WebHelp's search functionality not working properly

[TabbyW]

Hi...I can really use some help!!

I used RH7 to generate WebHelp. In the WebHelp, I click the Search button, enter a term in the search box; then click Go. I receive a listing of the topics in which my term appears. So far, all is fine.

However, when I click a topic to see where my highlighted terms appear, I'm getting a weird browser error in IE and Firefox stating that the WebHelp cannot find the topic. In Safari, I don't receive an error, but the browser just does not go anywhere at all. How can this be? The WebHelp came up with the topics!!

Here's an example of the error msg in IE: "Cannot find file ///C:/AP%Doc%Projects/Photo%Tools/Photog%Manager%User. Make sure the path is correct."

Here's an example of the error message in Firefox: "File not found. Firefox can't find the file at /C:/AP Doc Projects/Photo Tools/Photog Manager User. Make sure the path or Internet address is correct."

In both cases, the directory path it provides me with is 2 levels UP...the main project file directory to be exact. How did this happen? Why is the WebHelp search function pointing to my main project directory? I've already checked the single-source directory, and it is pointing to the correct, WebHelp directory.

Please...can someone help??

Thanks!

Tabby W.

[Peter Grainge]

Is your project on your C drive and did you generate (not publish) to your local drive? Is it that locally generated help that you are looking at?

Tell us more about the locations.

[TabbyW]

Yes, the project resides in a directory on my C:\ drive, as well as the generated WebHelp; they are not on a Web server. It just seems like the WebHelp's search is pointing to the wrong directory and I don't know how to change this.

[Peter Grainge]

Any broken links reported?

If not, try generating the help to a new folder.

[TabbyW]

Thank you!!

There are no broken links; however, generating the WebHelp to a different folder did the trick...very odd.

Is there a way for me to fix this so I can continue to generate the WebHelp to the !SSL! folder?

[MergeThis]

Actually, best practice is not to generate to the default !SSL! folder, at least in the minds of many.

In many cases, you'll be either copying your source files to a server for backup, or using some source control product. It's much more efficient to do that for the source files only, without the extra load of output files which can be easily regenerated as needed.


Good luck,
Leon

[RoboWizard]

Hi Leon

Please expound? Why is the WebHelp folder inside the !SSL! folder undesirable? While I certainly advocate changing the default location of the source, I never advise changing the !SSL!\WebHelp folder.

Cheers... Rick

[TabbyW]

Interesting...I do see your point about moving source files around, Leon. But, I kinda agree with Rick. I don't think it should matter WHERE you generate your WebHelp and I personally like keeping my generated files together w/ my project in the !SSL!\WebHelp folder. The search function should work regardless.

[Peter Grainge]

If you hit the problem again, delete whatever folder you choose to use and then regenerate.

[MergeThis]

I'm not advising changing the !SSL!\WebHelp folder, just ignoring it. In dealing with large merged projects, we find it easier to assign product acronyms (xxx) as leaders and work with C:\xxxmerge and C:\xxxgenerate. This also keeps the link paths shorter (and easier to work with if code-breaking is ever needed).

Best practice for me might not matter to you; just putting it out there, as one who's learned a lot of painful lessons in over 20 years of doing this.


Good luck,
Leon

[TabbyW]

Thanks so much, everyone! I appreciate all of your suggestions.