Problem with index in merged projects

[Guest]

Dear Sir,

I have a problem with index in the master project, I can only view the master project index keywords under the index tab. My master project contains 2 topics besides the other sub projects. I have created index for all sub projects indvidually and at the end I created the master project index.

I made sure that the 'Binary Index' flag is ticked before compilation and stil the problem is on, do somebody know what could be the problem.

[Captiv8r]

HI ahlam323

Silly question here. Are all the different help files in the same folder location when you run the master? If not, that could explain things.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Yes, All Sub projects help files chm are in the same folder with the master project.

I don't know what is wrong !!!

[Phil_Wells]

Hi,

I've seen this once or twice.

First go back and check that your sub-project indexes work OK within the sub projects. If they do, make a small change in those indexes and recompile the sub-projects.

Go back to the master project and delete the merged sub projects from the master, including from the baggage files. Also delete the .chm files from the output SSL directory

Recomile the master project and check that the index shows OK for just the master project.

Next re-merge the sub projects into the master and recompile the full project. Hopedully your full index will now be working.

I've never fully got to the bottom of this, but I've found if I forget to put an index into the master project before I compile it for the first time (then put it in as an after thought) the index in the merged and compiled master project can be termpermental. Stripping down and rebuilding the master project seems to clear it.

Might not be an elegent solution, but it it tends to work for me.

[Guest]

my sub projects index is working fine. I' ve tried what you explained although I hope I did all mentioned steps but still it didn't work.

I will tell you how I am compiling my sub projects I don't know if what I am doing is creating the problem. I have changed the path of the sub projects compiled file (CHM) from the sub project SLL folder to the Master project SLL folder so that all of them are in the same place.

[Phil_Wells]

That sounds OK.

When you first import the sub projects they go into the main project folder.

When you first compile the master project folder all the imported projects are put into the output SSL directory.

If you recompile the master , they are not overwritten, which is why you reset the sub-project SSL targets to the output SSL directory of the main project.

If you've made major changes in the sub project, it's worth reimporting that into the main project as well - if I edit a sub project, I generally only make minor changes which is why sending the compiled sub-projects to the master project output SSL works.

If you've deleted your original imported sub projects out of the master and reimported and this hasn't worked., then I'm afraid I'm out of ideas.

(Final thought - you have got an index in the master project for your two topics haven't you?)

Sorry...

[Phil_Wells]

Hi,

One more thing to try that I found when playing around with a colleague.

In your master project output directory there will be a file with a .chw extension.

Try moving it to another directory and recompiling the master.

[Guest]

hi Phil

thank you for your answers.

finally it worked. and guess what ? the problem was as I thought from the begining, I used to change the path of the sub projects compiled file (CHM) from the sub-project SLL folder to the Master project SLL folder so that all of them are in the same place. now, I re changed the path of the sub projects comiled file (CHM) to its normal location as it was in the sub-project SLL folder.

thanks again

[Phil_Wells]

Hi,

Two points here.

Firstly, you can duplicate SSL's. (Right click on an SSL in the projects sub-directory and select the duplicate layout option. This will give you a copy of the original SSL).

I tend to have two SSL's - one is local and I use that every time I test compile the project when I'm working on it.

The other is set to output to the master project. I use that once I'm happy with the sub-project and start working with the master project.

Second point is to be aware of how RoboHelp treats the imported/merged .chm files from the sub projects.

It imports them into the main project master directory - then when the master project is compiled it puts a copy of them into the master project SSL. However, if you re-compile it doesn't overwrite the files that are already in the master project SSL directory.

This is why you have to be aware of where the sub project .chm files are going - you need to make sure that if you revise the sub projects, a fresh copy of the .chm files ends up in the output SSL directory of the master project.