RoboHelp 8 - mapping seems to be lost

[Guest]

I am using RoboHelp 8. For many of my topics, an Assigned Map ID shows in Topic Properties, but the Map ID does not initially show on the Edit Map IDs screen. If I double click on the Topic on the right hand side of the Edit Map IDs screen, then the Map ID shows on the left hand side under Map ID. If I choose to edit the Map ID, the Topic ID shows, but the Map Number shows as 0. The Map ID does not show on the Map ID Report. I am working on a project that I need to know the existing map id assigned to each topic.

Any ideas what happened to the Map Numbers? It appears that the mapping is there, but it is not.

Sometimes a message comes up when I click to edit the map id "The map number is already in this project".

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[RoboColum_n_]

I'd suggest that the fact that the mapid is zero is the problem here. In RoboHelp the mapid integer has to be 1 or above. Could the map file have been inherited and imported from somewhere else? Anyway I'd suggest you change the mapid to another number and tell your developers to change the code accordingly.

[Guest]

The correct map id number was intially there and in the field, the F1 Help screens are pulling up correctly. When I print the Map IDs report, none of the affected topics print that they have mapping. The mapping seems like it is gone, but when I am able to pull up the mapping, the mapid is there, but there is no map number.

[RoboColum_n_]

You say the mapping was "initially there". That's good, but at which point did you notice that it wasn't? We need to establish what could have happened to the project to make it lose the mappings. I have very little information to go on to help you. Can you give me an idea of what has changed in the project. Also can you tell me if the problem is seen with ALL topics that have a mapid? If so, are they all related to one map file?

[Guest]

Thank you for your response.

I am not sure when this started to occur. I don't normally check the mapping unless a screen has changed and the mapping id changes. Many screens are changing in this particular project, so it is now that I have found this problem.

I inherited the Help from someone who is no longer available, so I do not have the original mapping information set for each topic that needed mapping.

There are 5 map files in this project. I have printed the Map Ids report and all five map files show on the report and I have tested a couple topics from each map file and the mapping is correct. So, the answer to your question if the problem is seen with ALL topics that have a mapid is no. Also, none of the topics that have this issue are listed on the report and I cannot tell which map file they should belong to.

In addition to the 5 map files, there are mappings that show under the <Project Map File>. The topics that show under this map file also show on the map id report and they work correctly. Only three topics show here - is that correct or should all the topics in this project show here?:

Here are the files that show in this project directory, if this information is useful:

HH File:

censusder.hh

dbcensus.hh

dccensus.hh

globcens.hh

qtcensus.hh

H file (this seems to be 'Project Map File')

BSSCDefault.h

The name of the project is Qtcensus, so not sure if these files have anything to do with mapping or not, but will list them anyways:

HHC File:

Qtcensus.hhc

HHK File:

Qtcensus.hhk

I just ran a test and compiled the project and updated my program with the new .chm file. The F1 Help screens are still working, so the mapping seems to still be working on the screens that seem to no longer have mapping.

Please let me know if I can provide further specific information and if screen shots are more helpful, please let me know if you want me to email those to you.

Thanks!

[RoboColum_n_]

OK thanks for the additional info. First of all the BSSCDefault.h file is the project's default map file. This is automatically created when you create the project, so it sounds like at some point mapids were added to this map file before the other five map files came along.

Now can you try something for me. Go into the Edit Mapids dialog and select one of the topics that seems to have lost its mapping. The mapid should be displayed on the left. Next in the Map File drop down, select each of the map files in turn. Does the mapid still display when one of the map files is selected? If so, that is the map file that has the mapping. Also if you Edit the mapid, is that showing the 0 mapid?

[Guest]

I went to the Edit Mapids dialog box for one of the topics that is having the issue. The Map ID does not show on the left hand side of the Edit Map Ids screen when I select All Map Files or any other map file. This screen print shows the Context-sensitive Help Properties for the Topic, RegulatoryComplianceForm_DC_plans_Overview for the topic, but as you can see under Map IDs, the map id does not show:

Sometimes, if I double click on the topic on the right, the mapid will then appear on the left, but when I open the mapid, the map number is 0. This does not always happen, most of the time, what is occuring in the screen above is what happens. The topic shows a map id assigned to the topic when you go to the Context-sensitive Help Properties for the Topic, but the actual mapping does not show in the Edit Mapids dialog box, nor does it show when I print the MapIDs report.

[meKarla]

When you double-click a topic in the right pane, you are assigning that topic to whichever Map ID is selected in the left pane.

[RoboColum_n_]

Maybe this will help.