Switching Style Sheets, Replacing Files

[GnorbX]

My issue, as you can guess, is two fold.

History:
I was tasked with rewriting an existing help file for a company. However, they didn't have any sources, just the CHM. Using RH6, I extracted the CHM so I could update the file. Unfortunately, the document's styling is hideous. I'm trying to fix this.

First question:
I started by trying to switch the stylesheets used in each of the pages to a default.css which I had created for use in other help files for the same company. With the page open I went to Format > Styles and tried to change the style sheet being used. Unfortunately, I couldn't actually tell this page to use default.css. Instead, I could only click New Sheet and create a new sheet based on the default.css style. I went ahead and did this, calling it default1.css.

I then moved to another page and tried the same thing. Figuring I could just create a new style sheet and call it the same thing, figuring I could just copy the styles from default.css, call the new one default1.css again, and now both of the old sheets would be using default1.css. Unfortunately, this didn't work and the new default1.css became default1~.css, so now I have 3 CSS files: default.css, default1.css and default1~.css.

So the first question is how do I get html pages to use the same style sheet?

Second question:
Since I couldn't have the pages use the same CSS file, I thought maybe I could create a new page, which uses the new CSS, and simply have all the links going to the nonCSS page to the CSS page.

My question is then how can I repoint all the links that go to File A to File B without having to go into every page and manually repoint the file? Also, is there any way to rename HTM files so that all the links pointing to that file are updated?

Thank you

[Captiv8r]

Welcome to our community, GnorbX

You apply the same style sheet to multiple topics by first displaying them in the Topic List. In RoboHelp 7, this is a pod you may view via View > Pods > Topic List. You then select them all, right-click and choose Properties from the context menu. This should provide a dialog with tabs. Click the Appearance tab and choose the desired Style Sheet from the list. Note that you are also able to browse to and choose a different style sheet that has been configured already. You click the little folder icon and browse to the file.

Hopefully that helps... Rick

[GnorbX]

Sounds like it would be helpful, so thanks for the response. But the company won't spring for RH7 at this time (no matter how hard I beg). Is there any way to do it in RH6?

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Sorry, I spaced the fact you were using RH6. Certainly! It's nearly identical. The only difference is RH6 has a different interface. So there are no pods to contend with.

If you look across the bottom of the right side of the application, one of the tabs should read "Topics". Click that tab and you will see the list of topics I was referring to.

Cheers... Rick

[GnorbX]

It worked! And you have just saved me countless hours of tyring to devise a way to do it by hand. Thank you very much.

(Now, and I don't mean to seem greedy, but you wouldn't happen to know how to change the name of HTML files, would you?)

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Are you referring to the File Name or the Topic Title?

Doesn't matter I suppose, as the same dialog will allow changing either or both.

If you right-click any topic in either the Project Explorer pane or the Topic List, you should see "Properties" on the context menu. Choose that and you should then see fields allowing you to change these attributes.

Normally I stick to only a-z and 0-9 with no fancy or odd characters. (Underscores are fine)

Cheers... Rick

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Are you referring to the File Name or the Topic Title?

Doesn't matter I suppose, as the same dialog will allow changing either or both.

If you right-click any topic in either the Project Explorer pane or the Topic List, you should see "Properties" on the context menu. Choose that and you should then see fields allowing you to change these attributes.

Normally I stick to only a-z and 0-9 with no fancy or odd characters. (Underscores are fine)

Cheers... Rick

[MergeThis]

One quirky thing about RH file renaming. If all you want is a case change, FUHHHHGEDDABOUTIT!

RH is quite pig-headed on that subject, at least in X502. You need to make an actual character change first, then a second character change that includes the case change. That is, RH will only change case as part of a true character difference.

For example, to lowercase MyTopic.htm, you would first delete or add one character, such as OMyTopic.htm, and Save. Secondly, you would change it again to mytopic.htm and Save. Voila!


Good luck,
Leon