Context-Sensitive Help in RoboHelp 9
Hi -- I recently upgraded from RoboHelp 5 to RoboHelp 9. My first WebHelp project that I created using RoboHelp 9 is giving me problems with Context-Sensitive Help. When a user clicks on a Help link that is supposed to bring him/her to a specific topic, the user is brought instead to the project's main screen with the TOC, Index, and Search.
Is there something specific that my Developers and I should be doing differently in RoboHelp 9 vs. RoboHelp 5? Is the problem being caused because I made the jump from 5 to 9 without upgrading in between?
Any help that anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Maybe this link will help.
http://www.wvanweelden.eu/robohelp/context_sensitivity_in_webhelp
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
@petergrainge
Similar Messages
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Problems converting context sensitive help to Robohelp 6
I’m new to Robohelp and have inherited about 60 WinHelp
projects which were created several years ago by a previous tech
writer, using Blue Sky Robohelp Classic 2000.
I am having a problem with converting these projects to
Robohelp 6. The same three compile errors are coming up in every
project I convert to Robohelp 6. Yet, when these same projects are
compiled in Robohelp Classic 2000 they are error free.
These are the basic steps I follow:
1. Open Robohelp 6.0 for Word.
2. Open the .hpj
3. Choose the “Generate Primary Layout” icon to
compile the project.
The Primary Layout for these projects is WinHelp3.
At completion, the compiler says the WinHelp 3 project has
been built successfully, although the error log contains three
errors.
When viewed, the help files appear as normal. However, the
projects are used for context-sensitive help which is activated by
the user pressing F1 or Shift + F1.
When I test the help files with our software, I receive the
following WinHelp error message: The topic does not exist. Contact
your vendor for an updated help file (129).
The following three compile errors come up in every project:
Error 1230: line...21 of MENU0000.hpj : File '!HPJ-OPT.TXT'
not found.
Error 1230: line...52 of MENU0000.hpj : File '!HPJ-CFG.TXT'
not found.
Error 2050: line...42 of MENU0000.hpj : Invalid #include
syntax.
In larger projects, the Invalid #include syntax error appears
many times, in smaller projects just once.
The two .TXT files that are not found during the compile are
present in the project folder for each project, but RoboHelp seems
to think they are not there.
As for the #include statement, I can only find one #include
statement in the project. It’s in the Project > Startup
Macros area and it calls HPJ-CFG.TXT. The syntax is correct. I have
tried deleting this startup macro and recompiling. This removes the
“HPJ-OPT.TXT' not found” error but still leaves the
other two errors. I cannot find the reference to HPJ-OPT.TXT
anywhere in the project , so I haven't been able to delete it and
see what effect this would have.
I am running Robohelp for Word, version 6.0 with Word 2002
(10.6826.6825) SP3 on Windows XP Pro operating system.Hi Carenb and welcome to the RH community. Although you don't
specifically say it does sound like you are continuing to output
winhelp. Can I ask why? It would be wise to think about converting
to another format (e.g. HTML Help or WebHelp) in order to keep up
with recent Microsoft announcements. Anyway, RH Classic 2000 was a
very different product than RHX6. For a start it uses a completely
different set of project files (.HPJ are now .XPJ) which I think
explains the error message you are getting. If you want to continue
using winhelp I suspect you may have to rebuild your map files. If
you migrate to another help format you can concert your existing
project by creating a new project in RoboHelp HTML and importing
your .HLP file or word documents. -
Context-sensitive help breaking in RoboHelp 8
Peter - you're a lifesaver and I hope you're out there today . . . or somebody's out there who can help . . .
I shouldn't have said that in my last post about something being the "wackiest" thing I'd ever seen in RoboHelp. Now we have a new problem that's much more serious.
We have an aforementioned (in previous post) enormous RoboHelp 5 project, converted to RoboHelp 8 after much anguish, replacing hundreds of WYSIWYG graphics with true code etc. Map IDs were *not* touched.
Now the context-sensitive help for our VB app is not working, even though the map IDs are still in place on both ends (dev and docs) and all the relevant .hh files were included in my compile. Some topics (within the same help file) appear when called from the app, some don't.
A developer had a theory that in one case the topic ID was assigned (on their end) during design time, the other during run time. He's testing it now.
