Request to update Master Page when HTML is modified

[Guest]

I make use of templates, which I guess are now called master pages, to apply a footer to all the topics in a help project. Recently, our help projects were on RoboHelp 7, and we recently upgraded to RoboHelp 9. On RoboHelp 7, I really didn't have many issues with the templates.

However, since moving to RoboHelp 9, I have noticed a bit of an annoyance.

When saving a topic, even though no changes are made to the footer, I am asked to apply the changes to the Master Page. I choose to apply the changes, because if I do not apply the changes the Master Page becomes unlinked from the topic, and I have to go through the pain of linking the topic again.

I noticed then when the Master Page was applied, it changed a hyperlink to a help topic within the Master Page footer. Each time I had to apply the new update to the Master Page, it would include and extra html\ in the link. So the hyperlink started out as

<a href="html\Example.htm">Example</a>

Then the next time I was requested to apply the change it became

<a href="html\html\Example.htm">Example</a>

An additional html\ would be added with each updated topic. To fix this problem, I took the cue from another post here, and provided this hyperlink in a user defined variable. This seems to have fixed the changing hyperlink issue. It seems a little silly that I have to do this now, but whatever works.

However, it is still annoying that anytime I save a topic, it requests to update the Master Page. I have noticed that if I work solely in Design View and then save a topic, it does not ask me to update the Master Page. However, if I go to HTML view and make a change, even something as simple as adding a single space, it requests to update the Master Page. Is there any way I can convince RoboHelp into accepting that even though I changed the HTML, I did not change the Master Page?

[Peter Grainge]

This is a bug that is really annoying and for which a fix is needed. Please follow this link as it needs more people to report it.

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

I can only suggest that if you have to go into HTML view you try saving and closing the topic without going back to Design View, then reopen it. I don't know if that will work but it has to be worth a try.

Please let us know whether or not it works.

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@petergrainge

[Guest]

Peter

Thank you for the quick response, I'll be sure to request a real fix to this as well.

I have tried saving within HTML View, but it still requests to apply the update to the Master Page when I do so. A good idea though for sure.

Although, I should mention that it is important for me to save my changes that I have done in HTML View, apply the update (which of course there is none) and then close the topic. Closing the topic is key because I have noticed that if I go back to Design View directly and make some changes, it will tell me I have changed the Master Page anytime I try to save that topic, no matter what view I am in. Closing the topic and re-opening it though seems to get it out of this loop, and once again only HTML view changes cause the issue.

[Guest]

For what it's worth, we're also seeing this in RoboHelp 8.

-=Ed.

[Peter Grainge]

Yes it is also a RoboHelp 8 issue, there's a long thread about that somewhere.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge