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RoboHelp is Changing the case of my HTML files

New Here ,
Jun 28, 2007 Jun 28, 2007

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Hi,

RoboHelp is changing the case of my HTML files. The file is originally mixed case, but when the file is modified and then saved, RoboHelp is changing the name to all lowercase. We're using X.5.0.2, HTML help, no source code control, and we're not generating (compiling) the files. There does not appear to by an option to make RoboHelp stop doing this. Has anyone else had this problem and know how to fix this?

Thank you,

- Phil

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Jul 04, 2007 Jul 04, 2007
I tried scenario 1 in the document that Phil sent me importing three files, UPPERCASE.HTM. MixedCase.htm and lowercase.htm.

In X5 they are indeed all converted to lowercase. I hadn't spotted that before as I tend to work with lowercase filenames anyway.

I repeated the test in RH6. Whilst the dialog telling you what has been imported shows all three files with lowercase names, the Topic List and Windows Explorer retains the case. Looks like a bug that was half fixed! At least you end up with wh...

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Community Expert ,
Jun 28, 2007 Jun 28, 2007

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Welcome to the forum.

Look at the first page of the wizard. There's an option to use lowercase file names. Clear that.

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New Here ,
Sep 04, 2009 Sep 04, 2009

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Hi Peter,

I'm working with an existing project, so I don't have the option to change anything in the setup wizard. Is there a way to clear that "use lowercase file names" option without running the wizard? Can I run the wizard for an existing project? I'm also using X5.

Ashley

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Community Expert ,
Sep 05, 2009 Sep 05, 2009

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Instead of double clicking the layout or selecting Generate, select Properties. You can then go to any page in the Wizard and make changes.

When you select Properties, you will see the Finish button is marked Save instead.


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New Here ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Hi Peter,

Thanks for your reply. When I right-click Microsoft HTML Help, and then click Properties, I get the HTML Help Options window, but the Next button is not available. (It is grayed out.) The first window doesn't have anything about file names. I clicked the Advanced button, and I don't see anything there either. I even tried creating a new project, and the New Project Wizard doesn't have an option for file names. There is only one page to with wizard - it has a Back button that takes me back to the screen where I select the project type, and a Finish button. I searched and couldn't find any posts on the Next button being grayed out. Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

Ashley

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LEGEND ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Hi there

Sounds like you are looking at the properties for Microsoft HTML Help output (CHM format)

While I'm at a loss to explain why RoboHelp would be changing the case of the file names, out of curiosity, why would it matter? Does it just bug you or does it break something? And if you say it breaks something, what and how?

Cheers... Rick

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New Here ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Hi Rick,

It's not actually the file name that I care about -- it's the topic title, which reflects the file name. I need to topic title to be in the correct mixed case because it shows in the TOC.

I've been manually changing all of them. It's odd, because I have to remove the underscore, apply the change, and then add the underscore back it to make the program save the change.

For example, for a file named CU_Email.htm, the file is imported as cu_email.htm. I have to open the Topic Properties window, change it to CUEmail.htm, click Apply, add the underscore after the CU, and then click OK. I have a lot to do, so it's a bit of a drag.

Ashley 

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LEGEND ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Hi there

It never ceases to amaze me how many folks seem to use the auto-create TOC function.

Sounds like you are using the special field in your topics. Perhaps affiliated with a Topic Template or Master Page?

In that case you typically have options for how the content is formatted.

tmp2.png

Cheers... Rick

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Community Expert ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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ashb22

There is a misunderstanding caused by my very first reply where I was obviously thinking about output files in WebHelp. Only there is there an option to change filenames to lowercase and only in the output. Because of that there are several misunderstandings in the thread so let's ignore all that went before and just handle your question.

That would have been best put in another thread as this one is about filenames and your problem is with Topic Titles.

Am I right in understanding your problem with the case is the Topic Titles and the fact you have to make the change in two steps?

Has Rick hit the nail on the head concluding you are using Fields and Variables?


