Conditional Build Tag doesn't seem to work

[avi_aharon1]

Hi all,

I have started using Conditional Build Tags about two months ago, it works well.
(I got teriffic support from you guys :-)
I have a new help project I am starting from scratch, to which I can't seem to apply Conditional Build Tags.
I created two tags, and applied them to topics in the following manner:
* topics of type 1: have both tags
* topics of type 2: have only one tag
I aim at generating two outputs:
1. all topics
2. topics of tag #2
However, both outputs include all of the topics.
How do I pin-point at the problem?

Thanks,

Avi

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Avi.

If one of your outputs is to include all topics then you really only need to apply a single tag. The default is to include ALL topics so adding a tag to include them is not required. All you need to do is apply a tag to those topics for your second output where you only want certain topics included. When you compile you just need to change the build tag condition to either "None" to include all topics or to include your "buildtagx" to include the topics where the tag has been added.

As to why you are currently getting all topics in both your outputs at present, it is hard to say without the expression you used at build time. Try the above approach first and let us know how you get on. Hope this helps.

[avi_aharon1]

Hi Colum and thanks for replying,

I took off the redundant tag.
I notice, however, that I can't apply a tag to a topic at all...
It goes like this:
1. I set a tag
2. Still in the Project tab, I select a topic and apply the tag to it.
3. I apply the tag to another topic.
4. I return to the topic from step 2.
It is not applied with a tag.

[CraigCC]

Are you applying the tag via the Topic Properties window - Advanced tab? This applies a 'topic level' tag rather than 'content level' tag.

Try opening the topic and applying the tag via the Topic Properties dialog.
Can you also post the build expression you are using.

thanks
Craig

[avi_aharon1]

Indeed, I did not apply the Tag through Topic Properties window - Advanced tab,
but now I do.
Maybe the problem is with the build's logic.
The "Define a conditional build tag expression" screen includes a note, indicating that
"Untagged text is always included in the generated output".
Well, I don't want it to be like this.
I want untagged topics to be excluded.

[avi_aharon1]

OK, solved it.
I created the second tag, applied it only to the topics that apear in one of the outpouts.
Then, I generated a CHM that excludes this tag.
It works.
Thanks, all 🙂

[RoboColum_n_]

Glad you've got it sorted Avi. Just for completeness, let me just say that the way you were originally adding the tags was only excluding topic content NOT the topic itself. By doing as Craig suggested you are excluding the entire topic. The build tag functionality works quite deliberately this way as you may have text strings for a particular output format (e.g. click here for xxxxxx) which you wouldn't want in another (e.g. printed output).

[HKabaker]

Avi.aharon,

Another 2 shekels' worth:

Start with "exclude" logic, as you did in your last try. Then you'll get eveything not tagged and will omit the excluded pieces.

If necessary, use "include" logic (or include and exclude) when you have a relatively small number of pieces to show in limited places.

Harvey

[resume-writer]

I use exclude logic. I have a set of topics that I want to exclude from my output and from the TOC. I open each topic that I want to exclude, then Format -> Apply Conditional Build Tag -> Not Ready. When I build the help, my expression says exclude Not Ready. However, this doesn't work, and I get the exclude topics in my output. This post talks about Topic Properties. How do I get to Topic Properties?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there resume-writer

Is the tag truly “not ready”? I ask, because maybe the tag name is the issue here. NOT is an operator. So maybe use something like NotReady for the tag?

For the properties, just right-click the topic and you should see properties or topic properties on the context menu

Cheers... Rick

[resume-writer]

I usually launch the topic from the TOC, so a right-click > Properties doesn't yield the correct location. I now know that you mean from the Project Manager. I'm working with RoboHelp 7.01. Thank you! Also, I didn't have a space in the tag name.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Fancy a RoboHelp class?

[resume-writer]

I found out where to go in the interface. I went to Project Manager > Properties. You know, I honestly don't know the difference between Topic-level Tags and Content-level tags. I assume that latter is the entire topic, and the former is snippets of content within the topic?

[HKabaker]

I can confirm that RH does not like tags with a space in the middle. Whether or not "Not" is a problem is not apparent.

Harvey

[Chet Zeshonski]

You know, I honestly don't know the difference between Topic-level Tags and Content-level tags. I assume that latter is the entire topic, and the former is snippets of content within the topic?

No, the reverse is true: a topic-level tag is applied externally to the entire topic, and a content-level tag is applied internally (i.e., in the WYSIWYG editor) to a select portion of text within a topic.

[avi_aharon1]

Feature Request for RH versions later than X5.02:
- Allow some conditional build-tags management tools (reports of topics / tags, etc).
- Current default for new topics that are not tagged at all: they appear on all builds. Make it the opposite: they don't appear on any build. This way, when I create a new topic and don't tag it, it doesn't appear where I expect it to. Currently, the non-tagged topic appear where I don't expect it to, making it harder to track the mistake.

Thanks :)

[RoboColum_n_]

Although Adobe do occasionally post in these forums it is best to use the feature request form on their website for this sort of thing.

[HKabaker]

Avi,

Take some time to get familiar with RoboHelp, especially RH 7.You may find a dream or two already come true.

Reports: Conditional tags.
Conditional tag: every place it's used.
Reports: Topics & Properties

Harvey