Webhelp Navigation pane

[annmic]

I have a question about webhelp. I used Robohelp HTML Help X5 to create my help menu. The topics, index, search and TOC look fine when I compile it and view it. But then I generate Webhelp. The index and search tab look different than they do in HTML help. I no longer get a box where you can type in the keyword to find. Also, I get a large alphabetcial listing of words on the search tab, instead of the empty one I get in Robohelp HTML help. Is this perhaps the way the default is set up in Webhelp? I tried to see if I could fix this under the skins, the single source layout, the window and the project settings but had no success. Please help! I really need to find out more about this. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[RoboWizard]

Hi annmic and welcome to our community

Sounds like one of two or three possible things has happened.

1. You have enabled "Section 508" WebHelp ouptut.

OR

2. The browser you are using doesn't support skinned WebHelp and is resorting to the "Pure HTML" version of WebHelp

OR

3. You have bypassed other options in favor of creating the "Pure HTML" navigation.

What you need to do is to expand your Single Source Layouts folder. Then right click the WebHelp layout and begin examining properties.

The first screen of the dialog allows you to configure the WebHelp Start page, conditional build expression, default topic and whatnot. If you don't have a check mark in the check box labeled "Section 508 Compliant output", Click the Next button. If there IS a check mark there, this is your problem. Unless, of course, you intend to have Section 508 compliant output.

The second screen of the dialog allows you to define the buttons that appear in the main toolbar, change which is the default and the order in which they are displayed. There are other options as well. But none here apply to the condition you are describing. Click the Next button.

The third screen of the dialog allows you to configure the way the navigation elements work. You may have the bottom option "Pure HTML" configured. If so, choose one of the other options and you should be set.

Please advise if your issue remains and we will try to help further.

Sincerely... Rick

[annmic]

Hi! I sent a reply earlier, but it doesn't look as though it posted to the forum. I tried your suggestions, but am still having the same problem. Please let me know if you have any further ideas. Thanks.

[RoboWizard]

Hi annmic

What browser and version are you using? The only explanation I can fathom (aside from the conditions I described earlier) is that you are running a browser that for some reason is causing WebHelp to shift into "Pure HTML" mode.

Sorry, I'm about out of ideas. Maybe Peter, Craig, Colum, Leon or others has a suggestion or two to toss in?

Cheers... Rick

[Peter Grainge]

No I go along with Rick's thinking that this is to do with a selection in the third page of the wizard. The only other thing I notice is that the first post said "The index and search tab look different than they do in HTML help" Webhelp will look different although not in some of the ways described.

[annmic]

Well, on the third screen I chose the top radio button. This is under Java Applet: DHTML>Java Applet>Pure HTML. Also, I decided to experiment and tried going back into the single source layouts folder and tried the other options on the third screen. I still got the same result. The browser is Internet Explorer 6.0 that I am using. Please let me know if you can think of anything else I should try. I really need to get this resolved. Thanks for responding so quickly. I appreciate it.

[annmic]

Just wanted to see if you got my reply. Thanks!

[HKabaker]

When I make changes in WebHelp output, sometimes I forget to clear the browser cache, and it shows me the old version. I clear the cache, and I get the new one.

Are you generating with a skin?

Harvey

[annmic]

I generate Webhelp with a default skin. Also, I had gotten completely out of Robohelp. I went back in, generated it again with the default skin and still got the same results. At the top of the search tab, I see the entire alphabet. Then below that are words and phrases that begin with the letter "A". I thought I better mention this, in case I have not described what I am seeing clearly enough. I am getting this instead of a box where you can enter the keyword you want to search on and an empty panel below it.
If anyone knows why, please let me know. Thanks.

[annmic]

Not sure how to go about removing projectname.pss (will be automatically re-created) and
problemlayout.ssl from the directory. Don't seem to be finding these files.

[HKabaker]

If changing layouts and regenerating WebHelp don't clear up this problem, try this:

Make a note about any single source custom layouts you have made.

Close the project in RH, and exit RH. Remove these files from the project directory:

projectname.pss (will be automatically re-created)
problemlayout.ssl

Launch RH and open the project. Use the default WebHelp layout and generate WebHelp. If that's OK, re-create your custom layout, if you had one, and generate output.

Results?

