Non-local searches return "null" results

Network is not sufficient. It has to be on a web server, not just any server.

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@petergrainge

You have to make the change every time you generate and you have to make it in each project in the merge. Have you done that?

How are you getting the output from your local disk to the webserver?

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@petergrainge

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

I thought I would reply to this thread rather than create a new one, as I am in a similar situation.

Initial search was returning "null" with proper results appearing in subsequent searches. I modified the whfhost.js file as prescribed and after pushing the new files to the web server, the search now gets caught in a loop. No results will return (not even "null"), and it will keep searching indefinitely.

What options do I have to fix the search at this point?

For the benefit of anyone else, this is the solution that was provided by Adobe.

****************************************

Open the generated output folder and open whfhost.js file in the notepad application. Search for the following strings in the file. you need to replace this function

function Query()
{
  gbAIRSearchString  = goOdinHunter.strQuery;
g_CurPage = 1;
context = new HuginContext();
  context.reset();
context.push( goOdinHunter.query, goOdinHunter,
  processHunterResult, null );
  context.resume();
}

With this new function

function isValidType(obj)
{
return ( (typeof(obj)!='undefined')&&(obj!=null) );
}

function Query()
{
  gbAIRSearchString  = goOdinHunter.strQuery;
g_CurPage = 1;
if (isValidType(context) && isValidType(context.aTasks))
{
  while(context.aTasks.length>0)
  {
  context.resume();
}
}
context = new HuginContext();
  context.reset();
context.push( goOdinHunter.query, goOdinHunter,
  processHunterResult, null );
  context.resume();
}

And try running the output and see if you stilll face the null search result problem

If this problem is fixed, then you can go to the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp 8\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext\template_stock folder location, and make the similar changes in the whfhost.js file located in this folder.

****************************************

It has worked for others so I would first check carefully that you have made the modification correctly.

If you reverse the change, are you back to square one and get a null result first time?

The modification was for RoboHelp 8 or 9. You haven't said what version you are using.

Does it fail with all browsers?

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Hello --

I am using RoboHelp 9. After reversing the change I would get the null result again. I am going to reinstall before doing anything else. I know that the search was working properly before as we received some customer feedback on it -- the only thing that has changed with RoboHelp since then is an update that was installed a few weeks ago. That update may have mucked things up.

I'll report back if I have any luck with the reinstall.