Styles in Master Pages

[linda_cmp]

Technical Communication Suite 3.5 (which is FrameMaker 10 and RoboHelp 9).  I am totally new to the TCS and have very limited experience with RoboHelp.

1. I have created a Master page in RoboHelp that includes a header and footer.  The styles and formatting are those provided "out of the box."  Except, I have selected [None] for the Style Sheet on the Appearance tab in Master Page properties for the master page template topic.
2. I created a "template" file in FrameMaker that contains the styles and formatting that I want used after I link and update the project in RoboHelp.  All looks good at this point. My FrameMaker styles and formats are applied.
3. Next I go to single source layouts pod, and go to Properties. I choose "Apply to all Topics" and the "Master Page" radio button and the master page I created.
4. I generate the .chm file.

Problem: After I generate the project, the project now has the "out of the box" styles and formatting that are in the Master page I created in Step 1.

Question: Am I trying to do something that is impossible? Do I have to do one of the following:

• apply the FM file formats to the master page (template.htt) file, or
• create a cascading style sheet defined for the master page?  I am trying to avoid having a cascading style sheet. I thought by selecting [None] in step 1 that it wouldn't override my styles and formats that were in the project in step 2.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[Peter Grainge]

By selecting Master Page in the output options you have told RoboHelp to apply that Master Page to all topics and that master page has been setup by you to have the default styles.

Try changing the Master Page to use the CSS you want or changing the option from Master Page to CSS.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

I expect the HTML you're concerned with to be using the <para class="FM_(Style name from FM inserted here)">

If so, you'll want to map the FM para style to something in your CSS.

Peter is right, though, if your RH master page is using something other than your conversion CSS (RHStyleMapping.css by default) then you'll not likely get the formatting you are looking for

-Matt

[linda_cmp]

Thanks.  I understand what you are saying.

I had read the "Using Master pages in RoboHelp 8" article online. The way I read this article, I thought perhaps I could get away without having a .css associated with the Master Page, but instead use the ones from the topics themselves.  Either I read it incorrectly, it doesn't apply to RH 9 (it was written about RH 8), or it's a bug.

• A user may still want to use a layout from a Master Page and the CSS from the Topic itself. This may also be achieved by applying a Master Page having None CSS attached and corresponding layout present. Doing this will apply only layout from the Master Page on the resulting topics and CSS of the topics will be the same as in topics and hence may be different for the topics in the output.

thanks for your help,

Linda

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

There's always 6 different ways to do these things, so "your mileage may vary" based on what you want to accomplish.

For me, there's no "Best" but only "Best in a given context"

-Matt

[Peter Grainge]

Linda

I think what is confusing things is using the check box to apply a master page or a CSS to all topics. That is overriding what you had set up. Try generating with that check box cleared.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge