Why does RoboHelp display duplicate topics (incl. one "not found") in Search Results?

Report · Apr 23, 2009

The subject question pretty much sums it up, but here are some more details.

(1) There may be similar discussions on the forums about this -- but when I click on links it redirects to the main Adobe Support page, for some odd reason.

(2) I do not have any merged files, this is a simple project;

(3) I have COMPLETELY removed topics, not just from the TOC;

(4) When I search for content, such as "Help Me," for example, I get two listings of "Help Me." One points to the correct "Help Me" topic and the next points to a "This program cannot display the webpage" page.

Any guidance or help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Dave

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi there

See if the following threads help.

Thread one

Thread two

Cheers... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi Rick,

As stated earlier, I cannot open those links because it redirects to the Adobe Support main page.

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi again

Not sure why as the links work on my end both from home and from the coffee shop where I was earlier. Go figure.

I'll open them and copy/paste what was suggested.

=====> Snip <=====

So, the proposed solutions are:

1) Make a backup of your project. Then rename the .cpd file and reenter your project.

2) Try creating a new single source layout.

3) Check the hyperlinks in your topics for any that inadvertently point to target topics that are above the root folder of the help project.

=====> End Snip <=====

=====> Snip <=====

I looked at the HHP file in Notepad as you suggested, and found the following:

[MERGE FILES]
E4J.chm
LaserCat_3-forE4J.chm
C:\E4W 073007\E4J.chm

When i remove these lines, and then recompile, i'm no longer seeing duplicates in the chm file. I'm so deliriously happy, i don't quite trust myself, so i'm sending the chm file to a coworker to make sure he sees what i'm seeing!
=====> End Snip <=====

Cheers... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Rick,

I'm not sure why that is occurring, but thanks for copying and pasting the text for me.

I tried to rename the CPD and create a Single-Source Layout. All is still the same. As for the third, I took a brief look but this is happening to every topic so I don't think that would be the case. Also, I do not have any merged files, so that syntax does not appear in the HHP file.

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi again Dave

Are you able to share the project with me? If you can, leave it as is and zip it up. Place the zip on something like YouSendIt or TransferBigFiles. I'll then be able to download it and open it on my end. Perhaps I'll see something on this end that will lead us to a solution.

Click here to visit YouSendIt

Click here to visit TransferBigFiles

My E-Mail address is rstone75 (at) kc (dot) rr (dot) com

Cheers... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

I sent it. Thanks for everything.

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi Dave

We have some intense sleuthing to do. Here's the deal. Upon opening your project I see six different dialogs that look like this:

Perhaps at some point you elected to place a check mark in the Don't notify me again. option? If so, you never will see this dialog again.

Basically you have hyperlinks that are pointing to topics outside the project. You need to investigate these links. According to the dialogs, the links are occurring in the following topics:

Placing_Direct_Outbound_Calls.htm
Performance_Chart_Windows.htm

So you need to edit these two topics and locate the offending links. Try looking at the link associated with the upper left "Previous Topic" button. I think that's one of the issues. You need to fix that!

I'm headed out the door and will return later.

Hopefully this helps... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Yes, that was based on a recent change -- but I probably checked the prompt and therefore haven't seen it. Anyway, that issue does not impact my original issue.

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi again

Back from my outing.

DuhDuhDave wrote:
Yes, that was based on a recent change -- but I probably checked the prompt and therefore haven't seen it. Anyway, that issue does not impact my original issue.

I'm not sure how you can be so certain that the issue of linking to topics outside the existing help project might not factor into things. Can you expound on that?

Additionally, can you tell me which topics you are searching for that are listed as duplicates where one works and another fails?

Cheers... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi there

I tested by compiling on this end and sure enough, I'm seeing duplicate entries in the Search results.

You may recall that one of the solutions mentioned in my second reply mentioned to try creating a new layout. You said you tried that to no avail. I tried it here and after creating a new layout I compiled a CHM file. The resulting CHM from the new layout does not seem to contain any duplicates.

Please note that when the suggestion was made to create a new layout, what was meant was to right-click and define one from scratch. This is because if you simply right-clicked the existing layout and duplicated it, you are likely just transferring the existing problem right into the new layout.

Please give this a try and you may be surprised to find it works.

Sincerely... Rick

Report · Apr 23, 2009

Hi again Dave

Okay, methinks I've figured out what is happening here.

Let me guess, this project began life more than a few RoboHelp versions ago. Am I correct?

Here's why I suspect that. Before we had WebHelp and FlashHelp and Oracle Help and all those formats available RoboHelp HTML just created a CHM file. And when it created the .CHM file it created it right in the project folder location.

So along come WebHelp and the gang and suddenly we have an issue. We really don't want to create those outputs in the root level of the project. After all, things would become REAL confused in a big hurry! Remember, WebHelp consists of copies of all topic files. Special copies with added code to make WebHelp work.

So what the developers did was to create a special folder called !SSL! where each output may be placed inside its own folder.

Microsoft HTML Help should store the .CHM file

WebHelp should store the WebHelp swarm of files

FlashHelp should store the FlashHelp swarm of files

I believe that what is happening here is that because the CHM is being created directly inside the project root, the HTML Help Compiler is becoming very confused. I think it's seeing the files in the project root and factoring those into the equation when compiling. This results in the "Ghost" entries for Searching.

When you create a new layout, it automatically assumes you wish to place the output in the !SSL!/(Layout Name) folder. So all is well when it compiles. Which totally explains why things are fixed with a new layout.

I just now tested by directing the default Microsoft HTML Help layout to where RoboHelp HTML would normally expect to place the output. Compiled and voilà! Ghost titles have vanished.

Your CHM file still has issues though with some of those external links. For example, in the topic titled Placing direct outbound calls, the left arrow in the navigation image in the upper left corner is an invalid link and produces a This program cannot display the webpage when clicked. Not sure if that worries you or not but thought I'd mention it.

Hopefully this helps you out... Rick

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Why does RoboHelp display duplicate topics (incl. one "not found") in Search Results?