Pasting/typing info into dropdown causes text to explode in random strips outside the dropdown

[lagonkd]

In RH9_HTML, we have experienced very odd problems with what we call "exploding text."  We will paste OR type information into a dropdown.  That text will paste into the main topic body (scattered throughout randomly) outside the dropdown.  These "explosions" are happening in more complex topics with several layers of dropdowns AND in simple topics with single layers of dropdowns.  Sometimes it simply automatically removes ALL of the dropdowns in the topic and deposits the information into the main body of the topic.

When looking at the HTML, we have found that the ID numbers assigned to the dropdowns appear to have the last 2 characters stripped (e.g., <div class="droptext" id="POPUP551442534_1_1_1" style=display: none;"> becomes <div class="droptext" id="POPUP551442534_1_1" style=diplay:none;">) after the paste or typing occurs.  This happens BEFORE the file is saved.

Any ideas on what is causing this?  

[Peter Grainge]

I have never seen or heard of this in many years of using RoboHelp.

Is the project on your hard disk?

I would question the number of levels but you say this can happen in a simple topic with a single dropdown.

Is source control involved?

Is this only in one project or can you replicate it in a new project?

Are the topics created in RoboHelp or imported from Word, FrameMaker or somewhere else?

Have you tried the rogue project on another machine? You can use any machine with the trial version and you can apply the patches to the trial version.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lagonkd]

Is the project on your hard disk?

We keep a master on the server and then copy it to our hard disk to work on it.  We then combine our work and generate a new master daily.

I would question the number of levels but you say this can happen in a simple topic with a single dropdown.

It has happened in a single dropdown, but most often happens in a dropdown within a dropdown.  It only happens when we cut and paste.  It does not happen when we type into a dropdown "from scratch" or if we insert a JPG.  However, once we cut and paste into a dropdown, it happens...sometimes immediately...but sometimes after several revisions and saves.  Lately it is happening UPON saving. Previously, it was sometimes happening BEFORE saving.

Is source control involved?

No.  However, we will eventually have to use a source control product.  I think the one they are looking at is called Doors.

Is this only in one project or can you replicate it in a new project?

I have replicated it in a "faux" project that I can zip and send you.

Are the topics created in RoboHelp or imported from Word, FrameMaker or somewhere else?

All topics have been created in RoboHelp with no other product involved.

Have you tried the rogue project on another machine? You can use any machine with the trial version and you can apply the patches to the trial version.

This is currently happening on 4 separate computers.  It started on one and has propogated to all...it is insidious... 😞

This began when they pushed down a patch for RoboHelp.  They pulled back the patch and it stopped happening for a month.  However, it began happening again a couple of weeks ago and IT swears they have not pushed down any patches.  Could it possibly be server security software thinking that the javascript generator is a macro generator and blocking some component of the generation process?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I'd make sure you're fully patched up on RH9 before trying to diagnose what's going on - make sure that you're up to 9.0.2.271

[Peter Grainge]

No one else has encountered this and you have four users with the problem. My thinking is that something has gone wrong with the patch push or the removal.

I would get IT to uninstall RoboHelp from one machine and then reinstall it and install the patches from that machine via the Help menu.

I suspect that will fix the problem on that machine.

If not, I would then question how that master is moved to and from the server. Do you copy it across or do you zip it and copy the zip across?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lagonkd]

I would get IT to uninstall RoboHelp from one machine and then reinstall it and install the patches from that machine via the Help menu.

I have a ticket into IT to do as you ( and Jeff) suggest.  They are pretty responsive so hopefully they will do it later today.

I would then question how that master is moved to and from the server. Do you copy it across or do you zip it and copy the zip across?

We generally do a CTRL C to the folder and paste it to our hard drive.  No zipping involved.

[Peter Grainge]

I have seen problems before when using copy and paste. I always zip.

Let us know what happens after IT have done their bit.

[lagonkd]

RH9 has been reinstalled as y'all directed.

Now I can paste into as many as 5 dropdowns within dropdowns without it exploding...HOWEVER...

If I apply a style to text within the dropdowns, it might or might not explode.  Styles causing the issues involve multi-level bullets and numbered lists.

[Peter Grainge]

Multi-level dropdowns have often caused problems in earlier versions, albeit not what you describe. The fact that they are now working OK until you get five levels down suggests that maybe a bug is kicking in.

Many years ago Rick Stone suggested creating the content in a topic and then pasting in. Maybe try that if you need to apply such a style?

The more people who report a bug or request a feature, the more likely it is to be actioned. Please follow this link.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

Could you not avoid such deep levels? Without seeing your help which might justify that, I am thinking that having to click down five levels of dropdown would be irritating.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lagonkd]

The five levels of dropdowns were simply to test for the issue.  This is a real problem for us because we have a product Validation coming up next week....sigh...

Actually, we began the project by creating the instructions in one topic, then creating dropdowns, then cutting and pasting information into the dropdowns.  We had great success until the Jan/Feb timeframe when the patch was pushed down.  Plus, we had a cosmetic format change that was needed.  That complicated it a bit.

We do have as many as 4 levels of dropdowns, but they are orchestrated in such a way that seems to keep the long and very complex topic more readable (believe it or not, LOL).  Some of our process instructions are incredibly complex. We have found it challenging to break them down in such a way that keeps the user from having to navigate back and forth between numerous windows. The user complained about the navigation issue in a similar product created by a different vendor so we wanted to address that concern. Plus, using this style provides the user the option to skip steps he/she is familiar with and go straight to the ones he/she needs without having to search through 10 steps..you know how it goes...

Reinstalling helped some, but did not resolve the issue completely. I suspect something they fixed in the patch, broke something else.  Who knows?  I also suspect that more folks will have this problem in the future.

I guess we will have to pull text out of dropdowns and format it in the base topic, then re-paste it into the dropdown. Or, we may have to delete the dropdown altogether and verify all associated code was removed in the HTML, then recreate the dropdown and paste the material into it...just a work-around until next week is over and this issue is successfully run to ground. Hopefully it will work!

I will report this as a bug and send Adobe my "faux" project file to explore.  Maybe it will be an easy fix...

Thanks for your suggestions and assistance!  You guys are AWESOME!!!!!

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Does this happen with any old text? My own ponderings on this are making me wonder if perhaps you are using some special characters that may be causing it. However, same as my colleague, I've not heard of it happening either.

Cheers... Rick

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[lagonkd]

Does this happen with any old text?

Yes. No special characters involved...we looked at that fairly early but could not see a correlation with a specific piece of text and we are not using special characters except for the occassional * or bullet.  We did notice that it most often happened when we changed formatting associated with multi-level lists or bullets. 

We thought it might be some text that was reacting with some empty  <span> commands  (which RH seems to leave behind liberally when you delete stuff with formatting)  in the HTML.  We cleared out all the garbage, but it still occurred.