Disable paste Rich HTML (from Word)

Report · Aug 04, 2011

Short version: Can I disable the pasting of RichHTML (added markup) in RoboHelp 9?

Long version:

At this office we have used Word to draft changes to our existing Help topics. These docs usually include formatting, styles, and comments. In the past we would just copy from Word and paste into RoboHelp 7 and get plain text. That wasn't always ideal, but we managed just fine and did the formatting in RoboHelp HTML anyway.

We recently upgraded form RoboHelp 7 to RoboHelp 9 which now supports 'pasting Rich Html' so that all the table formatting, links, and so on are copied from the source and can be pasted to the RoboHelp HTML UI. Naturally we want to copy from Word (now 2010) and paste into RoboHelp 9, but the pasting now includes the formatting and comments from Word. I generally have no need to copy comments from Word and paste them into RoboHelp, plus the formatting comes over with Office-style 'mso-xyz-stuff'markup.

Maybe someone out there has a similar issue. I couldn't find any posts here on the forum about it, and the online Help only seems to reference the feature in the 'What's new for RoboHelp 9' topic. Is there a way I can disable this new feature (came out in RH8, right?) or avoid 'cleaning' the text through some plain text editor before pasting into RoboHelp?

Thanks.

Report · Aug 04, 2011

I agree with you but nonetheless it is amusing that people have been complaining for years what a nuisance it is that formatting is lost and now we have it, actually it is not always so useful.

Like you I prefer to insert raw text and then apply my styles and was grateful when Rick Stone pointed my to http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext/

That's the home site and it seems to be down right now. You can also get it from http://download.cnet.com/PureText/3000-2384_4-10069166.html

It's a free utility and if paste using that, all formatting is removed. I use it in many other situations. Instead of using CTRL + V you use the Windows key + V and you can change that if you prefer.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 04, 2011

BTW It's a RoboHelp 9 feature.

You might want to use it for tables, then right click the table and select Table Style and apply your style. The feature is useful there but there should be an option to paste with or without formatting.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 04, 2011

Thanks for the reply Peter.

I agree. For so many RoboHelp versions I wanted to copy and paste tables, but learned to deal without it. Then I have to go and get what I ask for...shucks. I guess I really do want to have my cake and eat it too.

I suppose this is something I could put in the request system.

Lucas

Report · Aug 04, 2011

Please follow this link.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&p

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Report · Aug 04, 2011

Hi there

And when you request it, please ensure you ask for the behavior the Microsoft products offer. For example, in Word or PowerPoint, when you right-click, you get this option:

Until then, or until the link Peter pointed you to begins working again, you can simply perform a "side trip" by opening Microsoft Notepad, pasting into it, copying from Notepad, THEN pasting just text into RoboHelp.

Cheers... Rick

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