Participating Frequently

Answered

Output an index html file

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
January 10, 2023
6 replies
1815 views

Hi, does anyone know how to get RH to generate an index html as part of the output? The attached file shows the list of files I currently get. I am using a modified version of the Framless preset (I didnt modify it so unsure what the modifications are).

Thanks.

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Correct answer Jeff_Coatsworth

Yup - Welcome.htm is your "index" page.

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Amebr

Community Expert

I think you need to tick the Use skin home page setting in your output preset.

Also, please insert screenshots using the Insert Photo icon as it's easier to help when the images are displayed on the page with the text.

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Amebr

Community Expert

Peter's probably asleep now. but I should be able to answer.

There are two separate files that get confused.

The first is the "Start Page". on the General page of the output preset. This is the root file that makes a Robohelp output work. The Start Page does not exist in your Robohelp source project. (This is why there is no browse button for this field.) It is created automatically when you generate your output. It can be called anything, but calling it index.htm means that web servers will automatically load it without your user having to type the file name as part of the web address. (e.g. you type www.google.com, not www.google.com/index.html ). As I mentioned earlier, your IT guys can change the server to automatically load some other file name, if required.

NOTE: Do not name any topics in your project 'index.htm' as this causes problems in the output.

The second is the "Default Topic" on the Content page of the output preset. This is the topic in your project that you want your users to see first when the help is opened. Don't name this file 'index.htm' as it will cause problems in the output.

Hopefully that helps.

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Amebr

Community Expert

I should also explicitly state that the auto-generated Start Page file handles loading your Default Topic so your IT guys generally wouldn't need to know about the Default Topic or make any changes to the web server for it. And they'll usually only care about the Start Page file if it isn't called 'index.htm'

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Sarah26838573n79fAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks, I understand what you have said. Our IT team have switched the file to use the Welcome.htm, however that has now changed what our homepage looks like. See attached images labled 'old' (what it used to be and 'new' what it is now. Do you know why the change has happened?

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Amebr

Community Expert

Your IT guys can also change the web server settings to use the Welcome.htm instead of index.htm. I know they tend to be reluctant to do this but it might be necessary if your help is called by the application and it is coded to use the welcome.htm file. Application developers seem to be even less willing to change than server admins. 🙂

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

If they want index.htm or index.html, just change the field where you see welcome.htm.

Older versions did call the start page welcome.htm by default but index.htm does the same thing and is more common.

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Sarah26838573n79fAuthor

Participating Frequently

Please excuse my lack of understanding, but where it says start page and it has Welcome.htm in the output general view, is that not telling the output which page to open first? We have a Welcome page at the beginning of our TOC which is what I thought that was pointing to (see screenshot). Is that incorrect?

Jeff_Coatsworth

Community Expert

That solve your problem?

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Sarah26838573n79fAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks for your answer, I appreciate it. I have let our Technology Services team know and asked them to get back to me whether this resolves their issue (They are the ones who take the files and put them on the webpage and have been asking for a specific index html. They are currently using an old one (I don't know how that one was created)).

Jeff_Coatsworth

Community Expert

Let's see a screenshot of the Preset - the starting page should be spelled out in there (note: it doesn't have to be called index.htm)