Adding new CSH topic IDs to the Master.chm file

[gideonv]

Hi, (sorry for the abundance of information!)

• I am using RoboHelp10
• We create Microsoft HTML Help (CHM files)
• 7 CHMs are linked in a master.chm file

Up to some years ago, the help worked file. Then the technical writer responsible for the help left and some features were not passed over completely to a replacement. Meanwhile I have taken over the project from the replacement and come across the following issues:

• I can add new pages to the help, which can be searched for by opening the master
• I cannot add or fix links to CSH topics as the software is not able to find the files (The CSH ID is added to the software and the .h file of the individual chm files)

How to solve this?

• I do not know if and how the individual .h files are autmatically added to the folder of the master project
• I do not know if and how the individual .ali files are automatically updated once a new topic and CSH ID is added
• I do not know if and how the master.ali file automatically updated with newly created topics in the individual chm files
• I do not know if and how the redirect.htm file in the master folder is automatically updated

Your insight is highly appreciated.

Gideon

[Peter Grainge]

This link explains merged help including for CHM outputs it didn't change much over the years. Merged Help (grainge.org)

It should be the case that you update the map ids in each project and hand everything over to the developer.

Beyond that hopefully someone with more real world use of merged CHMs can help. They are a bit out of date now so not so many users, especially with merged CHMs.

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

[gideonv]

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your reaction. I already had a look at your site (remembered it
from the past when I first started With RoboHelp).

The project is running, but it seems that I am unable to open the correct
pages when providing the IDs to the developers. It seems that also
something needs to be updated in the master file, but what..... beats me.

I hope that there are some others who have some experience or in-depth
knowledge on this topic.

Gideon

[Peter Grainge]

This page has some information about calling CHM help using map ids.

Calling CSH Help - RoboHelp (grainge.org)

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

[gideonv]

Thanks Peter!

I am getting the feeling that we are getting close to a solution. Probably
something like:
When you create CSH topics in the subproject, you will then have to copy
the .ali, .h and .chm files to the main Master folder before generating the
Master. Once this is done (and there are no duplicated IDs), the correct
page should be opened when calling the relevant ID.
Is this perhaps the solution?

Greetings
Gideon

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry but I don't know how that works with merged CHMs but logically one of the two options, leaving them where they or doing that, should work.

I believe there is a very old thread on that but it will likely be ten years old or more. Should still be on the forum though. Maybe Google it?

Let us know the answer.

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

[Amebr]

You shouldn't need to to move anything around for chms.

You said you added the map id to the application and to the .h file. Did you also use the RoboHelp interface to assign a topic to the map id (that will update the .ali file)? 

[gideonv]

Hi,

Yes, I did.

The latest info that I received is that:

• The .h file is updated (map ID and topc assigned to it) per subproject
• Make sure the .ali file for the subproject is updated
• After generating the .chm file for the subproject, copy the .chm and .h file to the Master folder
• Generate the Master and make sure the .ali file is updated
• Provide all .chm files to the developer

I have not tried it yet, but will do so soon. (hope it works)

[Amebr]

Can I ask where you got the information to copy stuff to the parent project? When I was working with chms, we never did that and it's not something I remember seeing mentioned before, on this forum, or other forums related to chm files. 

[gideonv]

I got this info from an ex-colleague who used to handle these kind of
projects in RH (7 years ago)

[Amebr]

If they've worked on your project before, then I suppose that's the way you have to do it. I'm afraid I can't offer any other suggestions about that workflow though.

[gideonv]

Thanks!

When it is really working, I will provide the info here!