Inspiring

Question

RoboHelp 2020 - Links in TOC not opening in new window

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
February 16, 2021
9 replies
483 views

Using RoboHelp 2020.3.32. Generating to Responsible HTML5 Output. Just updated our site using RoboHelp 2020 (was in 2019).

Our Table of Contents has pages with hyperlinks to other sections of the site. RoboHelp 2019 had the traditional option to open the link in the saame frame, parent frame, new window, etc. That option is no longer there for the links in the TOC. The very big issue is that all of these links are opening in the frame - these sites have their own TOC. Therefore, there's a main TOC and another TOC opening in the frame. Can someone please tell me how to get these links to open in a new window? I've tried everything I can think of (by manipulating the URL). Unfortunately, we now have to go live with the site this way in the morning so any help would be greatly appreciated.

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A

Amebr

Community Expert

Dang it, I got the path slightly wrong. I missed one folder - the other example is still inside the structure. I've hopefully coloured the addition.

c:\MyMergeOutput\Azure_Blue\mergedProjects\Child_One\index.htm opened within the same tab

c:\MyMergeOutput\Child_One_outside_structure\index.htm opened in a new tab.

nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

We will definitely look into this. Thank you both again! It's always frustrating ... and confusing when it works one day and then not the next. LOL

A

Amebr

Community Expert

Okay so a bunch of separate projects sitting on a server in a complicated folder setup using (probably) different versions of RH. 😛

Yep, I think Peter's right and the problem is because you're placing things inside the merged folder structure. I used Peter's demo project and added links using "webpage": the one inside the structure showed the behaviour you see; the one outside the structure opened in a new tab as you want.

So for example

c:\MyMergeOutput\mergedProjects\Child_One\index.htm opened within the same tab

c:\MyMergeOutput\Child_One_outside_structure\index.htm opened in a new tab.

See if that helps you at all.

A

Amebr

Community Expert

I've done a bit more poking around and it looks like some content is sitting in a merged setup and some isn't. And also some projects have been upgraded to New UI and some appear to still be Classic.

It's a bit hard to work out what's going on.

nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

Understandable. It's quite a large site with a lot of projects - my apologies for it being so complicated. We haven't upgraded all of the projects, our current focus was all of the projects within the OAKS FIN Process Manual folder. None of them are still set up as child projects - I've attached a screenshot of the TOC in case it helps.

The main site generates to a separate folder than the other projects. However, it is a sub-folder on the webserver. I hope this isn't what's causing the issue because there would be a lot of impacts to changing that.

Thank you both again for looking into this - it is really appreciated!

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

@Amebr If the merge is the issue, I think generating the child outside of mergedProjects will fix it.

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A

Amebr

Community Expert

Ah a merged setup.

Do you want all the projects combined in the one table of contents (so Capital Planning and Administration would expand just the same as OAKS Fin Process Manual)?

Or do you want it to display as it is now, with just the "book" name displayed (like Capital Planning and Administration), and clicking on it opens a new tab? And similarly for the books inside OAKS Fin Process Manual, except Reporting?

I just want to confirm what you want before suggesting any workarounds.

nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

Technically, it's not a merged project, but is still set up in a similar manner (just with hyperlinks instead of merged project links). It also sounds like you accessed the site - that's great! I'm not sure why Peter can't.

The desired behavior is that if you click Safe Manual, OAKS FIN Account Code Table, or Capital Planning and Administration, it immediately opens in a new window (tab). If you click OAKS FIN Process Manual, it should expand to show the different pages including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.and clicking on those pages will open up a new window (tab). Does that make sense?

It worked properly before we upgraded to projects to RoboHelp 2020.

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

The link still does not work. Are you sure it is publicly accessible?

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Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Previously a merge?

If what you are pointing to was generated as a part of a merged project, I think that is the reason for your problems. For a child project to work standalone it now has to be generated to a separate folder. If it is generated to mergedProjects it will work as part of a merge and I suspect that would cause this behaviour.

Classic used code that Adobe could manipulate. The new UI uses strict HTML5 and CSS3 and I think that is why merges now work in a different way. See Merged Help on my site.

________________________________________________________
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nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

It was originally created with the Parent/Child (merged) relationship, but we stopped doing that about a year ago (we just still tend to refer to them as the child projects because it's easier). Each "child" is now published as it's own standalone project/site (using the same HTML5 layout as the main site).

I'm confused as to why you can't access the site. It is publicly accessible. I'm sure it would help a lot if you could see it.

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

In Project A I added a TOC page and entered an absolute URL to the output of Project B which is sitting on a webserver, not a File Server. I got the URL by opening that topic on the webserver and copy/pasting it.

There is no option to set the page to New etc but when I clicked the TOC link it opened in a new tab.

finsource.ohio.gov is not a valid link. Gets Page Cannot Be Found.

Where is your target located, is it on a webserver and how are you getting the absolute URL.

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

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nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

Hi Peter - Thanks for looking into this. Try this link for the FIN SOURCE website.

The main project (previously a parent) is on the webserver and the other projects that we're linking to are in sub-folders on the same webserver.

A

Amebr

Community Expert

In RH2019 New UI, I tried entering a web address to the TOC using the New Page icon, then selected Webpage and entered a title and the URL in the relevant fields (Google and google.com respectively). Then generated Responsive HTML5 using the Charcoal Grey skin. In the output, the link opened in a new tab.

Does that work in RH2020?

nikkiw92098145Author

Inspiring

I forgot to mention the other weird thing that you discovered. We also tested with generic websites (such as google.com) and it did open in a new tab. However, when we link to another published RH project, it doesn't. If you'd like - you can see the site I'm referring to. Go to finsource.ohio.gov, then open "OAKS FIN Process Manual" in the Table of Contents and click on "Accounts Payable" (or any of the page links listed there). You can see how it's opening.

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