Inspiring

Answered

Snippets in drop-down text?

Forum|Forum|17 years ago
February 13, 2009
11 replies
3994 views

A user recently asked about using drop-downs in snippets. I need to do the opposite -- use snippets in the drop-down text in a help topic. Seems like it ought to be possible. But I haven't figured out how. Anyone?
Thanks.

HTML

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Correct answer Captiv8r

Hi there

How exactly have you tried inserting the snippets into the Drop-down?

If you tried the "RoboHelp" way of just plopping things into that frustrating little popup window, you might try a different approach. Insert the snippets directly into the topic as you would want to see them when the drop-down has been clicked. Then select them and cut them to the Windows Clipboard. Then paste that into the frustrating little window. See if that holds.

Another possible thought is that maybe create a single cell table and insert them into that. Maybe the additional container code for the table will cause the RoboHelp editor to see things differently? But I'd try the former first.

Cheers... Rick

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

RoboHelp knows better than to mess with MY code! Seriously it is not a problem that I have simply because of the nature of my content. However, this is a great opportunity for people to post examples of this problem which I know does give people grief.

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EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

I'd like to reopen this topic. (Or should I have started a new thread?) I upgraded (long ago) to RoboHelp 8.0.2, and in one project I am having a "snippets in dropdown" problem: When I insert multiple snippets in a row inside a dropdown, only the first snippet stays inside the dropdown. The other snippets (and text that comes after that first snippet) appear outside the dropdown, both in Preview and in compiled help.

I am having this problem in one project but not others. For the life of me I can't figure out why.

Any ideas what could be causing this -- and how to solve it?

One thing I tried: Since I am under the impression that the project's eHlpDhtm.js file controls the behavior of DHTML effects, I tried copying the eHlpDhtm.js file from another project into the project where this problem is occurring. It didn't make any difference.

(I've searched this site and Grainge.org for 15 minutes without finding any reference to this problem.)

Grateful for any suggestions! Thanks.

Captiv8rCorrect answer

Legend

Hi there

How exactly have you tried inserting the snippets into the Drop-down?

If you tried the "RoboHelp" way of just plopping things into that frustrating little popup window, you might try a different approach. Insert the snippets directly into the topic as you would want to see them when the drop-down has been clicked. Then select them and cut them to the Windows Clipboard. Then paste that into the frustrating little window. See if that holds.

Another possible thought is that maybe create a single cell table and insert them into that. Maybe the additional container code for the table will cause the RoboHelp editor to see things differently? But I'd try the former first.

Cheers... Rick

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Ok, I give up for now. I'm just going to paste the text into the drop-down (not a snippet). If it has to be retranslated 10 times, so be it -- until the next upgrade....
Thanks for the input, all.
/Eileen

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Sshh! Don't tell Eileen that RH8 also allows you to format variables.

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A

Anonymous

Hi Eileen,
In RoboHelp 7, such changes are lost if you switch twice from the HTML view with some changes in Design/HTML view. This behaviour has been enhanced in RoboHelp 8 and works fine.

I think RoboHelp 8 is the only solution at present, without any workarounds :-)

Gunjan

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Rick, Peter, Gunjan -- I reallly appreciate your input & efforts.

Rick, I will fiddle around with that. And I'll be visiting the wish form / bug report site.

Peter, this project also includes variables, so I'm very familiar with them. In this case, though, the text includes formatting, so it has to be a snippet.

Gunjan, I was thrilled to see your potential workaround. Unfortunately, when I tried it, it didn't work. When I switch to the HTML view and make a change, then switch back, the snippet disappears from the drop-down.

My team just upgraded from X5 to RH7 recently. And money is tight, so I can't see management approving another upgrade (to RH8) at this time. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, though....

I will keep working on this and get back to you if I find a solution that works. (Gunjan, please get back to us here if there is some detail of your workaround that I might have missed. Thanks!)

Regards,
Eileen

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

I just tested Rick's method on a 7.0.2 machine and found that creating the snippet in the body of the topic and then pasting it into a dropdown worked just as long as I didn't close the topic. Once I did that, it broke and it also did not work in the output.

Could you use variables instead? They can be added to a dropdowns and work OK.

