Corrupt Word output (RH2022)

[ruth_9390]

Hi everyone,

We have switched from RH2015 to RH2022.5.28 and are now looking forward to using RH as our only source for maintaining our content. We have been using both Word and Robohelp ever since... However, we have problems generating Word output from Robohelp.

Exporting our RH content to Word creates a corrupt file that has to be recovered. The recovered file does not use our defined styles. Does anyone have any idea why the Word output is corrupt and what we can do about it?

Additional questions:

- Do the styles in Word and the styles in Robohelp need to be named the same in order the be mapped?

- Is there a guide for creating templates (headers, footers, cover pages...) you would recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Are you following Peter's site? - see https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp_Tour/rh2022/outputs/outputs_word.htm 

[Peter Grainge]

In your situation the first thing I would do is create a test project with just two topics and minimal content, then generate a Word output using the Simple template. That's just to make sure your setup is OK. In particular, is your project on a local drive and are you generating to the same local drive? In theory networks are OK but it is dependant on your network setup.

Assuming you get past that point, leave the preset that you have created in your main project and create a new one, also create a new Simple template, no customisation. Accept all defaults as far as possible when you generate. Does that work?

If it does, then start making the changes you want but keep generating to see if what you have done in the last 10/15 minutes has broken things. Then you get some idea of what. 

Do the styles in Word and the styles in Robohelp need to be named the same in order the be mapped?

If they have the same names, mapping is automatic. Otherwise you map as you wish. That's the point of mapping, that in RoboHelp you can have StyleA and map it StyleB in Word if you want to.

Preset guide - https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp_Tour/rh2022/outputs/outputs_word.htm

Is there a guide for creating templates (headers, footers, cover pages...) you would recommend?

Template guide - https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp_Tour/rh2022/outputs/outputs_word.htm

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the quick reply.

It works for a new project with default settings and little content. However, as soon as I try it with my original content - even only parts - a message appears saying that Word found content that could not be read. Then I need to recover the document.

For my tests, the project is on a local drive and I am also generating to this drive. In the future it should be on a network drive.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So you're saying that this step - "create a new one, also create a new Simple template, no customisation. Accept all defaults as far as possible when you generate. Does that work?" fails, correct?

[ruth_9390]

I did not use a new simple template. I guess, I did not use a tempate at all. Unfortunately. at the moment I can neither add a new simple template nor a new Word output configuration. I guess, RoboHelp needs a break.

[Peter Grainge]

How did you upgrade your 2015 project?

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

We used the Upgrade RoboHelp Classic project in the new RoboHelp version.

[WoutJacobs]

Word output is a bit of an afterthought in RH 2022.

If your content has stuff like complex tables/lists/other 'creative' uses of HTML, then it'll probably break upon generating.

[ruth_9390]

In fact we do have lots of tables. I would not call them complex but still there are a lot - also containing images.

[Peter Grainge]

OK but the simple topic test I suggested will help identify if that is the issue. 

________________________________________________________

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

[Peter Grainge]

@WoutJacobs I know you like complex HTML. 🙂 However, let's proceed step by step until we know that is the cause.

Create a new Book TOC with just one of your topics, a simple one. Then select that TOC to see if that will generate.

If not, change the associated CSS file to the default CSS supplied. Does it then generate?

As to using the network later, just remember it may or may not work.

________________________________________________________

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

[Peter Grainge]

You need to select a template here. in the Preset.

RoboHelp might apply a default but it's best to create a template and know what is being used. It's only a matter of going to Templates, clicking + and selecting Simple.

Come back when you are ready and let us know exactly which steps you have followed. Can't help any more until you have followed those steps but taking a break might help. 🙂

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

I'll keep you updated. I did as you said but currently RoboHelp seems to take forever to generate output so I cannot tell whether it worked or not (new Book TOC only including 2 pages, Word output with no specific settings but the template which was already available in RH). Maybe it's my connection. Tomorrow's a new day...

[Peter Grainge]

What connection? Are you working remotely? Where is RoboHelp installed?

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

I worked remotely yestereday (and today). It is installed on a local drive. That's also where I generate my output to. The plan later on is to use RoboHelp within a small team. Thus, the project should be saved to a network drive.

[Peter Grainge]

OK but if you only have a standard licence it is for a single user and that would be a breach of the licence.

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

I do not have a standard licence. No worries.

[Peter Grainge]

Great. Let us know when you have tried again today and tried the tests I suggested. I won't be around much today but will pick up whatever you post back.

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

I'll continue testing with a better connection (just in case it is a problem) on Tuesday and let you know as soon as I have completed the steps you recommended. Thanks a lot.

[ruth_9390]

Good morning, I followed your steps and it worked so far:
- new project (local drive)
- 3 topics -> one of them including a table

- 1 book TOC
- Simple Word template

What do you suggest now?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Peter Grainge]

OK, we now know it is not your installation or environment.

In this case I think I would create a copy of your project so that none of the tests affect the original copy.

First create a new TOC but don't delete the original. The order of things in the new TOC doesn't matter as this is about fault finding. Drag one folder of topics to the TOC, ideally a small folder to start with.

Does that generate OK? If not select all the topics in that folder in the Contents Panel and right click. In the dialog that appears, delete your TOC and apply the default.css. If you had used that in your project, then rename the one in the test project and then import it.

Post back where that gets you. 

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

I generated Word file was corrupt again. I do not get these steps:
Select all the topics in that folder in the Contents Panel and right click. In the dialog that appears, delete your TOC and apply the default.css.

I select the topics in the Contents Panel and right click. However, the only option I have is to delete the topics. I guess I am in the wrong section?

[Peter Grainge]

Here I have selected the two topics. If there are other files it is important not to select those as well, just topics.

When I right click those, the dialog is Delete and Properties. If there is any file other than topics select, you will not see Properties. 

Properties will open this dialog where you can change the CSS.

________________________________________________________

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

[ruth_9390]

The default.css is set. I managed to generate a Word output with very limited context (topics only, no sections). Maybe I do not get the concept of sections? In our old Robohelp project we had a folder (book) named e.g. Automatic and inside this book were all the chapters related to this manual. For every Header1 with subheadlines we had a separate book within the main book. I thought, for the new RoHe version this would be a section. Am I wrong?