Missing contentlist.xml?

[gps03]

My webmaster keeps sending me the following error:

[Mon Oct 17 13:46:38 2011] [error] [client 192.xxx.xxx.xx] File does not exist: .../ctrldocs/mutest/help/contentlist.xml,

referer: .../ctrldocs/mutest/help/whskin_mbars.htm

The problem is that is never was a contentlist.xml, It's not part of the output when I generate the WebHelp. I found some threads & pages talking about a problem with whskin_mbars.htm ignoring the "use lower case" option and causing a problem looking for ContentList.xml instead of contentlist.xml, but that's not it -- there simply never was a contentlist.xml or ContentList.xml file in the output.

The WebHelp works fine, and I've had no complaints that any functionality is missing or broken.

Aside fromt the obvious solution of manually creating a blank contentlist.xml file an placing in the directory, I'd really like to know:

• What the file is for
• Why one output file is looking for it if it is not part of the output
• Why it is not part of the output if it should be

I am on RH9.0.1.232 outputting to standard WebHelp

Thanks

-Greg

[Peter Grainge]

The file is referenced in a javascript file that is used by all webhelp. However that particular file is only generated if you use the new Dynamic User-Centric Categories feature.

Your webhelp will work fine without it. Tell your webmaster to go back to sleep.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[gsmichaels]

Peter,

I conducted a Forum search on contentlist.xml  that identifed your response, above. Unfortunately,   Dynamic User-Centric Categories  isn't clear to me. A search on that phrase  brought me back to your reponse. I searched on Dynamic Categories and found too many items to easily distinguish your reference. Could you clarify the reference?

My developer is encountering a contentlist.xml not found error... even though contentlist.xml  is referenced in whtbar.js.

   var svTitle="Select a content category";

  var contentListPath = "contentlist.xml";

  var xmlreader = new XmlReadWriteHelper();

  xmlreader.strFilePath = contentListPath;

  xmlreader.loadFromFile(false);

  var xmlDoc = xmlreader.getXmlDoc();

  if(xmlDoc != null)

  {

He wants to know where contentlist.xml  ought to be found, when applicable. And my initial question was intended to help us determine whether I can / should  make the project adjustments needed to produce a functional  contentlist.xml . 

Essentially, he is building url-based context sensitive functionality into a flagship product and doesn't want to use Map IDs.  Parenthetically, he has been able to make this function work in an old version of the my help project that incorporated a single level Project Manager directory. His system seems to be stumbling on the multi-level directory that now exists in the project.

Thanks

[RoboColum_n_]

I think Peter maybe "offline" today so let me interfere 🙂

Dynamic User-Centric Categories or DUCC for short is a feature that came in with RH9. It has been described as conditional build tags on steroids. It allows you to add a dropdown to your TOC that can be used to filter the topics displayed. For example if you have a help file with different procedures depending on whether the user is US, European or Asia based. If you are not using this feature, there is absolutely no need for the contentlist.xml file.

[Captiv8r]

Ohhh, Colum

You were sooo close with the acronym!

DUCC = Dynamic User-Centric Content

Click here for an Adobe blog post describing it

Additionally, the drop-down is inserted into the Navigation Mini-Toolbar that sits between the TOC and Index and Glossary and Search. It's not within the TOC. (It's still visible when viewing the Index and the Search.)

Certainly Conditional Build Tags might be used with the feature, but they don't have to be. Lest there be confusion with this feature, it does not "dynamically apply Conditional Build Tags". In reality, what it does is cause multiple versions of WebHelp output to be created. (Each with its own little swarm of files) Then when the end user chooses one of the other outputs from the drop-down, it redirects to that version of the help. This allows a unique TOC and Index and Search for whatever version of the help the author has created and the end user wants to see.

Cheers... Rick

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