confirm file replace dialog - fpj file

[Guest]

Hi,
We have 3 different authors accessing the same project in robosource control. All three of us have been receiving the same message when we first open the project asking us if we want to replace the fpj file (and changes will be lost if we replace the file). It says that the fpj file is read-write and has been modified locally. I have two questions:
1) Why are we getting this message? This has been occuring since we upgraded to RH 6 and RH source control 3.
2) Is it okay to replace? What's the impact? If we click leave and apply to all, it asks us every time if we want to replace.

Any help is appreciated.
thanks,
Brad

[Captiv8r]

Hi Brad

I'm no RoboSource Control expert, but I do believe I have a decent handle on source control as a general concept. I believe the .FPJ files are a means whereby RoboSource Control knows and keeps track of which files should exist inside a particular folder. So if person A adds a HTML page, the FPJ is updated to reflect the same. I'm guessing this may account for the reason changes are being detected.

As for why it's prompting you, I'm not sure because I don't use RSC other than once in a blue moon to poke around. I have used Microsoft Visual Source Safe and a product called Star Team in production environments. But not integrated with RoboHelp. I used them with RoboHelp, but they weren't used as RoboSource Control is, where RoboHelp communicated with them as I worked. I would check files in and out manually and separately from RoboHelp.

Hope something here was helpful... Rick

[Guest]

Hi,

I have been modifying the FPJ files for a long time now, in both X5 and RoboHelp 7. It is true that the folder fpj file is what keeps track of the topics in the folder. When I get an issue with a red X through a topic, I know that it is because there is no entry in the fpj file for that topic. I check out the fpj file, create an entry for that topic, and then I check it back in. It always fixes my problem. However, this is an XML file, and not everyone is comfortable editing this file probably. I'm not positive why your issue happened after your upgrade. To answer your question 1, you are getting that message bcause the fpj file in your local projects is different than the one that is in the database. Usually, it is caused by someone deleting, adding, or renaming a topic htm filename and source control not getting it updated correctly. That can be due to a connection issue or other error and can be hard to pinpoint what caused it exactly.
On your question 2, it may be okay to replace it. If you try the replace and then have some issues with topics in that folder, you can try fixing it yourself by checking out the fpj, modifying it to contain the correct topics, and then checking it back in. In the fpj file, it's actually pretty easy to make copies of the entries and then just change the htm filename, or delete entries of topics that no longer exist.

[Guest]

Just wanted to add, most of the time the fpj files are checked in and out by RoboHelp seamlessly. You don't even notice or see this happening unless there is a problem with one. But anytime you delete a topic, add a topic or change the File Name on the Topic Properties tab, the folder where that topic is located has an fpj file and I guarantee you that that fpj file is checked out behind the scenes until you check in all. You can see these files in the RoboHelp Explorer on the File Status tab, and it will also show you if they are checked out or not. The File Status tab is also where I check out an fpj file when I want to edit it to make a fix. Also, the root.fpj file in the root directory is a list of all folders in the project, just as an FYI.

[Guest]

Brad,

it sounds like a FPJ-file not correctly checked in. Have a look a the File Status tab of your project for this FPJ-file. Is there an entry in the Status column?

You might also check the history of theis file - from the context menu - and compare it to the history of the same file in your database.

It might be that the database and the local versions of the file got out of synch somehow. If so, and the local version contains the more up to date information, one of you should just manually check out the file from the File Status tab and check it in again. This forces the database to acknowledge your local version as the correct one.

---Dirk Bock

[Guest]

Hi,
Thanks for all the reponses--much appreciated. I'm going to manually check out the file from the File Status tab and check it in again, as Dirk suggested, and see if if that resolves the problem.

I'll post how it goes.
--Brad