Span codes

[vaprocura]

Whenever I change the format of text, it inserts a <span> code into the HTML, which changes the text from black to blue in WYSIWYG view. The blue color appears even when I generate and view the HTML Help primary layout. Changing the <span> code to <font> code eliminates the problem. How do I prevent RoboHelp from inserting <span> codes?

[johnmccallum]

I suspect it is applying a style and your best bet would be to edit the style to eliminate the undesired blue color. What else is in the SPAN tag? How do you change the text format in the first place? A little more detail may be necessary to get precise help here.

[vaprocura]

As a test, I have typed a fresh sentence onto one of the pages that is producing the problem.

I then changed the format by highlighting a word and clicking the Bold button on the toolbar while in WYSIWYG view. Below is the exact code before and after I changed the format:

<p class=bodytext>Here is a test of the span code.</p>

<p class=bodytext>Here is a test of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">span</span>
code.</p>

The word now appears blue and underlined in WYSIWYG view. It also appears that way after generating my primary layout so it displays that way in Microsoft HTML Help.

[MergeThis]

External style sheets (.css files) are superceded by...
Internal styles in the HEAD section of the topic, which are superceded by...
Specific styles at the location of the content (SPAN tags, etc.).

PLUS, your browser settings can mess with all of the above.

Somewhere in the first two style areas or the browser lies the answer. Note also that styles can be contextual: that is, any SPAN tag that appears as a child of the BODYTEXT class will be blue underlined.

What you are experiencing is highly unusual, but fixable.


Good luck,
Leon

[MergeThis]

Be advised that the W3 site says of the font tag: "The font element was deprecated in HTML 4.01. The font element is not supported in XHTML 1.0 Strict DTD." Depending on your output and the user's browser and machine settings, your font choices might not appear as you'd like.

That's why RH is being oh, so helpful! I'd also check the underlying TrueCode as John has suggested.


Good luck,
Leon