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D
DCPS_PA
Participant
March 30, 2014
Question

RH 10 - Finding Hidden/Associated Files to html

  • March 30, 2014
  • 1 reply
  • 411 views

I am generating a Robohelp 10 xpj using WebHelp to deploy in an html (using ClearCase).

If I need to then remove certain individual files from the deployed html or add new individual files to the deployed html, are there hidden files that need to be associated with these htm items that I need to remove or add (depending on what I’m trying to do)? Unfortunately I may not be able to simply replace the existing files with newly generated version each time I need to do updates.

When trying to remove individual html files from the deployed full html, the link for the file still displays in the table of contents, even though the html content has been removed. I just get a “Page Not Found” message.

When trying to add new html files to the deployed full html, nothing displays in the TOC nor can I find the newly added html anywhere else.

I think there are other files I need to be removing/adding along with the individual html files, but I can’t easily identify them.

In urgent need of help...Thank you!

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
March 30, 2014

Hi there

Well, when you generate WebHelp, you need to think of it as a "set" that has many interdependencies. Indeed, there are some "hidden" (for lack of a better term) files that are updated that govern the TOC, Index, Search and other. So it comes as no surprise that you would see issues by just simply deleting random files.

I note that your first part says this:

I am generating a Robohelp xpj using WebHelp to deploy in an html (using ClearCase).

As far as I'm aware, ClearCase is a Source Control system. Those are typically used to manage the source content. I'd be curious to know how you are "deploying" anything using Source Control.

RoboHelp has built into it something called a "Publishing Wizard". Typically you configure this so it knows where the source directory is (Where your WebHelp output files ended up) and the destination directory is (Where you normally copy the files to) and it becomes a very simple matter to just click the Publish button to copy all the generated content to the final destination. The cool thing about it all is that after you set it up and use it for the first time, later publishes only copy the files that were actually changed.

Cheers... Rick

D
DCPS_PAAuthor
Participant
March 30, 2014

Thank you, Rick!

Perhaps the terminology used was confusing and incorrect.

Unfortunately I am merely creating and generating the file, then passing to a team of developers to put it into their system. I am not too familiar with that part of the process.

As mentioned, ideally we would be able to just pass the entire file and have them load it, but they are requiring we only send them the new/revised items, and manually remove the ones we need to delete. This leads to the issue with not finding all of the "hidden" files when doing this.

So thank you for your response! I will look into the Publishing Wizard to see if I can gather more info there too. Will want to make sure we are setting it up properly.

Please let me know if you have any more insight or if there is any more information I can provide to clarify.

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
March 30, 2014

What I might suggest is that you have a meeting with your deveopers. Put things into terms they will understand. For example, in many applications, there are many different .DLL files used to make the application function. So explain to them that just removing a file from a WebHelp output may seem logical, but it's very similar to what would happen if an end user just deleted a DLL from their application. Things aren't going to work, right?

Or if their application is a web based application, explain it's similar to deleting a JavaScript library.

The goal is to get them to understand that you aren't just creating a bunch of HTML documents that are willy nilly strung together and you can't simply piecemeal the components. At least, not if you want it to WORK.

Good luck! Rick

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