JavaHelp 2.0 - Styles not applied

[Guest]

Using RoboHelp X5, JavaHelp 2.0, Java SDK 1.4.2_08 (on Win XP-SP2)

I am aware of the font-size and bullet point issues in JavaHelp and have created a second CSS to address these deficiencies.

My problem now is that any class-level style in my CSS is not being applied at all (both at the "paragraph" level and at the "character/span" level).

According to the JavaHelp limitations in the RoboHelp online help, I think the versions of JavaHelp and JDK I am using should enable my styles to render properly. It says I need SDK 1.2.2 or higher.

Am I out of luck?
Thanks

[maniac9999]

PigBodine,

I'm using RH X5, JavaHelp 2.0, Java SDK 1.4.2_06 (on Win XP-SP2)

I also created a separate stylesheet that I apply (as part of a topic template) for all topics. I don't use the default stylesheet at all. I've added one class in my stylesheet called ".lesstopmargin" which I use to decrease the line spacing (by 10 pixels) between headings and initial paragraphs, and all other situations where needed (which is frequently). I also have a call to a gif image called "bluelistbullet.gif" in the ul section of the .css and it looks like this:

list-style-image: url(bluelistbull.gif);

As far as font sizes, I haven't attempted to make any related class elements in the stylesheet. I tried creating additional classes for other things (like indents), without much luck.

The "bluelisbull.gif" is an image I got directly from Paul Hoffman at Sun to make the bullets look better. Send me an email at jreinhard@paychex.com if you want a copy of it.

The only big drawback to using the "list-style-image" call in the .css is that it prevents me from successfully creating a Word version of the project. All topics with bullets are either duplicated or the document "stops" when it hits a topic with bullets or numbers. In order create a Word file, I have to make a copy of the project, copy out the .css, remove the call to the bluelistbull, copy the .css back into the project, reopen the copy of the project, then build the Word file. A little painful, but I don't have a regular need (thankfully) for a Word version of my JavaHelp project.

Jim

[Guest]

Jim -
Thanks for your comments.

My alternate CSS does correct my font-size issues, but I use class selectors to apply indenting and other formatting. Sounds like you didn't have much luck with this either. Fortunately, JavaHelp is currently a "nice-to-have" output format for me...most of my output is CHM and PDF.

I will send you an email as I am interesed in that gif you mentioned.
Thanks again,
Dave

[Guest]

I did a little bit more digging into this issue, and I discovered some odd things.

First, when JavaHelp is compiled, a pared-down version of my CSS is created (comments stripped out, etc).

Curiously, all of my class names have been lowercased (I tend to use camelCase, e.g. FieldDesc). This should not matter because the W3C recommendation for CSS1 states that "...All CSS style sheets are case-insensitive, except for parts that are not under the control of CSS. I.e., in CSS1, font family names and URLs can be case-sensitive."

However, if I open my original HTML document (i.e. not one of the copies created during the JH compilation) and change a SINGLE class value to lowercase and then recompile, ALL paragraphs that use class selectors are then formatted correctly in JavaHelp.

Unfortunately, the fix only applies when classes are used in "paragraphs" (by paragraph, I mean h1-h6 and p). Classes referenced within span tags remain unformatted.

(This behavior does not seem to be controlled via the "Use Lowercase File Names" parameter in the JavaHelp SSL project properties dialog.)

So it seems a partial, inconsistent workaround is available, but the larger issue would appear to be that JavaHelp does not support CSS1 according to the W3C recommendation. I don't see this as a RoboHelp issue, but as a Sun/JH issue.