Script for adding all topics to a single browse sequence

[Guest]

Hi all, has anybody perchance written a script that inserts all topics into a single browse sequence? This would be similar to the 'auto-create from TOC'-function but using a single long sequence instead of separate ones for each chapter.

Most of our users think that the concept of browse sequences is confusing in Webhelp. They just want simple 'forward' and 'backward' buttons that jump through the TOC.

Robert

[Captiv8r]

Hi Robert

There's no need for a script. Just use the auto-create. Then type 0 (zero) for the level.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Okaaay, problem solved!

[Guest]

..even though the topics are added in a strange manner.

First the BRS jumps through the topics assigned to the top level books

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2 etc.). Then at the end it continues at the start

again and jumps through the topics in the individual chapters. Well,

I'll come up with a feature name that imlpies it was planned that way.

[Peter Grainge]

Another approach might be to create a new TOC for this purpose. Create it as a copy of the TOC you are using and then move all the topics to the top level removing the books as you go. You will then have a TOC with no books but the topics you want in the order you want.

Then create a new browse sequence using auto create. When you click Auto Create, you will be able to choose this new TOC.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Hi Peter,

no luck at this. These are imported Framemaker Documents. Even if I generate a competely flat TOC in FM then Robohelp still produces a TOC with structure in it. I made sure to define all TOC formats identical (I copied one format for all levels to make sure everything is the same, not only text size and indention).

Yet Robohelp always produces a TOC with chaotic chapters and subchapers in it.

Robert

[Peter Grainge]

The flat TOC needs to be created in Rh, not Fm.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Regrettably that is not an option in this case. We hoped to use an extra

FM TOC with flat hierarchy (generated in FM) that converts to a RH TOC

with the same flat hierarchy. Then using the "auto-create from TOC"

option it would provide a browse sequence for the "Back"/"Forward" buttons.

The process basically works, except that Robohelp messes up the flat

TOC. Probably WWP will be the tool here, there are too many flaws in the

Adobe tool chain (images, dropdowns, links within anchored frames, much

more.. arggh).

Robert

[Peter Grainge]

Can you not use this TOC solely for the purpose of creating the browse sequence?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

That is what we hoped for:

1. In FM, you have two separate TOCs (one structured with chapters, one

flat).

2. When yu recaive an updated version of the FM book, you first change

the settings to import the flat TOC and update.

3. Expected result: a flat TOC is generated in RH which can be used to

build the browse sequence.

4. After this, change the import settings back to the structured TOC and

update again.

5. Result: the TOC in RH is built again using the chapter structure. The

browse sequence still works.

The problem is step 3, we never achieved a flat TOC in RH.

I admit that this is a quite awkward process anyway. It seems like the

only way to automize the forward/backward buttons which are a

requirement here. I would have omitted these button in the first place,

no need to put 50% of time in nice-to-have features..

[Captiv8r]

Robert, from my vantage point it seems you sort of missed the point of what Peter was stating.

I know you are authoring in Frame. But for the moment, just forget about anything Frame related. Just assume all you have is RoboHelp with Frame out of the picture.

It's quite simple in RoboHelp to build a TOC. Just create a blank one. Then display your Topic List pod. All topics should be visible. Click to select one in the pod, then press Ctrl+A to select all of them. Then drag them all from the pod to the empty TOC. That should create a single (and flat) TOC that could be used for the Browse Seuence definition. Total time should be less than a minute for that whole process.

Once you have that new flat TOC the way you want, you would then only have to maintain it a tad by adding new topics that were added in Frame. It should remain unaffected by anything you do in Frame as Frame should be blissfully unaware of its existince.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Hi Rick,

thanks for the idea! But using CTRL+A to drag all topics from the topic

list will not provide a useful order it seems.

I agree that this would be a 1 minute action but having a browse

sequence that contains all topics in alphabetical order would not be a

solution in this case. And manually correkting the order of the topics

in the BRS is out of question - this is intended as a process for many

(and large) documents.

Robert

[Peter Grainge]

Are your topic folders roughly the same as your TOC books? If they are you can filter the Topic List by folder and then drag just the contents of that folder across. Sure it is going to need some resorting but it is a one off, updates apart.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Willam_van_Weelden]

HI,

A simple auto browse sequence seems to get a lot of work. A script might not be such a bad idea after all. Best of all, when you’re on RoboHelp 10 you can even make it run automatically whenever you update the linked books.

It seems to me that you need a script that adds all the topics from a TOC to a flat browse sequence. The order of the topics should be the order they are stored in the TOC, without regard to hierarchy. Right?

Do you have any experience with ExtendScript in RoboHelp. If so, I can point you to where I would start. If you don’t have much experience with ExtendScript in RoboHelp , I offer consultancy on RH automation and I can create this script for you.

Greet,

Willam

[Guest]

Hi Willam,

thanks for the offer, I have done some ExtendScripts before and think it

should be a solvable tasks. I just thaught I'd ask whether anybody might

have had just the same issue before and already finished a script. No

need to repeat work already done..

Regards,

Robert

[CharlieBook]

Hi Robert,

I know this thread is over a year old, but I encountered the same problem as you did. I needed to include a browse sequence in my master page (with Next and Previous buttons), but the BRS did not work as expected, even when the TOC level was set to "0".

The solution is as follows:

1. Generate a secondary flat TOC in your framemaker book.
2. Create a secondary TOC in RoboHelp e.g. bookname_flat.
3. Import your framemaker book and select the flat TOC file in the conversion settings (no need to re-import the book afterwards with the structured TOC since it remains unchanged).
4. Create a browse sequence using the secondary RoboHelp TOC.
5. If you want to insert the BRS in your master page header, follow these instructions (thanks Willam 😞 http://wvanweelden.eu/blog/2012/07/27/browse-sequences-webhelp-topics

It worked perfectly for me. Make sure the secondary TOC that you created in FM is indeed flat (you mentioned that your FM TOC was not generated flat in RH).

Regards,

Charlton