pdf search

[flatk]

I am currently using Robohelp v4 and will be linking to a 100 page pdf. Will users be able to search these pdf pages using the Robohelp search function?

If not, can you direct me on how I can implement this? Thanks!

[Captiv8r]

Hi flatk

If you simply link to it, no. You would need to import it and make HTML documents out of the contents in order to do this. Or, you could install RoboEngine or RoboHelp Server and place it there. With RoboEngine/RoboHelp Server, PDF, Word, Excel and other contents become searchable by virtue of having them present.

Cheers... Rick

[flatk]

The reason why I want to link instead of insert into HTML is that this document changes weekly and I would hate to go into each page and update the HTML everytime there is a new release.

Can you explain how and where to install RoboEngine/RoboHelp Server? Is this something I already have or need to purchase? Forgive me as I am not extremely knowledgable on the Robo processes.

Thanks!

[ewriter]

You could give the pdf document the same file name--overlay an older document with a newer one by file name. The HTML wouldn't need to change that way.

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi flatk.

RoboHelp Server is a separate product you have to buy from Adobe. It used to be called RoboEngine in a previous life. The latest version is version 6 and it can be used in conjunction with your RoboHelp projects to publish web or flash based output to a central server where the help can be accessed. basically you use the Pro version of your single source layout (e.g. webhelp pro) - I think these were available with RHX4! It offers other advantages which you can see by clicking this link.

agfine's suggestion would work provided you never changed the location of the file.

[Guest]

I use Zoom Search. It's easy to setup, affordable, and has a ton of features.

Here's their site:
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/

Here's Peter Grainge's site with instructions to set it up:
http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/zoomsearch/zoomsearch.htm

[MergeThis]

To search other file types with the Zoom product, such as .pdf files, requires you to download specific plug-ins for each type (no extra charge).


Good luck,
Leon

[MergeThis]

Oh, I forgot to mention: if you need to use any of the Zoom tags (to prevent content from being indexed, or to increase the weighting applied to a topic), note that RoboHelp totally drops them in the generation process. So, if you added them to your output and are indexing your output files, those tags disappear and have to be re-inserted whenever you make changes to the topics.

To address this issue, we insert these Zoom tags into the source files and configure the direction of the Zoom output files to the RH output folders (merged WebHelp) on our server.


Good luck,
Leon

[flatk]

Is this compatible with version 4? Currently, my pdfs are located in baggage files. If I implement zoom search into Robohelp, this will search the pdfs?

I like the functionality of this search (ranking results), but can I keep the regular search function in Robohelp and add this as an advanced search function option? (There are numerous employees that hate change)

Thanks for everyone's help!

[MergeThis]

I don't see why you couldn't offer both. We eliminated the default search in ours and added a custom "Search" button to replace it in the toolbar. That brings up a separate Search topic. However, If you're going to offer both, it's just a matter of deciding whether to offer the advanced help as a custom toolbar button. or a single topic, or a search box in every topic.

And as to change, don't these "numerous employees" Google? Sheeesh... If it were up to me, we'd dump the Index from our help, too, but I can't get that to fly. Sigh...


Good luck,
Leon

[Guest]

I have the same fear of change situation here. We ran the two side-by-side for a couple of months and sent out a notice that the old method would eventually be removed, then we presented the new search to everyone. We ran searches with both and showed the multiple benefits. The old search is gone now.

If you have any problems setting up zoom or the custom search button, let us know.

[flatk]

I previously inserted the js highlight word feature for each page in Robohelp. Will this function still work with zoomsearch?

How does the highlight function work in zoomsearch? I noticed in the sample it highlights the word in the summary, but will this highlight pass to the actual page.

[Peter Grainge]

If you are talking about the highlight method on my sight, no that will not work with Zoom Search. It was designed by Calvin Ly to work with RH's own search.

Zoom Search does have its own method though involving a different javascript. It is described in Zoom Search's own documentation.

[flatk]

Since I've already incorporated your js search code on each page, does this need to be removed before I install Zoom Search, or will it work without removing?

[Peter Grainge]

It will depend on the name of the javascript function for a start. It's difficult to tell without experimenting. Add the word Redrabbit to one topic that has both scripts. Search on that and see what happens.

With FAR or BKReplaceEm, it would only take a few minutes to remove all the old javascript anyway.