Conditional build tags disappeared

[lillibetUK]

Hi All,

For info, we are using Tech Comms Suite 3.5 with RoboHelp 9.

We have an interesting problem in that some of our conditional build tags have somehow gone missing! We are unable to select them to apply to content/topics for selection, however where the tags have been applied the tooltip showing the condition is displayed when you hover the cursor over the 'conditioned' content. When we look at the tags applied in the topic properties dialog box, the tag does not appear.

I'm hoping that someone might have experienced this and can point us in the right direction please? Does anyone know which RoboHelp file holds all the conditional build tag information? Does anyone know an ideal solution that does not entail us creating replacement tags then reapplying them to the relevant information?

Thanks all for your help.

Lillibet

[Peter Grainge]

Do the tags appear in the conditional build tags pod?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lillibetUK]

I knew there was something I'd forgotten to mention! No, they have completely disappeared. The only place they appear is where the tag has been applied to content in a topic. I cannot yet confirm how/if the tag appears where it has been applied to a complete topic as I haven't found an instance of this yet.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Where is your project located? If not local, it sounds like it’s gotten corrupted IMHO.

[lillibetUK]

It's local. We are two authors using Perforce as our source control system. We check in the project every evening. Unfortunately we've only just noticed this problem so have no idea how far back it stems.

[Peter Grainge]

Is the tag name when you hover and the tag name in the pod exactly the same? Case, spaces etc.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lillibetUK]

In terms of case and spaces, yes. I can't see why it would be different?!!

[Peter Grainge]

Maybe you cannot but I can, hence asking. If the tag in the pod differs from what is in the topic, it could have explained the problem. The solution would have been to add a new tag in the pod with exactly the same name as in the topic. It would not have involved reapplying them as that happens automatically.

I was thinking that could occur if one of you had changed the tag for some reason and then something had got out of sync in source control.

"When we look at the tags applied in the topic properties dialog box, the tag does not appear." Where are seeing the tag is applied at topic level if it is not in the Topic Properties?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Krischu]

From my recent experiments with modifying .apj files and what not behind the back of RH9 I can say that this also happened to me, especially in situations where I deleted the .cdb and the .xpj file to start over from opening the .hhp file. Anyway, you might look into the file rhbuildtag.apj and examine whether your build tags are in there.

If not, just create them either in an editor if you know the syntax

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<rhpml majorversion="4" minorversion="0">

    <buildtags>

        <buildtag>

            <name>BUILDTAG_1</name>

            <colorref>12632256</colorref>

            <comments/>

        </buildtag>

        <buildtag>

            <name>BUILDTAG_2</name>

            <colorref>16711680</colorref>

            <comments/>

        </buildtag>

        <buildtag>

            <name>Online</name>

            <colorref>65280</colorref>

            <comments/>

        </buildtag>

        <buildtag>

            <name>Print</name>

            <colorref>255</colorref>

            <comments/>

        </buildtag>

    </buildtags>

</rhpml>

Or you may just recreate them from the GUI.

--

Christoph

[Peter Grainge]

@Krischu It's OK to delete the CPD (not CDB) but not the XPJ. The latter should only be deleted in extreme situations and then there will be rebuilding required, as described in Opening RoboHelp Projects on my site. There I specifically cover build tags with this advice.

Simply create new CBTs with EXACTLY the same names (spacing, underscores etc). The new CBT will associate itself with the topics and text.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Krischu]

Peter, thanks for the correction. I mistyped .cdb, should have been .cpd and right, it's okay to delete it. There is even an option within RH9 to explicitly delete the .cpd at start.

--

Christoph

[lillibetUK]

Thank you for your replies. They've been very helpful in resolving this problem. This is what we did:

We found the rhbuildtag.apj file in Perforce that contained the correct CBTs.

Replaced the rhbuildtag.apj file in the project with the older (and correct) version of the file from Perforce.

Opened the project... It didn't work!

We then deleted the .cpd file (something that we have to do regularly anyway), and the CBTs are now back again. Phew!

Thank you again for your help and support. Your prompt replies have been appreciated so much.

Kind Regards

Lillibet

[Peter Grainge]

You are not checking the CPD in are you?

See Snippets on my site, there are a few files that should not be checked in and out. I'm thinking that if you are checking that one in and out, that could have caused the issue.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[lillibetUK]

No the cpd file is not checked in. We had that problem not too long ago. You may remember I asked on the RH forum about which files should be checked in and out as I found conflicting information. This is now sorted out.