related topics functioning

[twxrx]

I have had a few issues with the Related Topics buttons.

1) Even if I choose the Topics found dialog, it doesn't display. The topics display only in the pop-up menus.

2) There is a delay of at a least a second, and closer to 2-seconds, before the RTs display. Works OK when viewing the output on the hard drive, but very slow on the server.

I was also having issues with the topics popping up only at the top of the page, but there were suggestions here on editing the JS, and I was able to fix.

Ideas on the other issues?

[twxrx]

bump. Help, anybody? I will add that this is RH 9, using FlashHelp.

[twxrx]

Just bumping this again. Anybody else having this problem???

[twxrx]

bump?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Unfortunately it would seem that none of us has a solution to offer. Can't say I've ever seen this behavior.

The only suggestion I might have would be to try creating a totally new project and see if it still happens there. Perhaps it's an issue with the way the FlashHelp generation process handles creating the popup?

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

[twxrx]

OK...I have deadlines coming up but will try your suggestion.....

[Captiv8r]

Hello again

Okay, I had some time and decided to test this out. I notice that when generating WebHelp or FlashHelp, all you are able to get is a popup and not a dialog despite specifically choosing the dialog if your browser is Firefox. IE seems to allow presenting the dialog. Unsure about Google Chrome, I didn't test with it.

I tested by adding two controls with each one configured differently. WebHelp and FlashHelp flat refuse to do a dialog and instead only do the popup unless IE is the browser.

I tested in versions X5, 7, 8 and 9.

Hope this helps a bit... 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

[twxrx]

Thanks for taking the time to look this over. I am using IE 8 but I do have Chrome installed.

I am hoping to create a small test project for the problem with delays. The project is very heavy with DHTML. doesn't use any RT or See Also buttons--I want very much to change this but users need the buttons to display results faster.

[twxrx]

Some discoveries with regard to speed of the RT links:

I ran the project output to WebHelp and put it on the same server. The buttons function just fine: I do not have the delay and I get the options that I specified.

Is there an option that I need to set in FlashHelp to resolve the issue of the slow speed for the buttons in FlashHelp output? The delay makes them generally usuable and I think they are imperative for our users. We are in a linking heck and need to take steps to resolve.

I don't know if this makes a difference, but we have very heavy use of DHTML in the project, too.

[twxrx]

Sorry--should say the delay makes them unusable. And to clarify: When I run the output to FlashHelp, I do not get the Topic Found dialog even though that's what I specified.

When I run the output to WebHelp, I do get the Topics Found dialog as I had specified.

Viewing output through IE 8.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

If memory serves, one of the "nifty" things added to FlashHelp back in the eHelp days, was that things like this were somehow themed to FlashHelp. I took that to mean that these hotspots were also generated as Flash. And perhaps that's the reason for the delay you are seeing.

So a thought occurs here. What if you generated FlashHelp AND WebHelp? Publish the FlashHelp to the server, then overwrite the files with the Topic Files from the WebHelp output.

My thought here is that this would give you the "best of both worlds".

Did you also report this behavior to Adobe as undesirable or a bug? If not, you really should consider doing so. Link is in my sig.

Cheers... Rick

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[twxrx]

Thanks for your quick reply, Rick. I just noticed another option to try. Will post those results in a few.

As far as your comments...interesting. But I think it would be worth our while to just switch to WebHelp. So I might make that case first.

In addition to the improved button functionality, our project would be significaly reduced in size.

[Captiv8r]

LOL, not to mention vastly easier to customize!

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

[twxrx]

I tried the specification in the FlashHelp output to optimize speed for local intranet. This did not make a difference in the delay with the buttons.

I think our best option is to switch to WebHelp.

The only advantage I can see to FlashHelp is that the TOC looks prettier. But we really need the quick ability to find information for our users, and that is severely hampered by this output format, evidently. Also, I have bumped into Flash Player security issues that drive me crazy.

I will report the lack of options for the buttons in the FlashHelp output as a bug.

[Captiv8r]

Hello again

I'd be very surprised to find that the speed optimization setting you mentioned would have any effect. To my knowledge, all this setting does is determine how the navigational elements such as the Table Of Contents, Index and Glossary are created.

With optimization set for local PC, the data for these items are produced in a single file. Takes longer to download.

With optimization set for Network, the data for these items is broken into smaller chunks. This provides the illusion that things are actually loading faster.

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

[twxrx]

that does indeed seem to be the case.

I was not able to WebHelp output to FlashHelp project. The files won't open. Or they took so long that I just trashed it. I think it makes a good case to change to WebHelp. I am not sure why this project was set up in FlashHelp anyway....