Merging Projects in RoboHelp 8

Question

I've never merged projects before so this is probably user
error, but when I follow the steps from the Adobe help system for
merging projects in RoboHelp 8, generate the project, and then view
it my merged project is not present. This is what I did:
(1) Created a generic project (documentation that we reuse in
all help systems)
(2) Created the client project (documentation that's specific
to this client's help system)
(3) From the Client Project in the TOC pod, I clicked the New
Merged Project icon
(4) This is a WebHelp Pro project so I selected the
FlashHelp/WebHelp/Adobe AIR tab
(5) I browsed for the generic project (located in a seperate
folder)
(6) I clicked OK
(7) The generic project name showed up in the TOC
(8) I generated the project like normal
(9) I clicked View Results and the only stuff that's there is
just the stuff from the client project. Nothing from the generic
project is available.
Everything that I read says that merged project doesn't show
up until the project is published. I guess with the way we do work
I don't understand the difference between generating and
publishing. What happens is that I generate the project, zip the
WebHelp Pro folder, email it to a developer or put it in a shared
drive depending on the client and then the developer attached the
files to the system. To call the correct screen, I have to include
a HTM for every single screen (wfm) in the application. The
application calls the screen name with the same HTM name which
displays a screen help page for that particular screen and then the
user can use the navigation (TOC or search or links) to find the
help topics they're looking for. I doubt this is the "best" way to
do this, but I'm working with developers on a 12 hour time
difference and this is how they requested the files. Point being --
there is no "publishing" step according to my understanding of
publishing. I know there is a server somewhere because the actually
application we build is on a server, but I don't know the technical
aspects about how my HTM files I create get onto that server and
display online.
Can anyone help me?

Answer 1

Actually, I had generated all the child project previously,
but what I did wrong is that I didn't create a folder for the
child. It looks like in the table of contents, you actually have to
include a separate folder for the mergedProject to go into. I just
called it the same thing that I called the child project. For
example "Global Features." You can't just have the mergedProject go
into the table of contents without it being in a folder (normally).
That said, I did find a way to get it in there before I found this
solution. I did all the steps that Peter Grainge had suggested,
then I copied and pasted the !SSL folder from where the child
project was saved into the mergedProject folder of the parent
project. That's basically what RoboHelp does anyway, but doing it
manually allows for you not to have to create a folder in the table
of contents -- just provides a different navigation to the same
thing.