If it doesn't work, I have no idea where to begin. Is anyone aware of any changes in RoboHelp 8 that would affect the way the .hlp links to VB?
Thank you! - SandyHi all,
I wanted to thank everyone who responded and post a follow-up to this, as well as a caution.
I felt like the world's biggest *** when I found this out, but it turns out that in my .doc files for this particular .hlp file (our project includes multiple .hlps) "Automatically Generate Map IDs" was turned on, and of course it should not have been. So the problem was on my end, not the software developers' end.
However - part of the reason it took me so long to figure this out is that I know I never turned that setting on. The other writer on this project has been here longer than I have and never would have turned it on. And it's not like that command is easy to stumble upon and set off accidentally (For those of you who don't know, it's under File>>Project Settings in RoboHelp Explorer). I have to think that RoboHelp defaulted those settings in somehow, maybe during our conversion from 5 to 8.
(Unless someone knows a way that you *can* just stumble on this setting and trigger it accidentally, maybe by inserting some random character in your .hpj . . . if anyone does, I would love to know about it.)
So, especially if you just changed versions of RoboHelp, I would encourage you to be proactive and, if you don't want "Automatically Generate Map IDs" turned on, double-check and make sure nothing is selected for Automatic Map ID Generation on the "Map Files" tab of the Project Settings dialog. After what happened to me this last time around, I'm probably going to check it every time I compile. - why not add another neurosis to the list?
Thanks again - Sandy -
Kindly let us know URGENTLY if RoboHelp 7.02.001 supports Arabic language to generate context sensitive help in Arabic. If RoboHelp does not support, let us know if there is any other workaround solution or third party integration tool that may help us to generate Arabic help files.
The supported languages are listed in the help file, they do not include right to left languages.
There are no tools that I know of but last week there was a post that might interest you.
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2242235#2242235
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips -
RoboHelp 10 Context Sensitive Help Displays Full Help File, Not the One Topic
I create WebHelp with RoboHelp V10 that contains context sensitive help to be displayed in a software application. When I click on any of the field names in the application, the entire Help file displays with TOC, Index, & Search, tabs but not the field level popup definition the Map ID is mapped to. I moved the RoboHelp V9 generated version files back to the server and the context sensitive help works correctly. Is there something different I need to deploy to the server to display the correct Map ID? I am using IE8 to test both conditions.
The Map ID's the software application calls to the Map IDs have not changed between the versions of RoboHelp.Whilst the HHP is required to create CHMs, it can also be used to open damaged projects. Just be aware it will only be as good as the last time you generated some help and not just CHMs.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
@petergrainge -
Is there a way to open context-sensitive help in a new window with RH10?
I'm linking my context sensitive help using the RoboHelp_CSH.js file to my web application.
The correct topic opens when I click the help link, but it opens in a pop-up window. This causes problems in Firefox and Chrome (which block pop-ups by default).
Is there anyway to force the context-sensitive help topics to open in a new window?
I've tried adding
<p><A HREF="javascript:RH_ShowHelp(0,'http:/myurl/index.htm', HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 100)" target="_blank">Help</A>
which opens an empty tab in Firefox with no content in it. And it doesn't work in Chrome either.
Has anyone else run into this? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
ColleenHi and welcome to the forums.
Using the RoboHelp API, that is quite a bother. (Read: major pain)
Fortunately, there is a simple solution:
<a href="http://myurl/index.htm#<id=4>>newwnd=false" target="blank">Help<a/>
This link does exactly the same, only opens the help in a new browser window.
You may also be interested in my custom WebHelp API: http://www.wvanweelden.eu/blog/2012/08/03/custom-webhelp-apis
Greet,
Willam -
Context Sensitive Help in Different Formats
I have a large help project in Robohelp HTML 8. My project manager would like to have context sensitive help for many objects in our application. I believe that context sensitive help cannot be used if you are generating a WebHelp format, but that it can be used for a Microsoft HTML format (chm file). Is this correct?
I thought you had CHM help working as CSH and were looking to go to WebHelp?
Both outputs can be used to provide CSH.
How the topics are called will be decided by your developer.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips -
Context-sensitive help - where is the CS topic folder in the output files?
