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Jack DeLand
Inspiring
Sep 25, 2006 9:00 PM UTC
Answered

Gray page icon

I can't find this in the Robo doc. I have a blue icon that I move over to the TOC tree in the Printed Doc dialog. It turns gray. RoboHelp no longer recognizes it. If blue means indexed or in the contents, does gray mean dead? Why? How can I get Robo to use this? The other entries are used in the same places but aren't gray.
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Kathy_T_CaseyCorrect answer
Inspiring
Sep 26, 2006 3:05 AM UTC
MaxWedge426

Are you using conditional tags at the topic level?

If you are, you'll probably find that the 'Conditional Build Expression' set on the first screen of the Printed Document dialog actually excludes the topic you've included in the Chapter Layout on the second screen.

The blue icon occurs when you have moved the topic from the left pane to the right pane. If you've moved an entire book from the TOC and there was a topic under that book that will be excluded because of the Conditional Build Expression, the topic icon in the right-hand browse turns grey - indicating it will not be used.

You'd need to change your conditional build express to include the tag on the document.

Hope this helps.

Regards

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12 replies

HKabaker
Inspiring
Oct 3, 2006 10:39 PM UTC
Max,

Have you tried discarding the .ssl file for this print layout?

Not just in the RH Single Source Layouts setup, but -- with the project closed -- deleting the default Printed Documentation.ssl and (if it's still there) myspecialprintlayout.ssl.

When you open the project, RH will give you a new default layout, and you can re-do your custom layout.

Also, you could open the .cpd file with MS Access and view the table called LayoutList. It could be corrupted; you can delete a line for anything suspicious.
When you open the project, RH won't look for it.

Similarly, look in the table called MiscFileList

By the way, as you probably know, you should back up everything, etc., etc., before doing these things.

Harvey
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Jack DeLandAuthor
Inspiring
Oct 4, 2006 2:50 PM UTC
Harvey, you are a font (no pun) of wisdom. I'll check this out today. Many thanks.
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HKabaker
Inspiring
Sep 26, 2006 9:52 PM UTC
Print Doc gets very confused when you apply conditional build tags at the topic level.

Remember that you have full control over which topics appear, and in what order, in the print doc setup. There is no need to use topic-level tags.

If you have tags for topics and conditional text within topics, don't use the same name for both kinds of tags.

Do not try to specify any complicated include-exclude conditions. Use exclude tags only. I know, the setup seems to accept a Boolean string, and it usually works OK in WebHelp, but (for me at least) always fails in print output.

Harvey.
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Jack DeLandAuthor
Inspiring
Oct 3, 2006 6:47 PM UTC
Thanks, Harvey. I don't know what environment everyone else is working in, but I am under contract to a company that has spent large dollars doing things I would never have had them do, but alas, I am here to "finish off" heh-heh a project where things have been done wrongly. Sure wasn't my idea to do this.
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Jack DeLandAuthor
Inspiring
Sep 26, 2006 4:53 PM UTC
"TOC tree" means the Chapter Layout window in the "Printed Doc" dialog, which shows a view of the TOC tree to be generated. Unfortunately, Kathy's response is not the answer, but it is appreciated. I've tried it with tag on, tag off, different kinds of tags, etc., Boolean THIS and THAT.
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Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Sep 26, 2006 6:53 PM UTC
That surprises me as what I saw with a conditional tag exactly matched what you described.

Create a new project with say four topics and a couple of books, can you recreate it?

I am right in understanding that if you generate the printed output with the condition field set to None, you still get this problem?

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Kathy_T_CaseyCorrect answer
Inspiring
Sep 26, 2006 3:05 AM UTC
MaxWedge426

Are you using conditional tags at the topic level?

If you are, you'll probably find that the 'Conditional Build Expression' set on the first screen of the Printed Document dialog actually excludes the topic you've included in the Chapter Layout on the second screen.

The blue icon occurs when you have moved the topic from the left pane to the right pane. If you've moved an entire book from the TOC and there was a topic under that book that will be excluded because of the Conditional Build Expression, the topic icon in the right-hand browse turns grey - indicating it will not be used.

You'd need to change your conditional build express to include the tag on the document.

Hope this helps.

Regards

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Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Sep 25, 2006 9:17 PM UTC
What?

There's a major topic on my site about printed documentation but I don't recognise what you are talking about with blue and grey icons.

A book with a blue highlight indicates a book with all its topics in the print layout, is that what you are referring to?

See if the topic helps. If not, perhaps with reference to the topic, you can explain this a bit more clearly? Then I'll be happy to try to help.

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Jack DeLandAuthor
Inspiring
Sep 26, 2006 1:09 AM UTC
This is not a blue book, Peter; it's a gray page icon, which I've never seen before, and I started teaching RoboHelp in the early 90's. A blue page icon means the topic is either indexed and/or in the Contents already - according to the RoboHelp X5 Help file.

I can't explain it with any more clarity or detail than my post. Here's the gist of it:

blue icon -> gray icon
why?

If your topic doesn't cover this, I'm a little skeptical that it would cover this, but I'll look-see. Hmm, nope. Lots of good stuff in there, though. ::sigh:: Thanks anyway.
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Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
Sep 26, 2006 6:01 AM UTC
Yes I was thinking books rather than topics plus I didn't look at the wizard and when you said TOC tree, I was thinking of the right hand layout rather than the left pane which by default shows the TOC view of your topics. Sorry.

Kathy's response is the answer.

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