Conditional Build Tags Break Links

[avi_aharon1]

Hi all,
I have a solid, 3-years old, RHX5 project that works fine.
Delivering a part of it using conditional build tags, I found out that some of links are broken.
The topics configuration looks like this:

Parent topic - with a link to several child topics

(many) Child topic(s) - each with a link to the parent topic

Now, using conditional build tags, all of the topics go to the main deliverable and are marked accordingly.
Some of the topics go to the secondary deliverable. This includes the parent topic and some of the child topics.
So, the parent topic is marked with both tags, and the links that point at topics that doesn't belong to the secondary deliverable are tagged accordingly. This part works fine.
The links that belong to both deliverables are tagged with both tags. Some of them - not all - are broken.
In these cases, a child topic exists in the deliverable, but the link from the parent topic is broken.
I have deleted all links and written them anew. This did not solve the problem.
Where elese should I look into?

Thanks in advance (please help the poor writer regain his weekend :-)

Avi

[Peter Grainge]

It sounds like topics that belong to both versions, like the parent, have both tags. I am wondering why they have any tag as you only need a tag on a topic that you might want to exclude.

In your project I would have a tag Version A Only and Version B Only. When I generate to get the help for Version A, I would apply the expression NOT Version B Only. Topics common to both would be included as they would not have any tag.

I have a feeling that maybe I am not understanding your problem so post back if I have got it wrong.

Edited reply. The numbers I used were because of another post I was thinking about. Hopefully this is clearer.

[avi_aharon1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Peter Grainge
It sounds like topics that belong to both versions, like the parent, have both tags. I am wondering why they have any tag as you only need a tag on a topic that you might want to exclude.

---

Hi Peter,
Until this project, I had two tags, when each topic belongs to either tag A or tag B, and no topic belongs to both. (the reason to this configuration was to keep everything on the same source, when topics could move from tag A to tag B.)
Now, in the current project, I have a new tag, C. Topic may belong to:
Tag A only
Tag B only
Tag A + C
Tag B + C
Tag C only - there are very few such topics (maybe 5 or so). These topics are not problematic.
The problem of the broken links always occur among topics of the type "tag A + C".
How do I proceed from here?

[Peter Grainge]

What is the build expression when links break?

[avi_aharon1]

The CHM is compiles successfully.
The broken link results in a "The page cannot be displayed" message, instead of the requested topic.

[Peter Grainge]

OK but what is the build expression?

Have you tried reverse engineering the project to see if the target topic is in the compiled help but not being found or has truly been excluded?

There is a topic on my site about reverse engineering.

[avi_aharon1]

All topics are present in the CHM and a accessible on the tree.
Clicking a link from on topic to another works. Clicking a link from the second topic to the first, results in a "page can not be displayed".
I'll read through your website and come up with more information.
Thanks so far, Peter 🙂

[Peter Grainge]

You will not find the answer to this one on my site. If you go to the second topic first and then click the link to what was the first topic, does it work then?

Can you create this in a test project?

[avi_aharon1]

Well...
- Going to topic 1, clikcing the link to topic 2. Then, at topic 2, clicking a link to topic 1 - the link is broken.
- Going to topic 2 (via the index, for example) and clicking the link to topic 1 - the link works.

[Peter Grainge]

Crazy!

Could you post the HTML for the two links?

[avi_aharon1]

Parent topic (topic 1):
C:\Documents and Settings\aaharon\My Documents\2006
\AppSight 6_0\
APS6 - Disc 1 - Release\OLH Source File\AppSight System 6_
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems.htm

Child topic (topic 2):
C:\Documents and Settings\aaharon\My Documents
\2006\AppSight 6_0
\APS6 - Disc 1 - Release\OLH Source File
\AppSight System 6_
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Config_Problems
\Analyzing_Config_Problems.htm

[Peter Grainge]

Try making the links relative rather than absolute.

[avi_aharon1]

Sorry...
Parent topic (topic 1):
..\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems.htm

Child topic (topic 2):
..\Analyzing_Logs_and_Identifying_Problems
\Config_Problems
\Analyzing_Config_Problems.htm

[Peter Grainge]

Try shortening those paths.

Copy the project and then rename the folders.

[avi_aharon1]

I have shortened the path names. It did not solve the problem.
Do you recommend to use less folders (to flaten the folder structure)?

[Peter Grainge]

No it is number of characters that can be the issue.

Let me ask again, can you create this in a new project? It would be much easier for me to see the problem.

[Peter Grainge]

This help is being run locally rather than on a server?

[avi_aharon1]

It's a CHM file.
I'll create a demo project and send it to the forum.

[Peter Grainge]

You cannot send projects to the forum. Send it to me via my site.