I have created a FlashHelpPro help file in RoboHelp 7 HTML. In the project setup pane, I have Map ID'd my context-sensitive topics and linked them to their respective pages. I generated the project, but there is no folder containing the context-sensitive topics in the output files. As a result, the developer suggested that I need to create a separate folder in the Project Manager that contains all the context-sentitive topics. Is this actually the next step, or can the developer find what he needs elsewhere in the files?
I haven't seen anything about creating a separate folder in the Project Manager, which seems redundant as there is the 'Context-sensitive Help' folder already present in the Project Set-up. Do I need to create a separate folder, as suggested by the developer? If not, where can he find the context-sensitive files in the output? Thank you.Hi,
What do you mean that the context sensitive topics are not in the output? RoboHelp generates your output and (in WebHelp, so the same should count for FlashHelp) puts the context sensitivity in cshdat_webhelp.htm. Your developer doesn't need to worry about this, he just has to get his call right.
For information on calling the help, see http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/calling_webhelp/calling_webhelp.htm. It's for WebHelp but it should be the same for FlashHelp.
If your developer only wants to know which mapid's he has to call, you best give them your map files (the .h files).
Greet,
Willam
This e-mail is personal. For our full disclaimer, please visit www.centric.eu/disclaimer. -
Setting up context sensitive help for WebHelp in web application.
Hi,
I'm working on a help system for a web application. It will include context sensitive help triggered by an icon on the screen, and the Topic will open in an iframe with a set size. The developer has already set up the iframe that pops up when the icons are clicked. He is giving me the ID for the screens with the help icons as a fully qualified java file name. I'm not sure what the correct process would be in RoboHelp to map the ID's to the topics.
1. Do I create a map file using the list of ID's the developer sends me? Would it be in this format:
#define Topic_Name Java_File_Name
2. Do I then add the ID to the appropriate help Topic using Project Setup pod Context-Sensitive Help folder?
3. When I generate the layout I specify the map file I created above (.h extension)
3. If the developer already set up the iFrame size, is it correct that I don't need to create a custom window to set up the size? Is there a way to set it so two panes open? (I believe using the method above one pane opens with link to navigation pane)
Thanks in advance,
JoanneWelcome to our community
See if the link below helps.
Click here to view
Cheers... Rick
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How to provide link for the topics of Webhelp in the Context Sensitive Help in RH10 ?
I am using Robohelp 10 and currently working on Context Sensitive Help in which there is a need to create certain links for the topics that are present in Webhelp. My area of concern is that we can't use map id's since CS Help and Webhelp had already been created and it will be a mess for developers too since they had to relook their code. While generating output we don't give js files to our developers, we just give them folders and css file. Considering all these points, is there any way to provide a link for a topic of Help in Context Sensitive Help? Anyone, Please Help !
I'm not clear on what the question is. You seem to want CSH and to not use Map IDs. That leaves other methods to which Willam has already pointed you. Essentially it's Map IDs or URLs. So are you asking if there is a method that does not involve the developers? No as it is they who must create a link of some sort from a screen to a topic.
You also say you don't give JS files, just folders and CSS. The Rh WebHelp output contains many files and folders and you have to give the whole output or the help will not work properly. Exactly what are you giving them?
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
@petergrainge -
Need help with a Context Sensitive Help project
Hey everyone,
I'm the RoboHelp administrator around here - I've done some
RoboHelp projects and created the procedures, stylesheets and
templates for our company's WebHelp, WinHelp 2000, and JavaHelp
projects, but now I'm sort of the consultant for the content
authoring team that creates the help systems. I think I need to
call in some help from the forum about a project I'm consulting on.
Here's the situation: A project team here thinks they want
field-level help to support a web-based application. I've told them
"That's fine, it's possible, just don't demand that the help author
create topics for EVERY field, even the obvious ones like "Name",
"Address", "Zip", etc, since there is very, very little value in
doing that." We already have a very old help system that is being
CONVERTED to WinHelp 2000 (from a "mocked-up" version of WinHelp)
that did just that - every field in every screen was a separate
topic, even if it wasn't useful. Every topic was essentially "This
information goes in this field". As a result, we abandoned creating
an Index, since we had about 27 entries for "Name", 13 for
"Address1", 15 for "Address2", etc.
