Compile overwrites existing Help files

[CAMS-Help]

I work with 6 different help files that are connected through a merged TOC. Before upgrading to Ver 9, I would compile each project into a "Final" folder so I could quickly grab the most recent rendition of each file.  Now, when I compile, if the project I"m compiling has links into other projects, ver 9 places older copies of those CHM files into my "Final" folder. I know that it's pulling those older CHM files from the project folder because it forced me to copy them in there when I made a connecting link, but that's no different than it used to be. It's VERY frustrating!  How can I make it stop???

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I think that perhaps a different workflow is in order. Since you cannot force RoboHelp 9 to change the way it is insisting, why not work with the wind instead of struggling?

Change the workflow so that each of the other files uses your master project location as its output folder. That should ensure that the latest and greatest file is always there. Then when you generate the Master, it should use those most recent CHMs, no?

The bottom line is that sometimes the mountain doesn't come to you. You must travel instead to the mountain.

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

[CAMS-Help]

Hi Rick

That might work if the "main" project was always the last one I compiled but it rarely is. Many occasions call for updates within one of the individual projects and patching it out alone.

[Captiv8r]

Sorry, but all I can do is suggest you file a Bug Report to Adobe. (Link is in my sig)

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

[Peter Grainge]

I hope Rick won't mind me coming in to say I think there is a known problem at play here.

See Item 13 in http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh9/using_rh9.htm

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[CAMS-Help]

Hi Peter,

I actually did have the issue with hardcoded paths for the merge files but used your instructions to correct that.  Could that still be causing my issue of the compile pulling old CHM files from the project folder and overwriting newer ones in the "final" folder?

[Captiv8r]

@Peter -  I never mind!

@All - I honestly believe we are talking about two entirely different issues here. One deals with how RoboHelp physically deals with the constituent CHM files that are part of a merge and the other deals with how the pathing is coded inside the HHP.

I do recall some discussion a long while back where folks were complaining that RoboHelp insisted on copying the CHM files to the main project, but later refused to copy them from there to the output folder after compiling. So it's likely that Adobe finally managed to address the issue and we are just now being made aware of it.

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

[Amebr]

I wish they'd stop insisting the child chms have to be in the parent as it's completely unnecessary.

We always got around the problem by deleting the chms from both the master project and source control and this obviously prevented the old versions being copied across. We just live with the child chms showing up as broken baggage files in the parent.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Ameber

Are you saying that you think the child CHMs are stored as baggage inside the parent?

I'll have to experiment to see for certain, but although the child CHMs are copied into the parent location, I don't believe they are actually added as Baggage files and exist inside the parent CHM.

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

[Amebr]

Maybe it's changed with a later version of RH, but this is certainly the case with RH6 (and source control). I believe I've filed a couple of bug reports over the years - possibly across 3 of the RH owners... (I think this problem was introduced in one of the X releases while it was still with eHelp.)