How to export In-line Javascript to printed documentation?

Question

Hi Folks,
I am working in Robohelp 8 HTML, and have created these wonderful javascript include files that allow me to generate numbered and bulleted list instructions and insert them into my help guide pages.
Basically, the instructions are the same and repeated throughout guide.  What changes are the field names and numbering sequence.
Ah, you say, why not use snippets for this?  I do use them when the block of information is identical and needs repeating.
Well, my cleverness ended when I started to generate printed documentation and discovered that my in-line javascript inserts and my include files are ignored in the export process.
Examples:
In my HTML Robohelp document, I include a javascript file that contains my procedures and functions.  Then in the HTML document, I insert the call, surrounded by all the necessary <script> wrappers:
document.write(how_to_get_to("Manufacturing,Reports",","));
This produces something like this on the webpage:
Steps
   1. Open the main menu.
   2. Click the Manufacturing folder to expand it.
   3. Double-click the Reports menu item to open the window.
When generated to printed documentation, it is just missing.
Questions:
  1.  Anyone else having the same problem?
  2.  Any creative suggestions on how to generate printed documentation.
I already know I can print from the web page.
Thanks!!

Answer 1

Hi Peter,
Ok, well that worked.
I created a snippet with the <OL></OL> tags, and then stripped out these tags when I saved the snippet.  No space before or after.
Then when you insert the snippet in your ordered list, you have to go to the HTML side, and remove the closing </OL> tag before the snippet, and the opening <OL> tag that robohelp inserts after the snippet.
So, when you insert it looks like this:
<li class="p-BodyText"><p class="BodyText">Optional. &#160;Press the
  <span style="font-weight: bold;">Warehouse Search</span> button to
  filter the report for a specific warehouse, or leave the field empty
  to include all warehouses. &#160;</p></li>
</OL>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Location From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Account Group From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Account From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Item From To" ?>
<OL Type="1">
<li class="p-BodyText"><p class="BodyText">Leave the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Material
  Code</span> field empty.</p></li>
And you change it to look like this:
<li class="p-BodyText"><p class="BodyText">Optional. &#160;Press the
  <span style="font-weight: bold;">Warehouse Search</span> button to
  filter the report for a specific warehouse, or leave the field empty
  to include all warehouses. &#160;</p></li>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Location From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Account Group From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Account From To" ?>
<?rh-placeholder type="snippet" ref="FLD-Item From To" ?>
<li class="p-BodyText"><p class="BodyText">Leave the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Material
  Code</span> field empty.</p></li>
This does translate to the printed page.  A bit more overhead than I would like. But better than managing the same content in a hundred different files.
Thanks for the brainstorm.
Marilyn.