Well, I just heard back yesterday that they totally ignored
my suggestion and they want to go ahead with the "all help for all
fields" idea. I still think I have a chance of convincing them to
choose context-sensitive topics wisely, if it can present my case
clearly and be persuasive. I just found John Daigle's article about
context sensitive help (
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/robohelp/articles/context_help.html)
and I'm looking at it now (very well done, by the way - thanks
John!). It looks like, from first glance, that it might convince
that project team that "Whoa, this context-sensitive thing is more
than we bargained for", which is what I want them to think, since
they have very limited resources and a help author that is VERY new
to RoboHelp and WebHelp. I personally have never built a
context-sensitive help project with different windows, but I have
built several projects using conditional builds.
What does everyone think of this approach?
Thanks,
JimHere's a nice, convincing argument that I just thought of -
the only thing wrong with it is that I don't know if it's true or
not.
Does the end user's browser cache the .htm files for the help
topics that are grabbed from the server? If so, consolidating the
field definitions lessens the server traffic.
(Always get the server guys on your side - everywhere I've
worked, they wield a big stick!)
Also, I'm a big believer in functional help topics, but I
have compromised for some clients and included one-per-screen
conditional topics with the field labels. John, I wish I had known
about the map numbering trick back then - I would have loved to
give them F1 help.
Elisa -
Map.xml and context-sensitive help question
We're changing the tools we use to generate JavaHelp from RoboHelp to WebWorks.
RoboHelp's output always includes a file named map.xml. WebWorks doesn't include this file.
My understanding is that map.xml is what applications use to find the correct context-sensitive topic. Is that right? Will the app be able to find context-sensitive files without it?
Stan StansburyThere are a couple of posts about masterdata.xml that seem to indicate it's not a problem. See if either of these help.
Context Sensitive Help Question
MasterData.xml
For the 'main portal page' bit - maybe the developer wants to know the Start Page of the project, rather than the Default Topic? I'm not very familiar with CSH and webhelp, so I'm uncertain of the details the developer needs, but I wouldn't think you'd have to change anything as long as they have all the necessary details.
Amber -
Glossary and context sensitive help
Hi
I was wondering if it is recommended to include the same terms and definitions used in context sensitive help and in the glossary or should I keep them seperate? Also, when I printed the glossary in RoboHelp verison 8 for HTML, I only got the terms and not the related definitions?
Thanks for advice
CarynHi again
When you do this, did you try changing the dialog as shown below?
Cheers... Rick
Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 within the day - $24.95!
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Click here for the SorcerStone Blog
Click here for RoboHelp and Captivate eBooks -
How can I reference an external help file from context sensitive help at the control level?
My goal is to provide context sensitive help for each control displayed on the front panel using a help file created externally. I know that at the VI level I can specify a Help Path; I want the same behaviour for each control inside a VI. I also know about creating a custom control and specifying the Help Path in there, but it doesn't help in this situation, for I have hundreds of controls in my application and I cannot go back and replace each one with a unique .ctl. If I could override each instance of the custom control with unique path data that would do the trick, but that's not how it works.
Is there a way to add the Help Path information to regualr controls?
-euge
neThis functionality is not yet built into LabVIEW.
About all you can do is cut and paste the help for each control into the description for the control. It is tedius but a finite task. -
Muddled context sensitive help ids
Hi All
I've done some quite major updates to a help project,
including the creation of new context sensitive help Map Ids.
When I generate the help I get two files, cshdat_webhelp.htm
and cshdat_robohelp.htm. The cshdat_webhelp.htm contains the
correct map ids, however cshdat_robohelp.htm is still picking up
old IDs and some that look like random IDs, and this appears to be
the file that is called from the top level file
(projectname_rhc.htm) that the application calls. We can't get the
app to work with the projectname_csh.htm, so we need to use the
projectname_rhc.htm and cshdat_robohelp.htm files.
The only map file used in the project is the BSSCDefault.h
file, which only contains the correct IDs. I can't understand where
it is picking up the old/incorrect map IDs from. Can anyone please
help??
Thanks in advance,
Emma.In case this is of use to anyone else, I found that there was
a .ppf file (whatever that is) in the directory, which was somehow
messing with the cshdat_robohelp.htm file. I deleted this, and hey
presto, problem solved.
Emma.
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