.

Really it shouldn't be necessary as they get rewritten on upgrade and are then written correctly in Design View. If you screw up in HTML view, it gets rewritten there and then.

The crashing is more likely something else which should be the subject of a new post.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge