A slight variant on the "how to copy a project" question

[Guest]

Hello,

I know this general topic has been well-covered here but a great deal depends on my getting it right the first time.

I have a large RH10 WebHelp project with a broken Search function that nobody seems to be able to fix. Apparently a corrupt file somewhere.

I know that I can create a new WebHelp project with a correctly functioning Search. Therefore my hypothesis is that I can create a new project as an empty "foundation" and then import (or copy?) all the existing content into it. If that works, I can then replace the current, broken, production WebHelp system with the new one.

The main complication is that the entire project is held in source control (Microsoft TFS). Obviously, if I simply copy or import files from that project, they will remain "bound" to the source repository.

What is the safe way to break this link in copied or imported files?

The production system must remain available to users, under version control until I am sure I have a working replacement. Then, when that happy day arrives, I can add the replacement project to TFS (not sure how to do that, but will cross that bridge...etc)

Thank you.

Alberti

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Alberti.

You are doing the right thing. When you create your new WebHelp project, just import the topic, TOC, Index, Glossary files as required into it. At this point it doesn't matter that they are synced to the old corrupt project. Using them you should be able to prove that the search works. You could even publish the output to your production system after testing on the generated output locally. Once you have got everything you way you want:

1. Check out the old project from TFS.
2. Copy the new project files over the top.
3. Check back in.

Personally I'd also delete the contents of the directory you've checked out to prior to performing step 2. That makes sure that the actual files being checked back in are the OK version.

[Guest]

And how about baggage files? Include them as well, right? Must they be done individually or is it possible to bring them over in a batch? Most of them are just sitting at the root level of the project folder.　　

[RoboColum_n_]

Yes the baggage files will need bringing over. You could bring them all over in one go by selecting them all in the browse dialog using the standard Windows multi-record selection keys.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

In addition to what Colum offered, note that actually adding the Baggage Files all at once may be "iffy". Seems I recall there was a limitation to the number of files one can add at a time. I believe the limitation was imposed by the number of characters in the file names of the Baggage Files.

Also note that the likely reason your search is broken is because of an errant baggage file. So I'd add them a few at a time, keeping track of which files were added each time, then generate and test search between each round of adding. Likely you will discover the errant file(s) during this process and you would then be able to "fix" the broken search in the original project by removing the offending baggage file(s).

Cheers... Rick