Search doesn't perform full text search / no ranking

[kowalch]

Hi forum,

we're having difficulties with our RoboHelp HTMLHelp projects. The compiled .CHM doesn't perform full-text searches anymore as this was the case with Microsoft HTML Help Workshop. It's only searching inside the index but not inside the content.
Furthermore the search results are not ranked anymore and thus not sorted by page rank. Any suggestions?
Allready tried to register itcc.dll as described here: http://frogleg.mvps.org/helptechnologies/htmlhelp/hhtips.html without any success.

[PlsHelpMe]

I also registered itcc.dll and had no luck getting the Search engine to work within my project. I noticed there is an Issue Number assigned to this issue in RoboHelp 7 ReadMe - http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402741&sliceId=2

Issue Number: 1576161
Issue Description: Search functionality is not working in Java Help system when Unicode characters are present in Topic Name/Content.

Is this still a known issue or has anyone found a resolution???? Please help!

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, PlsHelpMe, and welcome,

If it's compiled HTML Help (.chm) rather than JavaHelp that you're developing, I'd recommend that you first run MJ's Help Diagnostics to verify that the compiler components are correctly installed. You can get this free utility from here:

http://helpware.net/downloads/index.htm#MJs

Does your help file make use of a "stop list" to decrease the size of the full-text search index? If so, you need to ensure that you're not searching for words that appear in this list.

Finally, it may be worth noting that the "Match Similar Words" feature, if selected, works in US English help files only.

Pete

[PlsHelpMe]

Pete, Thanks for the quick response. Unfortunately, I'm compiling a JavaHelp file (.JAR), do you have any suggestions on fixing the search functionality for this type of help file?? When I try to search for a specific word and hit the Enter key, an hourglass displays and nothing happens.

[RoboColum_n_]

You could ensure you have the RH7 Patch installed but I suspect if that doesn't fix it, you are stuck with the issue.

[YWSanchez]

I'm having the same problem. What good is a Help file without a search feature!

[YWSanchez]

I uninstalled and reinstalled RoboHelp, and it appears to have resolved the issue.

[RoboColum_n_]

To be fair to Adobe this may not be entirely down to them. Sun Microsystems have not really developed JavaHelp for some time and there are a lot of issues generally with JavaHelp Searching.

[Tech_Writer_KC]

You may want to check this thread:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/messageview.cfm?forumid=65&catid=449&threadid=1345422&e...

I had a similar issue of my HTML help searching only by index, not full-text, and it was resolved by fixing the hhp files.

Not sure what the equivalent would be for JavaHelp, but you may have a similarly "corrupt" file that is/was causing the issue.