Importing Projects into RoboHelp 7

[Karen_Graf]

I am migrating our RoboHelp 2002 HTML Help projects into RoboHelp 7. It seems that they import just fine, but if I don’t save and close RoboHelp 7 and then re-open the project, problems occur.

If I import a project and immediately try to view/edit the Properties for a Single Source Layout (for example, right-clicking Microsoft HTML Help>Properties), RoboHelp chugs along at a snail’s pace. Sometimes it takes 4-6 minutes just to open the Properties dialog box, and on other projects it takes so long that I have to let it process overnight. This also happens if I import a project and Generate Primary Layout (for example, compiling a CHM) without closing and re-opening the project first.

To summarize, if I open RoboHelp, import a project, close RoboHelp, and then re-open the project in RboHelp 7, all is well. However, if I open RoboHelp, import a project, and then compile or try to access the HTML Help Options dialog, it takes at about 20 times as long to complete the process.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Karen

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Karen.
Is this only happening when you try to enter the SSL properties? What about if you try other properties (e.g. Project Settings, Topic Properties)? Try opening one of the sample projects and see if the same occurs there. You could also create a brand new project and see if that has the same issue.

[Karen_Graf]

Hi Colum,

I am able to edit Project Settings, Topic Properties, Templates, Baggage Files......pretty much everything, without problems. I am also able to create new projects without any processing delays. So far as I can tell, it's only when I try to change SSL properties or compile that I run into the extremely slow processing.

Because I can import, save, close, re-open, and then work in the projects without any problems, I thought it may have something to do with the .ldb file running in the background while I have the newly imported file open for the first time.

Thanks for your quick response. Any ideas?

Karen

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Karen.

Is your project located on a network drive? If so, move it to a local drive and see if that helps.

[Karen_Graf]

Hi Colum,

Been working with RoboHelp since 1992 or so. I learned early on to never break the first Robo rule of only working on your local drive.

Karen

[RoboColum_n_]

Sorry Karen. I was just checking I wonder whether it may be worth making a backup of the project's RHLAYOUT.APJ file and then opening the "real" file up in notepad. Delete all the layouts (everything after the <layouts> tab and before the </layouts> tag). Save the file and reopen the project. You'll have to create a new single source layout as required.

[Karen_Graf]

That might be a very time consuming workaround at this point. I have 41 help projects (some of them well over 1,000 topics) that I need to update to Robo 7.

If my workaround of importing each project into Robo 7, saving, then exiting RoboHelp before I touch anything in the project works, I can live with that. As long as I import, close, and then re-open, it looks like things work very well.

I'll be testing that workaround today and tomorrow.

If you can think of anything else, please let me know. In the meantime, I'll be plugging along, and I'll let you know the results.

Karen

[RoboColum_n_]

RH 2002 is awfully old and I wonder if there is something in the SSLs for that version or in your projects that is causing RH7 to choke when it converts. Once you have opened the project in RH7, closed the project and reopened, does the SSL properties work OK?

[Karen_Graf]

Yes. Everything seems to be running fine. (Fingers crossed on both hands!)

Yesterday I took all the RoboHelp 2002 help projects, imported each into RoboHelp 7, saved them, and closed them. Now I can open any of them from the .XPJ and work in each without problems.......so far anyway.

I'll be rigorously testing these for the rest of the week to make sure that this process is a true workaround to the conversion from RoboHelp 2002 to RoboHelp 7.

I will keep you informed of the results.

Thank you Colum, for your ideas and timely feedback.
Karen