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gsmichaels
Known Participant
January 20, 2010
Question

RH8 HTML suddently generating truncated CHMs

  • January 20, 2010
  • 2 replies
  • 623 views

I typically compile a new.chm file for my project once or twice a week. Yesterday, the chm I generated  came in at 1975 kb. The previous one, created three days earlier for the same project, was 47,489 KB.

RH displays no error messages and does not crash. However, when I attempt to open the .chm from its network file location, IE tells me that "This program cannot display the webpage." The same message appears when I attempt to open the file from my desktop.

In studying the knowledge base, I thought that perhaps that the microsoft html help.ssl file might have been corrupted. So I used RoboServer 3 > History, to roll back that file to the date on which I last created chm successfully. I updated my version locally. But to no avail.

I created a new SSL layout and generated a chm with it. No luck there either.  I've rebooted multiple times in the process.

My version is fully updated. I tried generating a webhelp file. That worked out just fine. My file name standard has been consistent: JOH 1.13__numeric_date.chm.

My project has a couple of broken links, but I don't imagine that could cause this issue.

Suggestions would be appreciated.

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2 replies

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
January 21, 2010

Hi there

Methinks you have two issues. As such, I'm thinking a red herring exists.

  1. Your CHM suddenly seems to be much smaller from the file size perspective.
  2. You are unable to view the CHM from a network location

The first thing to note is that CHMs have issues generically when you attempt to view them from a network. Click the link below for more on that.

Click here to view

Secondly, we need more information. Where did you specify the output location? Local PC or network? What does the compile log show? Abnormal termination on compile? To view the log, click Tools > Options > General tab and enable the "Auto-show Output View".

Cheers... Rick

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gsmichaelsAuthor
Known Participant
January 21, 2010

Update to my preceding response...

After many additional hours spent reading forum posts, I took advantage of three suggestions that I found -- successfully. I was able to generate a new .chm without additional issues after implementing the following steps:

1. I changed the output location to my desktop. The idea was to shorten the length of the path.

2. I made sure the output name corresponded to the project name. I had previously used an abbreviated file name for the output.

3. I cleared approximately 10 of 12 broken links.

I subsequently checked out everything in my project and checked it back in to RoboServer. This may have been pointless, but I wanted to be sure that all updated content was stored.

Parenthetically, after fixing the broken links and saving the project, RH crashed. This occurred many times before I figured out that there was a glitch involved, thanks to a post on Peter Grainge's website under RH > RH8. He identifies the issue and proposes a workaround that involves a fix from within the Index Editor. The only problem I see with this is that my broken links have nothing to do with indexed keywords. In fact, I haven't even built an index yet.

I have not previously had this sort of problem when fixing a broken link and I would welcome clarification of the issue and the fix.

Many thanks to all who have tackled these issues previously and posted their results.

end of update

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beginning of original post:

The chm is generated on my C drive. It won't open whether published to the a network file or to C:/...ssl. I am able to successfully open chms created on or prior to 1_15_10, from the network or my C:/ drive.

My local path is C:/Documents and Settings\gmichaels\My Documents\RoboServer Projects\Javelina Online Help_13\!ssl!\Microsoft_HTML_Help.

Yesterday, the output view reported: Fatal Error: Unexpected error from Microsoft HTML compiler.  Finished compiling HTMLHELP in 482 sec(s)  Compilation complete.

I downloaded all pertinent MS updates last afternoon. However, that doesn't seem to have made a difference. Today, I find that RH closes itself without warning at the end of the compilation process.

I know about network related issues, but I don't believe that applies here. The truncated size of the chm file and the fact that it won't open seem to be related issues as they occur only in tandem and only since 1_19 (the first time).

Thanks much

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