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New Here ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Hi Peter,

Sorry for all the misunderstanding.

In my original post, I was refering to the file names, not the topic titles. RoboHelp is changing my file names from mixed case to lower case. That is the problem that I was hoping to fix.

When new topics are created, it seems that the topic name reflects the file name. That's why I was concerned about the file names. I mentioned the issue with the topic names because Rick was curious as to why I cared about the case of the file names.

I'm a bit confused by Rick's post. I am not using the auto-create TOC function. This project has an existing TOC, and I am manually adding new topics to it.

I don't have a topic template or master page for this project. The files that I'm importing are very basic HTML files.

At this point, I'm OK with manually chaning the case. Though I'm still curious as to why RoboHelp changes something like CU_Email.htm to cu_email.htm.

I appreciate everyones help.

Ashley

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Community Expert ,
Sep 08, 2009 Sep 08, 2009

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Can we start again?

If you create a new topic, exactly what happens at each stage? Numbered steps please.

If you import a topic, same request.

Also if it will help, use the camera icon to insert screenshots. Don't use the attach link below.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 05, 2011 Aug 05, 2011

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ggHi Peter,

We are having a very big problem with the case sensitivity of RH. I think this was happening in RH8 but we have upgraded to RH9 and need to use source control, which is very picky about how a file looks, how it is named, how it has changed, etc.

I have attached a screenshot of the example.

If you look at how the file looks on my c drive (sh_billing_attributes.htm) you will see it is all lower case.

If you look at how it is listed in RH9 when I right click and look at the file name it has mixed case (SH_Billing_Attributes.htm)

Notice also that on my C drive, the folder is "sh", but in RH9, it is "SH".

This makes source control a nightmare, and unworkable.

Any suggestions as to why it is doing this and how to get around it?

Note - this is the source, we haven't generated output because of all the errors we are having with duplicate files due to the upper/lower case mess.

RH9CaseSensIssue.PNG

I didn't see a resolution on any forum - if I have missed something, please direct me.  Thank you!

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Community Expert ,
Aug 06, 2011 Aug 06, 2011

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I just created a project with three topics, all with Title Case file names. Then I closed RoboHelp and changed just one filename to lowercase in Windows Explorer. On opening RoboHelp the file showed as missing. When I tried to rename it with the correct case, RoboHelp crashed. I tried various things but nothing would stop it crashing. Then I deleted the CPD and still the file showed as missing. When I deleted the file from RoboHelp however, it did delete the file from the disk.

That is all very different to what you are getting as ignoring source control your project is working even thought there is a case mismatch. One thing I would try first is taking a copy of your project, deleting the CPD and seeing what shows on reopening RoboHelp.

Assuming that fails we need to identify what is triggering this. Clearly it is not a common fault as this thread aside, I have not encountered this problem on the forums.

Are your topics all created in RoboHelp and never edited outside of RoboHelp?

What case is used when you create a new topic?

Do you use any programs on your projects that could change the case? Batch file renaming programs or suchlike.

I think what we need to do now is work in a clean new project so please create one with just two or three topics. Note the case that you apply to the filenames in RoboHelp. Close and reopen this test project a few times to make sure the case sticks. Now put that into source control and check it back out. Get more than one person to do this with the project. Post back with the results.

Also I noticed you started your post ggHi. I don't imagine you typed the gg so wondering how that got there and whether what did that is also playing with file names. Obscure I know but the elves do enjoy their little games.


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Community Expert ,
Aug 06, 2011 Aug 06, 2011

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I have moved this thread to the correct forum. It was in HTMLHelp which is for CHM problems.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 08, 2011 Aug 08, 2011

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Hi Peter,

LOL on the "gg" elf. That would be me, making a typo and after spending 2 weeks trying to fix a problem that wasn't broken just because we upgraded our computers to 64-bit, spent gobs of money getting TC3 and then found out that Adobe doesn't support RSC 3.1 on 64-bit, which caused us to lose many hours trying to find alternatives and workarounds, causing our entire group to be unable to work, I just didn't feel like correcting a finger flub as I reached for the "h" and overshot by hitting the "g" twice.

