Red boxes appearing in Robohelp topics

Report · Jul 06, 2010

Hi,

I hope I can get some help on this.

There are red boxes appearing in what I thought were the source files of the Online Help. I have searched the forums and it appears these boxes indicate I am working with output files. This is obviously a big problem, but I did find an older answer that referred to http://www.robowizard.com/RoboWizard/NewProject.htm#MonthlyScry/062004.htm so I guess I can try to follow the instructions there.

However, can someone tell me how it is possible to work with output files, I know I probably made this mistake myself but it was unwittingly so I really don't know what happened. To the best of my knowledge, though, the .xpj file is not available after the OH has been generated?

Also, I opened an old version of the OH (dated 2008) and these topics also have the red boxes... is it possible we have been working with output files for 2 years without knowing?

I am currently using RH7.

Many thanks for any help, this is total user error but I'd like to avoid similar mistakes in future, obviously!

Elaine

Report · Jul 06, 2010

Hi there

Usually what we see happen is that one incorrectly configures the publishing destination. What usually happens is that they manage to point the destination to be that of where the source files live.

The whole purpose of publishing is to copy files from one location to another. It is indiscriminate and doesn't know that in these cases it's a wrong move. So the cycle is generally like this:

Edit

Generate

Publish (overwriting source with output)

Edit

Generate

Publish (again overwriting source with output)

Actually, in this scenario things may be worse than you think. Why? Well, it's because if you are publishing to the source, you are also likely having users open help from the source location. And that can only mean the project is on a network somehow.

The bottom line is that the cycle needs to break and things need to be seriously examined.

Cheers... Rick

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Report · Jul 07, 2010

Thanks Rick - this is very worrying.

What about the .xpj issue, I don't understand how the .xpj file is still available after the OH has been generated - or is this because the output files are simply added to the source files, assuming they were published to the source folder incorrectly?

Also, do you have any ideas about where we should start to fix this problem? If the older version (from 2008) also has red boxes in its topics, does this mean we have had this problem since that time?

Many thanks, once again, for any help you can offer.

Elaine

Report · Jul 07, 2010

When you publish, files that exist are overwritten but any others are just left in place. Thus the XPJ remains.

Rick knows more about this area than I so perhaps he will chip in but I would have thought it impossible to work with output files without hitting all sorts of errors. I am right in thinking you have been working on them rather than you have hit this problem with some old help you have dug out?

You can also get red squares where a script has been placed in a source file and that can be harmless.

Is there a small topic with this problem where you could post the HTML?

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 05, 2010

Hi again, Peter,

I had some holidays but am now back to trying to solve this problem.

HTML attached as requested and all help much appreciated:

<!doctype HTML public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Frameset//EN">

<html>

<head>

<title>Automatic show AC in Diagram</title>

<style><!--

p.whs1 {

margin-bottom: 0;

}

LI.p-whs1 {

}

-->

</style>

<style><!--

div.WebHelpPopupMenu {

position: absolute;

left: 0px;

top: 0px;

z-index: 4;

visibility: hidden;

}

-->

</style>

if (navigator.appName !="Netscape")

{ document.write("<link rel='stylesheet' href='../NIMS_HelpGuide.css'>");}

//--></script>

if ((navigator.appName == "Netscape") && (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) == 4))

{

var strNSS = "<style type='text/css'>";

strNSS += "p.whs1 {margin-bottom:1pt; }";

strNSS +="</style>";

document.write(strNSS);

}

//--></script>

function reDo() {

if (innerWidth != origWidth || innerHeight != origHeight)

location.reload();

}

if ((parseInt(navigator.appVersion) == 4) && (navigator.appName == "Netscape")) {

origWidth = innerWidth;

origHeight = innerHeight;

onresize = reDo;

}

onerror = null;

//--></script>

</head>

<body>

if (window.gbWhTopic)

{

if (window.addTocInfo)

{

addTocInfo("Diagram application\nMenu commands\nOptions menu\nAutomatic show AC in Diagram");

}

if (window.writeBtnStyle)

writeBtnStyle();

if (window.writeIntopicBar)

writeIntopicBar(0);

if (window.setRelStartPage)

{

setRelStartPage("../Comptel_Inventory_5_1_Help.htm");

autoSync(0);

sendSyncInfo();

sendAveInfoOut();

}

else

if (window.gbIE4)

document.location.reload();

//--></script>

<h3>Automatic show AC in Diagram</h3>

<p class=Text>When the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Options/Automatic

show Active Collection (AC)</b></span> option is on, any diagram entering

the Active Collection is automatically displayed in the Diagram application.</p>

<p class=Text>When you start Diagram this option is off.</p>

if (window.writeIntopicBar)

writeIntopicBar(0);

//--></script>

</body>

</html>

Report · Aug 05, 2010

That is an output file, not a source file.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 06, 2010

Thanks, Peter. Back to square one then, I guess and attempt to sort out this mammoth problem.

Elaine

Report · Aug 06, 2010

Hope it's not too "Wooly"!

Cheers... Rick

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Report · Aug 06, 2010

Rick, I'm not sure I'm ready for jokes just yet... (it did bring a reluctant smile to my face, though!)

Report · Aug 06, 2010

You probably don't need me to ask this question but no backup?

Assuming not, empty the diary for a while and plug in the iPod.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 06, 2010

Peter,

We have a backup for each release, but it seems that we have been working on generated files for far too long so the best\only option is to try to sort out the issues with the latest release as it would otherwise be very difficult to ensure we have up-to-date content.

I have some other deadlines to meet for this month, but have to get tackling this once I stop beating myself up!

Adobe Community

Red boxes appearing in Robohelp topics