Baggage file link to navigation pane in webhelp

[Cro1410]

Like many RH users I have a printed output and an online output. To render the printed output accessible I add a navigation button to my webhelp skin that opens the PDF version of the user guide. I use the baggage files to reference the PDF file in RH.
When clicking on that button, the web browser freezes forever. Only solution is to kill ieexplorer.exe.
when I look at my output files the pdf is there but here is the twitch: there are two PDF files: "FileName.pdf" with 0 bytes and "FileName_ns.pdf" which is the actual file that should open.
only temp solution is to go to RH server, delete "FileName.pdf" make a copy of "FileName_ns.pdf" and rename that copy to "FileName.pdf". Indeed "FileName_ns.pdf" is undeletable.
Other possibility would be to link the button to an html file that would redirect to the PDF.
None of these solutions resolve teh underlying issue though...
Any ideas?
Thanks.

[Peter Grainge]

The only time I have known RH to add _ns to a filename is for the CSS stylesheet. Given that you create and name the PDF files AND that they do not need to be any different for viewing in Netscape (NS) browsers, I can't even think why RH would even want to create such a file.

Try this in a new project and see if it does the same thing. I would happily look at that.

[Cro1410]

Peter, I have several projects with this feature and all of them have this problem. If you wish I can send one over to you zipped.
Harvey, thanks for the tip. I will look into this.
Chris

[HKabaker]

Chris,

There is a way to straighten this out. It involves editing the cpd file in Microsoft Access. If you want to try it, look at this thread.

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=451&threadid=1210748

A footnote: When you "delete" a baggage file in RH, it is deleted from the project but remains in the project folder. I think the purpose of this is to let you change your mind and re-import it later. When you publish, RH includes the "deleted" pdf file. I can't think of any good reason for this.


Harvey

[Peter Grainge]

The fundamental here is not deleting the unwanted files but finding out how the _ns.pdf files are getting created. Let's find out when this happens.

You mention RH Server so obviously source control is involved here.

Create a new project and create the button pointing to test.pdf. Generate the help. Is there any sign of test_ns.pdf at this point in either the source or the output. If there is, stop and post back indicating where the file was found.

Otherwise check the test project in. Any trace of it within source control?

Check the project back out. Any trace of it now, anywhere.

Post back on that before sending anything.

[Cro1410]

Hi Peter, indeed it would be nice to pinpoin tthe underlying issue. Sorry if I did not make myself very clear but RSC is not involved here, I abandonned it a few weeks ago because it what not working for me.
By server, I meant RH Server 6.0. I actually connect to the server via Remote Desktop and delete everything manually from there.
The "_ns.pdf" is created when generating the webhelp or webhelp pro layout. It is not present in my source project but in all my output folders, the generated one and the published one. So initially it seems to me that it is the compiler that is generating this this files.
Chris

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry, mixing up two things.

The RH project is on your PC and when you generate to a local folder, the _ns.pdf gets created. If that is correct, zip something up and send it via my site.

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

I have now looked at the project and identified the problem.

You have always referred to the file being created as _ns.pdf. It is in fact _nc.pdf.

After various attempts I generated an output without a skin. Problem stopped.

Then I created a new skin and a button for the PDF, still no problem.

Then I looked at your button and noticed it points to a file PDF\UserGuideAmadeus.pdf whereas the filename is PDF\userguideamadeus.pdf. Note the different case.

I think what is happening is that RH notes the different case and wants to create a file with the case corrected. On a Windows machine that would not be possible so it appends _nc for Name Change.

Correct the button on your skin and the problem should go away.

[Cro1410]

Thanks for troobleshooting the problem. This did indeed solve the issue.
Thanks!!
Chris