WebHelp and ClearCase check in?????

[forme3d]

I have to move my updated Webhelp folder contents into a ClearCase to build a new software build for help displayed on a hardware device. This device has the VxWords operating system and it is the Web server that displays up the html pages. My problem is that I now have to move all of the latest web help files into the Clear Case system...when I did a diff on the build directory and my work directory there are a LOT and I mean a lot of files that are "touched" when I generate new Webhelp content. Lots of files in those /whgdata folders seem to get updated.....and that means more checking in of files!!!

Which files do I absolutely have to move to into the build directory to keep the help running. I believe I don't need the *.log files....but this has turned into more work than I thought!!!!! Any tips welcome!! I was looking into the Robohelp Packager (AIR) but it doesn't work with the VxWorks operating system!!!!

[Gravenstein]

My sympathies, forme3d! I take it that you are simply concerned with putting your output files into ClearCase for the build, and not for source control.

Although there are some files that might not be required, the simplest - and safest - thing is to assume that everything is needed. In the end, this is probably simpler than manually deleting files from your output.

What does your folder structure look like? Is it flat, with nearly everything at the root level of the project, or do you have a bunch of subfolders? It's that subfolder structure that makes it a hassle to get all the files into ClearCase. Also, how large is your project? ClearCase has some kind of limit in how many files it wants to handle at once using the UI. At least, this was the case when I had to put our help files in ClearCase. Eventually, we were able to change our build model for the help to bypass ClearCase, and what a relief that was! ClearCase and RoboHelp do not support one another.

Have you considered going to a zip-based help installation? That would simplify things for you. You could place a single zip file into ClearCase, and then the file could be unzipped as part of the SW install. This might have a side benefit of speeding up the install time.

G

[forme3d]

Thanks for the feedback. The zip file is a good idea. I will pass it to the buildmaster. Also, is it necessary to include the two files to display WebHelp:

webhelp.cab
webhelp.js


Do I need to add those to ClearCase as part of the package? And do we need to add these files to the evt_list.avc?

Thanks,
Mike

[Gravenstein]

I'd put it all in.

I don't know about "evt_list.avc," so I can't answer you there.

I hope you can use the WinZip approach. It'll save a lot of hassle. I ended up with this huge, complicated process to get both source and output files into ClearCase, and it was painful! To make matters worse, some of the larger projects had output files that ClearCase would reject due to line length. Not pretty.

G