Tables dropped from finished output when using Conditional Build tags

[Vernholio]

Hi, and thanks for any help you can offer on this issue...

I'm using the WebHelp/Printed Documentation single-sourcing methodology in RH 6, and I've established two Conditional Build Tags - "OLH" (Online Help) and "Printed". For the most part, the conditional tags are awesome... except when my content includes HTML tables. If a table exists within a set of conditional tag material, material that exists AFTER the table (and outside the Conditional Tag) will be omitted from the finished output (i.e., regardless of the Single Source Output method used for finished product generation -- WebHelp or Printed Documentation.) In a few instances, only some of the material after the table is omitted.

For example, in a full document that includes a specific paragraph and a table of data that I want to exist only in my printed docs. I apply the "Printed" tag to this paragraph and table. Once I generate the WebHelp layout (or even Preview it and apply the appropriate Conditional Build Tag Expression), the tagged "Printed" content is left out, but so is all of the content that followed it... even though I didn't apply a conditional build tag to that material.

I have a work-around, but it sucks... If I remove the tables (and re-format the content to just text), all is just fine, and the build tags work properly. The thing is, I want to use tables in my content.

I'd love a WYSIWYG solution, but if I have to edit the code, I'll live... I just need to know what and where to edit (I've played with the '<p> <style="x-condition: Printed;">' tag, and added closing "</p>" and "</style>" tags, but that hasn't worked).

Thanks for taking the time to review this, and for any help you can give.

[Amebr-ke0mH4 · Accepted solution]

Hi Vernholio,

This sounds like an issue that's been covered in the forums before. Basically it happens when the table as a whole has been select. If you click and drag to select all the cells in the table, then apply the conditional tag, there shouldn't be any problems with the rest of the content.

See snippet #69 on Peter Grainge's site

[MergeThis]

Remember, nested HTML tags must be properly formed. That is, X-CONDITION TABLE /TABLE /CONDITION would work fine, but X-CONDITION TABLE /CONDITION /TABLE might not. Also, the WYSIWYG selection might or might not have captured an important closing paragraph mark.

Things to consider.


Good luck,
Leon

[Vernholio]

Amebr/MergeThis,

Thanks a lot for your help (and the quick responses)! The suggestion to mark only the cells within the table (and not the whole table, itself) worked to fix this! Also, thank you for the reference to the Snippits... They'll be helpful, too!

Take care,

- Chris