Why do help screens open?

[kbuckner]

In a project that I inherited, when the help file was generated and placed out with the software 2 help pages open with any topic chosen, the correct file displays but it also displays an empty page. The file was generated under version 4, I upgraded to version 6 and have not placed a new help file out there yet but want to make sure this problem is not going to still be there. Any suggestions on what to look for ? Thanks!

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi kbuckner. Can you provide us with some more information? What is the output (e.g. CHM, webhelp)? Is this happening in both versions? Are two windows being opened - one blank and the other not?

[kbuckner]

Thanks Colum - WebHelp is what is generated. I am not getting duplicate screens when I generate under version 6 and view, but I have not sent it to the programmers to upload with the application it is supporting. In what is up there now, which was generated as WebHelp under version 4 shows one blank screen and one populated with the correct topic. I am trying to ensure that when they upload the updated help files that this does not occur. Nobody who worked on this project before is still at the company and nobody can answer any questions as to why things were handled the way they were. In my humber (rookie) opinion the data is a mess...but with 2200 Html pages they don't want me to start over, just clean it up.

[RoboColum_n_]

A-ha that ol' clean up rather than fix routine. Been there and sympathise Are you sure that is nothing to do with the way the developers have coded the call from the application? Sounds dead suspicious to me. Does it happen on every topic?

[kbuckner]

It coudl be something they are doing, don't know enough yet to declare it their problem yet. It happens every time you open the help file, not necessary each single page.

[Linux Rules]

Hello kbuckner -

What is the file name of the blank page? It might display in the Title Bar; if not, do Ctrl>RightClick in the display pane then click on "Properties" - the file name is in the "Address (URL)" section.

Let us know the name of the file.

Regards,
GEWB

[kbuckner]

Hi GEWB - thanks for chiming in...the file name in the title bar is whcsh_home.htm. When I go into properties, the URL line looks like this:
https://customer01.peoplestrategy.com/Help/whcsh_home.htm#id=10003>OnePane

Ring any bells?

[Linux Rules]

Hello kbuckner -

Yup...sounds like you are calling the generated Help container file not the the project Start Page (a very common oversight). You need to define your Start Page and call that file, not the container file.

RH use a container file to define the layout of your generated screens (e.g. the frames) but the file does NOT contain your Help content. So, you need to re-set the Project Properties and define a Start Page, then call that Start Page.

On the RoboHelp Menu Bar click "File > Generate Primary Layout (WebHelp)...".

On the WebHelp General - WebHelp window, set the project Start Page in the "Select Output Folder and Start Page" text box. We use "index.htm" as our Start Page name and I generate output to a folder on my desktop. So, my entry in this box is:

C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Desktop\R2Help\!SSL!\help\index.htm

...where "index.htm" is our Start Page. Note that the generated page does NOT contain Help information (it is blank).

Next you set/select your "Default Topic" page (self evident). THAT page contains your default page Help information and is displayed in the content frame of the generated project.

Click the Finish button then re-generate your project. Launch the generated project from the Start Page file you named (in my case "index.htm").

Regards,
GEWB