Harvey

[HKabaker]

I think we all understand what you are getting, and it's typically what you will see if

you generated pure HTML
you're running a browser that doesn't translate DHTML,

or -- I just thought of it --

your IE Security settings are at the highest level, or
popup blocker is active at the strictest level,
in XP, your system or MS Office security settings are too high.

A long shot -- is your project stored on your local hard drive? It should not be on a network drive.

You didn't mention whether you are clearing the browser cache in between. That's in IE Tools, Internet Options, delete temporary Internet files. It's another long shot.

If none of the above provide an answer,

With RH not running, when you open the project source folder in Windows Explorer, do you see several files that begin with the name of your project, like myproject.hhk, myproject.hhp, myproject.htt, myproject.pss, etc?

You should have an .ssl file for each single source layout, such as WebHelp.ssl and, if you made a custom layout, customlayout.ssl. You can safely trash the file WebHelp.ssl. When you launch RH again and generate WebHelp, your previous settings will be gone, you will redo the setup and generate, and RH will re-create the WebHelp.ssl file.

The .pss file is an index of ssl setups. RH will create a new one.

If one or both of them were corrupted, this may help.


I hope this helps.

Harvey

[annmic]

For right now, my project is stored on my C: drive. This is my local hard drive. I don't seem to have access to checking my IE and MS Office security settings. I wondered if you might have suggestions about this. Also, when I test webhelp, I do get a window that pops up because IE blocks a popup window or file downloaded that may not be safe. I do not get this with my HTML help. I am still looking into your other suggestions.

[HKabaker]

I think you're saying that when you go to IE Tools | Internet Options and click the Security tab, you have no control because the buttons are grayed out, or missing? If this is a workplace standard, your intended audience will have a problem. And popup blockers need to be disabled, or the WebHelp location must be a "white" or trusted site for popups.

There's another angle, with XP, I think. Look for a previous thread in the forum.
WebHelp stored on a PC needs manual approval to get past security, but once it's on a network or Web server, it doesn't get blocked. There's no fix for this.

Desktop support, or LAN support, is where I'd be calling.

Harvey

[annmic]

Thanks for your help. I am still working on this problem. I tried clearing the browser cache but still got the same result. I also checked my popup blocker settings. They are set to medium. I couldn't seem to find some of the files you named. I closed out of Robohelp and went into Internet Explorer. Couldn't find the hhk, hhp htt and pss files. Not sure what to make of this. Please Iet me know if you have any other ideas. I really need to get this done. I will still have to find out about my IE and MS Office Security settings. Thanks.

[Captiv8r]

Hi again annmic

From everything I've read in this post, I'm thinking that this almost HAS to be a direct result of the way the IT folks in your company have restricted access in your Internet Explorer. As Harvey stated, if it's doing this for you as the author, it's almost guaranteed that it will behave in the same way for your users!

You mentioned earlier something about seeing a popup window or something. Are you possibly referring to the little yellow information bar that pops across the top of the browser?

One other thought here. If this thought pans out, perhaps this whole point is moot. Are you able to publish or otherwise place files on a web server? You may be wanting to first test things before doing this, but if you can push them to a server THEN test, perhaps you will see different results. It's not uncommon to see security settings kick in when you run things off your local drive. Then the issues melt away totally once you access the same identical content off a server.

Hope you get it all sorted... Rick

[annmic]

I have made some progress with this. I found out that the IE security settings are high which is probably why I couldn't see everything. I published my files to our network drive. Once I did this, my index tab and search tab looked the way they should. The word wheel was gone from both of these tabs. However, on the right hand side I could not see my browser sequence buttons. I had the files moved into developement. Still can't see these buttons. Also, the logo "Powered by Robohelp" appears on the right hand side. A previous release of this online help doesn't have this. Does anyone know if perhaps there are some changes to Webhelp which make it look different that it used to? I used a default skin and the top panel has a blue background which is different too.

[HKabaker]

See Rick's Skinny on Skins

(Click on the My RoboWizard site link in his signature.)

[Captiv8r]

Hi again all

In addition to what Harvey suggested with my Skinny on Skins file, you might also want to review the link below:

Click here to view the page

Cheers... Rick

[annmic]

Thanks for your help. I still wondered if there is any way to keep the logo "Powered by Robohelp" from showing.

[Captiv8r]

Hi again annmic

If you have downloaded my Skinny on Skins file, there are four or five ways to banish or otherwise molest this item inside the file.

Cheers... Rick