Now, I am finding that with a project that is NOT in source control, it appears as though RoboHelp is actually making the case change. I have two screen shots to prove this:

1) case1.pgn - you will see that the file name in my windows 64-bit directory is indeed all lower case. I open the project (which you can see right next to the explorer window) and display the properties for a file. I have selected "sh_action_codes.htm". As you can see, inside of RoboHelp 9, for whatever unexplained and annoying reason, RoboHelp is insisting that the file name is SH_Action_Codes.htm.

case1.PNG

2) case2.pgn - you will see that after I changed the file and saved it, my windows 64-bit directory is indeed showing that the sh_action_codes.htm file has been replaced (yes, replaced) with SH_Action_Codes.htm. Hmmm.....looks like RoboHelp "renamed" my file, if you are going to write it to a unix based source control system, which is our only option at this point because there seems to be no hope to get RSC 3.1 working in 64-bit.

case2.PNG

So.....if one has over 3000 files, I guess it is another week or two of manually trying to manage each and every file to get it to be convereted to mixed case, deleting everything one by one out of subversion and then adding the project back?

This is extremely frustrating. I just can't figure out why RoboHelp thinks it needs to change the case like that....must be something dumb from upgrading from RH8 to RH9. Will probably never know though since it looks like the problem was recorded 2 years ago but no resolution has been distributed.

I am totally at a loss and very far behind on project delivery, not to mention the same is true for my other team members who are also in the same boat. It has made every tech writer unable to do their job...

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LEGEND ,
Aug 08, 2011 Aug 08, 2011

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Hi Saundra

I can't help but notice you said:

2) case2.pgn - you will see that after I changed the file and saved it, my windows 64-bit directory is indeed showing that the sh_action_codes.htm file has been replaced (yes, replaced) with SH_Action_Codes.htm. Hmmm.....looks like RoboHelp "renamed" my file, if you are going to write it to a unix based source control system, which is our only option at this point because there seems to be no hope to get RSC 3.1 working in 64-bit.

The key bit that prompted me to reply was this: ...a unix based source control...

So here's the deal. Windows and UNIX each treat file names totally differently. For example, in UNIX, you might have four different files named as follows:

myfile.htm

MyFile.htm

myfile.HTM

MYFILE.HTM

But on a Windows system, that cannot happen because it makes no distinction when it comes to the case of the file name.

I'm wondering if what you are seeing is RoboHelp simply ensuring the file name is matching the case used for the UNIX source control system?

Might be worth double-checking.

Cheers... Rick

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Community Expert ,
Aug 08, 2011 Aug 08, 2011

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RICK

Isn't it more likely the source control system would make such a change?

SAUNDRA

Understood re gg but just needed to be sure there was some little elf having fun.

You say that project is not in source control but has it been?

In view of the potential work you face, I still think it worth setting up a test I suggested. If it is RoboHelp that is changing the case no amount of reconciling the filenames will help. We need to identify what is making the change.

Please try that. Meantime I'll take another look through the whole thread.

Also you say for Case 2 you renamed the file. Where, in Windows Explorer? Not sure how as a result of that you are concluding that RoboHelp is changing the case. It may well be, that is what we are trying to identify but I cannot see the logic right now.

Am I right in thinking the mixed case is what you want? Glad I always use lowercase for filenames.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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1) I am not connected to source control on my test environment that I have been working with to prove that RH is changing the case.

2) I made a change to the text of the topic and clicked Save, right through RH, only in RH. THAT is what changed the case of the file in Windows Explorer. I changed something in a topic that RH thought had mixed case (which yes, it did) and RH wrote it (saved it when I clicked Save) to Windows Explorer with the case that matched the RH topic.

I don't know how else I can spend more time trying to prove this. It isn't even getting to source control. I am not connected. BECAUSE if I was connected to source control it would totally hose the project. Which has happened more than once now and I'm tired of wasting my time with it.

