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Favorites - stored behind the scenes?

New Here ,
Mar 04, 2009 Mar 04, 2009

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When a user adds topic to the Favorites tab, where are those saved? Is it saved at a local machine-level or user-level? We searched through the whole registry and couldn't find any references. Thanks!

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Enthusiast ,
Mar 04, 2009 Mar 04, 2009

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Hi, Cheeky524,

For compiled HTML Help (.chm), favorites are stored in the file hh.dat, which is in the hidden folder %UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\HTML Help. So, typically:

C:\Documents and Settings\Cheeky524\Application Data\Microsoft\HTML Help

Pete

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New Here ,
Jun 25, 2013 Jun 25, 2013

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Hi Pete,

A general question on this topic - I was hoping to use the Favourites tab in a CHM file as a method of asking reviewers to look at specific topics rather than reviewing an entire CHM file.

However it isn't working because as soon as I copy the CHM (even on my own PC) the Favourites tab is cleared.

Do you know if there is a way of changing this behaviour? (eg a "Do not flush Favourites" check box somewhere).

Cheers + thanks in advance.

Andy

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LEGEND ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Andy.

I don't know if Pete follows these forums anymore so let me step in. As Pete stated, the CHM favourites are stored in the HH.DAT file. The issue here is that this is a PC specific file which stores lots of data about CHM file usage. In theory it could be copied to each PC, but in practice this would cause all sorts of other issues. For example, if the user had used the Favourites functionality on a different CHM - maybe even one not controlled by you -  copying the HH.DAT file to their PC would delete that favourite.

So in summary, this file is best left well alone. There is a post I wrote about this file at: http://www.cmcandrew.com/robocolumn/the-hhdat-file/

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New Here ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Colum,

Thanks for that.

Drat etc - looks as though this really isn't an option then.

What a shame, because that would have been a neat way of seeking comments on a selection of topics in a huge help system.

Oh well...

Cheers,

Andy

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LEGEND ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Andy if it is just reviewing topics you require, RoboHelp has some cool features in the newer releases. You don't say what version you have, but now you can even select topics, output to a PDF, have a reviewer add comment to the PDF using the free Acrobat Reader, and you import them in to your project and accept / reject the same as in Word.

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New Here ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Colum,

>> You don't say what version you have

My apologies - I'm using RH10.

>> select topics, output to a PDF

Now there's an idea. I shall explore that option.

Cheers,

Andy

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New Here ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Colum,

More on this.

I just had a look at that PDF For Review function, and yes it does as you rightly say.

However, I'm still left feeling mildly unsatisfied because the other aspect of the CHM approach that appealed was that if keen reviewers felt so inclined, they could have merrily drifted off into other parts of the help system via "related topics" links and Index entries etc. Whereas here they are ultra confined to reviewing the range of PDF'd content only. Arguably there are benefits to that of course, but there are also benefits to having folk "play around" in the help.

I had a thought along the lines of distributing a simple html doc with the CHM that inked in to specific topics in the CHM. But although technically feasible, I'm already starting to recoil from this approach too.

And so it continues...

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LEGEND ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Andy

Another way you might consider listing a group of topics easily would be to implement a See Also. The process is really straightforward. You open the See Also pod, define a keyword, then associate topics with the keyword.

Then you add a See Also control to any topic you like. (You can call it Favorites if you want) The net result is that the viewer looks at the topic with the See Also control, clicks the control and sees the list of topics to be viewed. You could also copy the control and paste it into each of the topics that are part of the list so that they can easily move from this topic to the next.

Cheers... Rick

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New Here ,
Jun 26, 2013 Jun 26, 2013

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Hi Rick,

Many thanks for your reply.

I'll have a play and report back.

Cheers,

Andy

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