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A

Anonymous

Hi Eileen,

RoboHelp 7 does not have the feature to support snippet in Drop-down text. In other words, inserting only snippet inside drop down text will not work. However, there is a work around that should solve the purpose. You need to put some extra text or blank spaces before the snippet in Drop-Down text and it shall work fine.

In RoboHelp8, this feature is available in proper form. You can drag drop snippet in Drop-Down or you can insert snippet through insert menu.

Gunjan.

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

I don't know what an iFrame is, but it does sound like an awkward way to do something that should be simple.
Isn't there some kind of code or comment that tells RH, "Leave this alone. Don't mess with this code." If there isn't, there should be. :-/

RoboWizard

Inspiring

Hi Eileen

Yeah, be nice if there were an option for that.

Click here to view the WishForm/Bug Reporting Form

An iFrame is something RoboHelp 8 offers directly. But I've used them for years with RoboHelp. Basically they are inline Frames (iFrames). You create an iFrame and point it to a topic. It's a way to present another whole topic inside a topic.

The only other option that comes to mind is to use JavaScript to perform a "write in" of the code that is being deleted. I'm not sure if that would work any better. I would think RoboHelp may also delete the script. But it may not.

Cheers... Rick

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Noooooooo! Please tell me they removed functionality! (Of course, I didn't get it to work before the patch, either. As I said, I was using 7.02.001 and the snippet was disappearing.)

Man I really need this to work.

/Eileen

Captiv8r

Legend

This seems like using a grenade launcher to kill a fly...

Possibly use an iFrame? Pop the snippet on a topic and reference the topic in the iFrame. Pop the iFrame into the DHTML drop down.

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Ok, it doesn't look like my previous reply is legible. Weird.

Thank you for checking. What RH version are you using?

I just did this:

1. Upgraded to RH 7.0.3.
2. Created a clean, new project with one topic and one snippet.
3. Inserted the snippet in a drop-down.
4. Switched to HTML view and added a space.
5. Switched back... and the snippet had disappeared from the drop-down. What the - ?

I need to solve this problem. Any ideas where to start?
/Eileen

Captiv8r

Legend

Hi Eileen

Hmmm, I'm wondering if this is something that was changed in the last patch. I tested again this morning and finally saw the snippet disappear. I was upgraded to 7.0.3 over the weekend.

Grrrrr.... Rick

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Hi Rick,

I really appreciate your input on this, because it would be VERY useful if I could get this working.

I use DHTML drop-downs almost like you do, namely pasting text into them rather than editing text in them.

But I can't get it to work with a snippet. I can copy in the snippet ok, and it looks fine in the preview. But if I switch to the HTML tab and back, the snippet disappears. Could you please try that?

We have to be able to switch to HTML view without the snippet slipping away unnoticed. Perhaps you don't use that view as much as we do.

If that's not making your snippet disappear, then I guess I need to start exploring on my side why our installation is acting differently. (We are using version 7.02.001.)

Thank you
Eileen

Captiv8r

Legend

Hi Eileen

I work in the HTML view quite often. I just tested to be certain. My snippet remains if I edit the HTML.

Not sure what the difference is.

I think I'll blame sunspots... Rick

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you for checking. What RH version are you using?

I just did this:

Upgraded to RH 7.0.3.

Created a clean, new project with one topic and one snippet. Inserted the snippet in a drop-down.

Switched to HTML view and added a space.

Switched back... and the snippet had disappeared from the drop-down. What the - ?

I need to solve this problem. Any ideas where to start?
/Eileen

EileenPalssonAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks. Do you know for sure that it CAN'T be done in RH7? Or is there just some strange workaround?
/Eileen

RoboWizard

Inspiring

Hi Eileen

Some will tell you it cannot be done in 7. But I've done it as follows:

Insert the snippet in the main part of the topic.
Select the snippet in the topic and cut it to the Windows Clipboard.
Open the DHTML drop-down window and paste it into the window.

It may appear that if you update the snippet later it doesn't really update in the topic. But my testing seems to indicate that even though it seems this happens, the snippet is fine and updated in the compiled or generated version.

As a side note, that's how I deal with ANY DHTML drop-down. I never ever just edit inside that little DHTML window. It drives me crazy to use it other than just to paste information into it. Even if I have an existing one where I need to modify a word slightly I will usually select all text, copy to the clipboard, paste into the topic and edit, select again and cut, then paste back into the window.

Hope this helps you out... Rick

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