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Robohelp 2020 duplication of asset folder in the output file

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
June 1, 2023
8 replies
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In the Robohelp 2020 and 2022 project files, after generating output there is a files or output duplication in the Asset of output folder in the name of download. Why?

Find the Attached GIF for referance.

Please provide the solution....

Correct answer David Kinyon

I have been able to duplicate this problem, and I think I know what the problem is.

To duplicate the problem:

Create a temporary Frameless preset.
In the new preset, add a PDF to the Layout > PDF to Download option.
Generate output and note that the output contains the downloads directory with the expected PDF in it (and nothing else).
Return to the preset and delete the PDF from the PDF to Download option.
Regenerate ouput and note that the output still contains the download directory, but now with a complete mirror of the contents/assets directory.
Return to the preset and add the PDF back into the PDF to Download option, regenerate, and note that the downloads directory is once again behaving as expected - it only contains the PDF and nothing else.

This appears to be a bug in RoboHelp, that when you delete the contents of the PDF to Download option, it continues to create the downloads directory in the output, but now with a mirror of the contents/assets directory. To investigate further, I opened the xml version of the preset in a text editor (located in <project_dir>publish\presets):

When the PDF to Download option has a file listed, the xml version of the preset has the following markup: <downloadPDF>MyPDF.pdf</downloadPDF>.
- When the preset xml looks like this, the resulting outtput will create a download directory with just the MyPDF.pdf file in it.
When the PDF is deleted from the PDF to Download option, the xml version of the preset now has the following markup: <downloadPDF></downloadPDF>.
- When the preset xml looks like this, the resulting output will create a download directory with a mirror of the contents/assets directory.
When a new preset is created without setting anything for PDF to Download, it does not have this "downloadPDF" markup at all.
- When the preset looks like this, the resulting output will not create a download directory at all.

This lead me to believe that deleting the "<downloadPDF></downloadPDF>" markup from the xml version of the preset would fix the problem, and it did.

@Vincenz25891398isum I recommend looking at the xml version of your preset and seeing if it has the "<downloadPDF></downloadPDF>" markup. I bet it does, and I bet if you delete it, the output will be correct. If so, I recommend opening a bug with Adobe because this is errant behavior.

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

@David Kinyon Sherlock would be proud of you. I have marked your answer as correct as I have been able to duplicate the issue.

Please follow this link to report bugs or request new features. https://tracker.adobe.com. Post the link to your bug report / feature request in this thread and others can vote for it. The more people who do so, the higher it gets prioritised.

Nice work.

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V

Vincenz25891398isum

Participating Frequently

I come across the exact same issue. Generating an output, a folder named "download" is created within the assets folder which was not included on the original project. When I delete this folder, nothing seems to happen in the frontend. Even removing the "Create pdf" feature from my preset doesn't result in my output beeing generated without that folder. The problem is, that the download folder contains all contents of my project, including all assets, which results in a few thousand unnecessary duplicates in the output and roughly 60 mb of unused data.

Is there any way to prevent this folder beeing created? We really dont want to deliver 60 mb of trash to the customers which want to use our onlinehelp.

A

Achal__

Inspiring

Hi @Vincenz25891398isum ,

You can try playing with these options. It helped me to get rid of that "Downloads" folder.

V

Vincenz25891398isum

Participating Frequently

@Achal__ thanks for the quick response. I allready tried all of this configs but this doesn't seem to have any effect on the issue.

A

Amebr

Community Expert

If you specify a PDF to Download in the frameless output preset, you'll get the download folder in your assets folder. This will contain the pdf file you specified. Theoretically that should be the only file included.

While I don't use the pdf feature, I have seen RH get overexcited in other scenarios and duplicate related folder structures. I haven't exactly worked out why, but in my case it seems to be related to relative hyperlinks, somehow. Maybe that explains the extra folders?

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Does your project contain files for end users to download?

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Sorry but you can't say "regardless of its content". RoboHelp generates such folders as the output requires so something in your project is making use of what is in that folder.

I have posed a number of questions that aren't answered and they will help me answer. Please answer those and we can take it from there. In particular, if you generate one of the samples, you will not see that folder. That confirms it is a project issue rather than a RoboHelp issue.

What is in the folder might help identify the issue.

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Also see if you get the same issue with the About RoboHelp sample project.

RoboHelp creates two copies of the samples on installation.

The copy to use is put in My RoboHelp Projects in the Documents folder that Windows creates in your profile.
Another copy goes into Program Files and should never be run from there as Windows will block some of the functionality. The idea of the copy in Program Files is that it is a clean back up if you need to replace the copy in Documents.

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N

notedejestimar

Participant

Hello Peter,

Let me try to rephrase "ANJIL"'s question:

- When we "Generate the Webhelp output" from Robohelp and go to the folder that contains that output, under "assets", there's an extra folder there, named "Downloads". (i.e., ".\assets\Downloads")

Regardless its content (and to simplify the question), why is that folder for, and why is it being generated?
Is it for any kind of compatibility with other Internet browsers?

Thank you!!

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

In the source the Contents panel should show "assets" and all your folders but not a Contents folder unless has set up a folder by that name. The output should assets and the other folders you see in the Contents panel, along with some other output folders.

You cannot generate to within the source so I cannot see how you would get duplication that way. Also the fourth image does not show a whx folder which should be in an output.

I think Step 1 here is to generate your output to a new folder and see what ends up there.

Then post back an image of the Contents panel and the Output folders.

You have mentioned two versions of RoboHelp. Please confirm you are not opening any one project in both versions. Also let us know which output type you are generating.

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Sorry but the gif is too indistinct to follow. Perhaps a couple of screenshots? Please use the photo icon to insert images within the post. Seeing an image inline with the text makes it easier for anyone answering or viewing the post.

I could see you are using OneDrive. Quite a few posts on this forum about issues when using OneDrive. GoogleDrive seems to work OK but not OneDrive. I am not saying that is relevant here but it's worth try to generate to another folder outside OneDrive to check.

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

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