10 Replies Latest reply: Mar 20, 2014 2:11 PM by starrd

Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

starrd Mar 7, 2014 11:54 AM

I've searched for whether this can be done from Robohelp but all my queries are matching the FM Named Destinations to PDF, which I know how to use, but is not the particular goal. It seems there should be a way to convert MapIDs in RH to Destinations in PDF but I have not found anything that indicate the Printed Doc Single Source workflow supports this. I'm probably missing something obvious. :/

Robohelp 10

Acrobat X Pro

Doable?

Diana

1. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

Willam van Weelden Mar 12, 2014 3:01 AM (in response to starrd)

I'm not aware of a way to do this. As far as I know, the CSH information
is lost when you create Printed Documentation.

But I hope Peter jumps in to prove me wrong.

Kind regards,

Willam
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2. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

Peter Grainge Mar 12, 2014 3:32 AM (in response to Willam van Weelden)

Map IDs are linked to topics via the map and alias files which go nowhere near any print output. I assume the term "Destinations" is referring to what would be bookmarks in Word or PDF, which are a different beast.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge
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3. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

RoboColum(n) Mar 12, 2014 3:54 AM (in response to Peter Grainge)

As Peter states the mapids don't go near printed output, but you can link to a PDF bookmark. Maybe that would provide an alternative solution:

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/841330
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4. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

starrd Mar 12, 2014 7:04 AM (in response to RoboColum(n))

Thanks to all of you guys. It really is so helpful to get guidance from the experts. The thing I am trying to test is this -- we have contextual help for several product families handled in a single help project. I'm trying to test whether it's possible to move a chunk of a more legacy product family to a tagged PDF so that its topics do not clutter the others. The intention was to use the map ids as PDF named destinations so that the syntax could be mapped more easily for contextual help in the legacy product.

It sounds as though there is no neat/simple way to leverage the map ids to do this though.

Thanks again for your replies.

Diana
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5. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

Peter Grainge Mar 17, 2014 1:59 AM (in response to starrd)

Could you not use merged help and keep it online? That way you would supply the customers who need all the help with the full merge and those who don't need the legacy topics would not be given that output.

See merged help on my site if you think that might help.

Alternatively, you could create Content Categories so that users can select all topics or exclude legacy. That is described in the RoboHelp Tour, also on my site.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge
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6. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

starrd Mar 17, 2014 7:41 AM (in response to Peter Grainge)

Hi Peter

I tinkered this AM with Content Categories. I'd not explored them before -- they do seem interesting for a variety of purposes, but my first test was a bit deflating. In particular, I would have liked to see the Content Category menu option filter the results for Search as well, but it doesn't. Even if I have the subset displayed, a search hits all the underlying topics. I suppose that makes sense as the categories tool is really just a display element.

It really seems to me that it should be not terribly difficult for Adobe to create an output option that exports webhelp based on a specific tag rather than <all untagged> <boolean> <conditional tag>.

The merged webhelp is the most elegant approach with current incarnation of RH, but the tasks to disentangle and rework this project into child projects rather exceed our project schedules. Something we need to consider though. Thanks for the ideas.
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7. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

Peter Grainge Mar 17, 2014 8:06 AM (in response to starrd)

Content Categories do filter the search. If you are getting results that should not be in that category, you have not limited the content to what you intended.

The sample projects in Rh10 both have examples, take a look at Employee Care. In Rh 11, only Salesbuilder has an example.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge
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8. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

starrd Mar 17, 2014 8:38 AM (in response to Peter Grainge)

Sorry - I imagine that the issue I had is that the category level alone is not enough to do the filter - without additional conditional tagging of all 3000+ topics. I tried to build a category for just my one product set, but obviously could not create a conditional build for that set alone since all the untagged topics are included. I really wish Adobe would support conditional builds on the specific tag. Anyway, retagging all the topics will likely fix the category search and I do think that's simpler than splitting the topics into merged child projects. Again thanks for your reply.
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9. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

Peter Grainge Mar 17, 2014 8:54 AM (in response to starrd)

You can set up tags so that the build only includes say TagX. http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/build_expressions/expressions.htm

The other way is to build a TOC that only has the topics you want and an index that only references them etc, then use the Exclude Unreferenced Topics option. Any topic not referenced in the TOC, Index, links etc will be excluded.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge
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10. Re: Map IDs to Destinations in PDF output - Possible?

starrd Mar 20, 2014 2:11 PM (in response to Peter Grainge)

Peter - I have categories working but have a further question that I could not find the answer for in the forum or googling. If we eventually move the project to HTML5, it seems we can't use categories anymore? Have you found a means to map those even in the new RH11 HTML5 responsiveness kit? I don't want to mangle my current install to test it until we think we're ready to move up to it. Seems tho that with only one template that RH11 should support categories again?

Diana
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