I cannot figure out, explain, or fix why Windows Explorer has saved all the file names from RoboHelp as lower case when RH has mixed case. My only path of thinking is that something inside of RH is doing that, since when I change the TEXT in the actual topic INSIDE of RH and click Save, that is when the case is changed in Windows Explorer.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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The fact that you are not connected to source control does not mean the project that you are working on has not been tainted by the source control, hence suggesting a clean project.

Am I understanding you correctly that in this test environement project if you change the topic content and save, then it is saved in Windows Explorer in the same case that RoboHelp shows in Project Manager.

If that is the case, then surely it establishes that what you were seeing is happening when content gets checked in and out of source control. That can be established with a simple test project rather than risk a live project. However if you regard what I am suggesting as a waste of your time there's not much else I can do.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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Peter, I don't find your reply as a waste at all, just didn't get me to a fixed and workable end result.

However, based on some of the information and suggestions you provided I was able to determine the problem. The case of the files in windows explorer was not identical to the case of the files as they were listed in the .fpj file(s). I went through the manual effort of checking all of the .fpj files against the files as they were stored in windows explorer and made appropriate adjustments so that the .fpj file reflected exactly what the windows explorer reported and visa versa.

I then was able to add my project to SVN, check out all the files, check in all the files, make a change to a file (which of course forced a check out), check that in, close the project, open the project, remove the change from the file I changed before (which forced a check out again), check that in, close the project.

To add to the RoboHelp problem - not all of the images were included in the images folder inside of RH, which was a big mess too. I did find that that is a noted problem, but no fix in sight as far as I could tell. I used the workaround fake-em-out advice found on a blog outside of Adobe. That seemed to work like a charm and now all of our images are included in the project, visible and working as expected.

So, because of my extensive testing and fixing of the discreps between Windows Explorer and the .fpj files, I believe I have solved the problem. I am now opening it up to my team members to create their own working copy of the project from our subversion repository and begin to make changes.

My fingers are crossed, but so far, I have not run into any problems with case changes or locking issues.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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My suggestions didn't lead you to a fix because you followed a different line. No problem with that but sorry I'm not convinced the fix you have found is the real solution. All you have done is manually fix the case so that it is now the same in Windows Explorer and RoboHelp, something I thought you didn't want to do until the cause was found and I'm not seeing what caused the problem. The FPJ reflects what Topic Properties shows and we knew that was different to Windows Explorer.

Also you have now changed the case of the filenames in RoboHelp in a way that will not have changed any cross topic links. If your links are now a different case to the filenames, they will not work if the help is put on a Unix server.

I used the workaround fake-em-out advice found on a blog outside of Adobe

Please tell us more. I know one fix but maybe that one is different and better.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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from what I have read, no one knows the cause of the mismatched case. The threads point back to versions ago and years ago.

I was more interested in fixing it so we could move forward because I didn't have confidence that the root cause of the condition would be identified and resolved.

to fix missing images, I created a folder in the images folder of the project manager (right-click images, select new, gave it a dummy name). As soon as I did that, RH started whirling and all my images were added.

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Community Beginner ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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I made sure that when I changed the case of the files, it was within RH and the broken links folder of the project manager did not show any broken links. Everything matched up. I worked within RH, not outside of it.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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I thought you were editing the FPJ in Notepad, hence my concern.

The image trick is the one I know but thanks anyway.

If the filename problem should come back, try the new project approach first to see if you can spot when the change occurs. Also it might be worth checking the settings in your source control system to see if there is anything that forces a case change.


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Community Beginner ,
Aug 09, 2011 Aug 09, 2011

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Will do. Maybe someone in Adobe/RH could also look into it as part of their QA? I might not have time to keep researching. If Adobe would release a version of RSC that was compatible with TC3 on 64-bit windows, that would be nice. I'm sure as things evolve to 64-bit and 32-bit is phased out, more and more people will have problems.

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