Newbie trying to index: hyperlink jumps only to the topic, not the index term within

[gods_of_Ironing]

RoboHelp HTML 8

First time posting. I have searched this topic as per guidelines. I think I must be doing something wrong, as I am a new user, but I can find nothing commenting on this.

I import Word files into RoboHelp html and use the wizard to gen an index. The index does generate with many terms, but in the final output when I click on an index term, the browser displays the Topic where the index term is found. It does not go to the location of the index term or highlight it as I expected. I assume this is broken, but I can find no commentary on the issue.

I have purchased the only tuturial out there, and I am trying to learn everything from the ground up on my own.

[Peter Grainge]

Did you try the search fields on the right, they are specific to RoboHelp and should have found something.

However, let's answer it here as your post title should help others find this thread. You are making a common mistake assuming the index term has to be in the topic. It doesn't. There could well be a bunch of topics that I want presented when a user looks in the index. It doesn't follow the term has to be in all of those topics.

That said, you are also not the first person to want things to work in a similar way to what you describe, namely jump to a certain point.

Please follow this link and post a feature request.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[gods_of_Ironing]

So I understand from your reply that I have not done something wrong and this is the expected behavior. I was certain I was goofing something up, as this does not seem to be an expected behaviour. I don't think I have ever used an HTML index that did not go to the actual index term, but only to the Topic term in which it is contained.

Also, thank you for directing me to the search field on the top level page. Boy, do I wish there were more Robohelp training and user materials out there. It is quite a daunting task to a blank user.

Thank you for answering.

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Here is the feature request I made:

Hyperlink Index items within a topic.

In an html document created with RoboHelp html, I use the wizard to create an index. Resulting index entries are live links, but the links open only the topic that contains the index term. It does not scroll and highlight the index term as it would if you had found it w/a search.

Resulting HTML doc does not behave as users expect. Looks broken.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there GOI

You need to think of the Index in an On-line help file as being very similar to the way an Index in a printed book operates. Both are the same.

In a printed book, the Index lists terms along with the pages where the terms appear. The same goes with an on-line help system. The term in the Index leads you to the topic containing the term. Just as in a printed book, you have to scan through the topic content in order to locate the term.

If you really want highlighting, you need to investigate using Search and not Index.

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

[gods_of_Ironing]

Aaah, OK. I see. I am not using the app wrong. This is the way by design. I am just too new as a user and could not be sure. Did not seem right.

But I must ask: Since Robohelp generated the index, why wouldn't it just plunk a bookmark beside the index term and zoom right to the term?

                        Also: then ALL web indexes work as mine does? It doens't matter how they were created?

Thanks for setting me straight on this.

[Captiv8r]

Hello again

gods of Ironing wrote:

...Since Robohelp generated the index, why wouldn't it just plunk a bookmark beside the index term and zoom right to the term?...

I'm unsure of the reasoning that it works the way it does. But I can attest that I've been using the application since 1992 and it's never worked that way since I began using it.

If you want, feel free to submit a Wish Form to ask for a behavior change. Link to the form is in my sig line.

However, if Adobe were to implement this, I might hope it would take the form of simply being a new option and not a forced global change.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[gods_of_Ironing]

Thanks. Yes. See my reply #2 above.