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Some child chms don't display topic in topic pane when TOC item is clicked

Enthusiast ,
Apr 02, 2012 Apr 02, 2012

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Okay. I'm not sure what's going on.

We have a master project and various sub-chms that get merged into the TOC of that master project. We have a fairly new sub RH project named "Toolkit Modules" that generates three additional sub chms that are also merged into the master help. They appear at the very end of the master project's TOC:

<master help's toc>

<10 other merged chms>

toolkitmodules.chm

toolkitmodules_blade.chm

toolkitmodules_vwmp.chm

All the topics for the three toolkit modules chms exist in the Toolkit Modules project and are conditionally marked with topic-level build tags so that the right topics appear in their respective chm.

I compiled the three toolkit chms and then put them in the master root directory so that when the master help is generated, they get included properly.

At first glance, all three of these chms appear to be working fine in the master TOC. I can expand and view the master help's TOC for the sub projects just fine, but clicking on a TOC entry does not display

the topics for these two chms in the topic pane:

toolkitmodules_blade.chm

toolkitmodules_vwmp.chm

4-2-2012 3-52-50 PM.jpg

I'm not sure why.

If I double-click and open up the individual chms from within Windows and view their contents, the topics appear as expected in those chms. It's just when merged, these latter two chms don't do anything from the TOC side. However, I have verified that the topics are indeed getting merged in, because I can use the Search tab to see the topics. In fact, the Locate button on the toolbar even expands the correct TOC and highlights the entry that matches. So something's just not working from the TOC side.

Any ideas?

I'm using RH 9.02.271

Windows 7 64-bit

HtmlHelp output (chm)

Thanks!

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Enthusiast , Apr 10, 2012 Apr 10, 2012

What the---?? It looks like you're right Peter!

Arrgg! And to think I probably spent a dozen hours testing and messing with this problem. Where is that wall?! Time to commence head banging...

I don't get it though. How come child chms with underscores in their names worked in the salesbuilder help? But didn't when I tried them in my master project.

Ah well, note to self: NEVER USE UNDERSCORES IN CHILD CHMS!!

Thanks again Peter!

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Enthusiast ,
Apr 02, 2012 Apr 02, 2012

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I did some more testing and applied the toolkit chms to the salesbuilder test project and they appear and function as expected. So I'm guessing something in our master project is causing the problem.

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Enthusiast ,
Apr 05, 2012 Apr 05, 2012

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Does anyone have any ideas on this? We're nearing our release date, and I need to get this figured out.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2012 Apr 06, 2012

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You are not being ignored, it's simply that I for one do not know the answer.

There was a problem with merged CHMs in RoboHelp 9 because the paths were absolute. That is described in Using RoboHelp 9 on my site but you will also see that Adobe advise it was fixed in the 902 patch that you have.

Take a look inside the HHP file's Merged Help section.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Enthusiast ,
Apr 09, 2012 Apr 09, 2012

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Thanks for repsonding Peter. My HHP looks like what I would expect it to (well, except that "toolkitmodules_miscellaneous.chm" file shouldn't be in there, but I doubt that's the culprit). Anyway, I don't see any absolute pathways:

[MERGE FILES]

pcdmisportable.chm

pcdmistutor.chm

pcdmisvision.chm

pcdmiscmm.chm

errorcodes.chm

toolkitmodules_miscellaneous.chm

pcdbasic.chm

toolkitmodules.chm

pcdmisdci.chm

toolkitmodules_blade.chm

pcdmisnc.chm

pcdmisip.chm

pcdmisregistry.chm

pcdmisfixturing.chm

toolkitmodules_vwmp.chm

As a side note, if I modify the HHP file directly, trying to remove that chm, it gets rewritten by RH later to put it back in. From what is the info in this HHP file generated and when?

I'm not sure what else to try to get these topics to show up when I click on their TOC entries. Maybe it's just a project-specific bug that I should submit to RH. But the fact that they merge and display fine with the salesbuilder project is what keeps throwing me. If they work there, they should work in my master project as well.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 09, 2012 Apr 09, 2012

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Jared

Right now I simply don't have the bandwidth to say "send me your project". You may see me ask others to do so but that will only be where I believe it will be simple or I just need to see something.

Take a look at Item 13 in http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh9/using_rh9.htm. That covers the fix to the merged CHM help problem that was used before Adobe fixed it in 902. Part of the problem was the HHP getting rewritten so maybe something there will help.

Any merged CHM help users able to pitch in here?


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Enthusiast ,
Apr 09, 2012 Apr 09, 2012

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Thanks Peter. I looked through the PDF in the link you recommended. I was able, of course, to get the child helps to display properly in a brand new project. But I've already mentioned that the helps work inside of the salesbuilder project. What I really need are the helps to work inside my real master project. Anyway, I made a copy of my master project and removed all of the htms, images, and extra files except the intro/welcome screen and the smaller chms I'm trying to merge included in the root of the directory. It still gives the exact same problem.

This slimmed down project is located here if you or someone else wants to take a look at it (only about 3mb zipped). Password is "mergeprob".

You'll see, once you compile using the chm build layout included, that the first merged help (toolkitmodules.zip) appears fine. The other two

(toolkitmodules_blade.chm and toolkitmodules_vwmp.chm) do not show the topic when the toc item is clicked.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 09, 2012 Apr 09, 2012

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Unfortunately I can't download the zip file. It always fails with something like the file is corrupt.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 10, 2012 Apr 10, 2012

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Jared

If I am right, you are going to want to bang your head on a wall so stand well clear before you read on.

Try recreating the merge without underscores in the CHM file names. I believe it is those three projects that are causing the trouble.

Suddenly remembered that one from a few years back.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Enthusiast ,
Apr 10, 2012 Apr 10, 2012

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What the---?? It looks like you're right Peter!

Arrgg! And to think I probably spent a dozen hours testing and messing with this problem. Where is that wall?! Time to commence head banging...

I don't get it though. How come child chms with underscores in their names worked in the salesbuilder help? But didn't when I tried them in my master project.

Ah well, note to self: NEVER USE UNDERSCORES IN CHILD CHMS!!

Thanks again Peter!

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