Please fix the Robohelp bug related to supporting underscores (_) in the help files (*.chm)

[Guest]

There are 10 module specific projects. Further map IDs are assigned in all the 10 module projects to have context sensitivity. These are merged into a single project to generate the entire help file. The output for the project is html help (.chm).

Initially, we generated the html help and integrated with the application. When tested (pressed F1) the correct topic is displayed but with the ToC for that module and not the entire help. 

Solution: I followed the steps mentioned in the following thread that I came across on Adobe forum. 

http://forums.adobe.com/message/240496#240496

But the solution didn’t work as expected, Further investigation showed that since the output file name had underscore (Module1_EN.chm to denote the language), the solution didn’t work.  Hence I removed the ‘underscore (_)’ from the output file name and generated the output again. This time the solution worked.

Please refer below the steps for generating the output.

Steps:

1. Generated output (chm) for all the modules.  I had to make sure that the output file name does not contain any ‘underscore (_)’ as this caused the problem when generated the help file.  
2. In the main help project (which is an empty container), merged all the projects using Robohelp’s Merged Project functionality.  While merging, I first created empty Book and then merged the project within that book.

For example, Book1 will contain Module1.chm, Book2 will contain Module2.chm and so on.

1. Added window definitions using Project Setup -> New Window. Also added reference to main ToC here by clicking Advanced Properties. (Table of Contents: Main.hhc)
2. Selected the above created window while generating the output (Single source layouts -> html help Layout -> Properties).
3. Generated the html output for the entire project (Main.chm).
4. Decompile the ‘Main.chm’ and extracted the ToC file ‘Main.hhc’.
5. For each module project, imported ‘Main.hhc’ as a Baggage File, created window definitions same as the Main project and with reference to ‘Main.hhc’.
6. Again generated html output for all the modules.

Tested CSH for the project. The correct topic displayed with the entire ToC.

Best regards,

/Vikas

[Peter Grainge]

You need to post a bug report to get Adobe's attention. This is a user to user forum. Please follow this link.

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

Not sure but I believe it may be a bug in the Microsoft Help Compiler over which Adobe have no control. Microsoft last updated in 2004. Good luck!

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[RoboColum_n_]

As Peter surmised, this is indeed a Microsoft bug. CHMs created by other applications are also affected.