Conditional build tags & drop-down hot spots

[NiesaWPage]

I am running RH8

8.02.208

I want to add conditional build tags to selected text that is accessed by clicking a drop-down text link.  When I select the text and apply the tag, the pop-up window closes (without adding the tag) and the drop-down text link has the tag.  The problem is, I don't want the link to have the tag, I only want some of the text in the drop down to be tagged.  I generated the project just to see what the result would be, and the entire d-d link was missing, as I expected.

Has anyone added tags to text in drop downs?  What are the steps?

Thanks

[Peter Grainge]

Select the text in the dropdown, right click and apply the tag. Works that way.

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@petergrainge

[NiesaWPage]

Peter,

Thanks for replying. Just to be sure I understand what you are suggesting:  go to the text in the drop-down, highlight it, and then apply the tag by right mouse clicking.  If this is correct, then this solution does not work, regardless of whether I apply the tag via right clicking the mouse, or using the Apply Condition Build Tag command on the Format menu.  When I apply the tag to the selected, the window closes, and thetag is aplied to the drop-down text link, not to the text in the drop down.  If this process is supposed to work as easily as you describe, and as easily at it did in RH5, then the issue is obviously on my end and not on RH8.

[Peter Grainge]

Create a new project or use one of the samples just to test.

You will find the samples at

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp 8\RoboHTML\Samples\en_US

or

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Technical Communication Suite 2\Adobe RoboHelp 8\RoboHTML\Samples\en_US

Also try running Tools > Update DHTML

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[NiesaWPage]

Peter,

Did both -- updated Dhtml effects and played w/a sample project.  The tag will work, in both the sample project and mine, if the drop down text is only one level down from the top.  The problem is, our Help is used as a call center scripting tool, some drop-down links will have several layers and a tag may need to appear at the forth or fifth level.

I'm presuming that you expect RH8 to function so that I can add a tag to text in a drop-down, no matter how many layers from the top.

Thanks

[Peter Grainge]

That's a rather different scenario to the original post and I can see what you mean. However there is a solution as taught by Rick Stone.

Create the content of the all dropdowns in the main topic.

In the text for the final dropdown content apply the CBT you want and then CTRL X the text. Create the dropdown a level above and paste in. Now CTRL X that dropdown and repeat the process until you just have the top level dropdown. Apply any other CBTs as you go but before you paste into a dropdown. Now preview and define the build expression.

Works just fine.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[NiesaWPage]

Peter,

Thanks!  Seems rather cumbersome, but I'll try it and let you know.

Niesa

[NiesaWPage]

Peter,

I came up with my own work around:  I created a new topic, typed the conditional text in it, and applied the tag.  I then copied the text, and pasted it where it needs to be in the drop-down--in this case, five layers from the main topic.  I did a quick test generate and the text does not appear--as expected.

So, the solution is to build the text in the main topic, apply the tag, and then copy/paste the text where it needs to go. Right now, this seems less cumbersome than your solution, and appears to work.

Thanks for your help with this.