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Question

Importing Word Documents in RoboHelp 2020 (without creating a new css stylesheet)

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
August 8, 2022
6 replies
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Hello!

I've recently upgraded to RoboHelp 2020 from the 2019 version, and have run into a bit of an issue with importing Word documents. In RH 2019, I could easily either select an existing style corresponding to each Word style, or select "Discard Style" for when there wasn't any that fit but I didn't want to import as a style of its own. This way, I could import hundreds of word documents without ever having more than the initial "default.css" stylesheet.

In RH 2020, however, it looks like they've removed the "Discard Style" option in the Word doc import menu. Even when I make sure my imported Word doc has only a single style applied to everything and select a corresponding style during import, it still creates a separate stylesheet. (e.g. Word document "Imported Document" has the "Normal" paragraph style applied to all text. During import, I select style "p" for the single paragraph and character word styles. The imported topic is created, along with "Imported_Document.css", containing only a body and a .position-relative style.)

I need RoboHelp to... not do this. Anyone have suggestions or workarounds? I'm hoping there's a setting somewhere that I've completely overlooked. Thanks in advance!

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Try asking Support why it has been removed?

See https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/enterprise-support.other.html#robohelp for your Adobe Support options. The email link tcssup@adobe.com is recommended as it reaches a team dedicated to Technical Communication Suite products including RoboHelp.

________________________________________________________

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

The option is not in Update 8 either as I checked in that.

If I am following correctly, the topics look good with or without the additional CSS files. If so after each session of importing you could go to Assets > CSS and delete them there. I haven't checked it deletes the reference in the topic but even if left there, it will have no effect.

________________________________________________________

My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

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K-ClarkAuthor

Known Participant

Ah well, looks like it'll be the manual deletion option for me. Thanks!

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

The imported topic is created, along with "Imported_Document.css", containing only a body and a .position-relative style.

So is the additional CSS having any effect? If you delete that CSS from Topic Properties in one of the imported topics, in theory the imported document should look as if it was created with the CSS in the import dialog.

________________________________________________________

My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

Use the menu (bottom right) to mark the Best Answer or Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.

K-ClarkAuthor

Known Participant

It's got no effect; I can delete the stylesheet with no changes made to the topic. However, since I am importing hundreds of files, deleting each .css file post-import isn't the most efficient. In RoboHelp 2019, this issue didn't come up since I used the "discard style" import option for character styles; but in the 2020 version that doesn't seem to be an option anymore.

I'm going to try updating to Patch 8 per Jeff's suggestion, but I'd appreciate any other thoughts in case that doesn't pan out.

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

The upgrade is from 2019 Classic, correct?

What you are seeing is a new way of working as explained here. https://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh_tour/rh2020/authoring/importing_linking.htm

The new CSS is created for good reason as explained in the page above.

________________________________________________________
My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

Use the menu (bottom right) to mark the Best Answer or Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.

K-ClarkAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Peter; this is not an upgrade from 2019 Classic, just 2019 in general. I'm familiar with the document import system, however RH 2020 does not show the "Discard Style" option that was previously available in 2019. As a result, it imports a stylesheet containing only a single style not used anywhere in my project (or is supposedly used in the imported document, except I set the style mapping to existing styles during import).

In your site, you say "If there is no <word_doc_name.css>, then everything was mapped with no need for additional style definitions." However, I have mapped all of the styles appearing in the import pane, but it still creates a stylesheet.

Jeff_Coatsworth

Community Expert

Patch 8 is out now - I'd try that one first to see if this has been solved. If not, then you can contact the RH folks - see https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/enterprise-support.other.html#robohelp for your Adobe Support options. I'd recommend using the tcssup@adobe.com e-mail address as it reaches a team dedicated to Technical Communication Suite products including RoboHelp.

Jeff_Coatsworth

Community Expert

Let's first find out if you are all patched up - what's your RH2020 version?

K-ClarkAuthor

Known Participant

I've got 2020.7.46.

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