create .doc document from help

[daniela65]

hello everyone, I have a problem on version 2022.5.28.
I would like to create a word document from help and if I insert the filters ''including expanding text or drop down text'' the system gives an error. I would like to point out that this type of request works in the previous version.
How do I solve the problem?
The error it gives is this:

ENOENT: no such file or directory, lstat 'C:\Users\ALECCE_D\AppData\Local\Temp\RHTMP\provvigioni3ppoXl\provvigioni giugno 2028.docx'

Failed to generate provvigioni. Check log for more details.

tks very much

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Does it generate fine if you don't select that choice? Have you considered updating to patch 6? What version was it working in last?

[David Kinyon]

This works for me (RH version 2022.6.34). 

Given the error message you're getting, I suspect this isn't related to the settings for including expanding text or drop down text. If you're getting that error when you enable those settings, but not getting it without those settings enabled, there's probably something wrong in the drop down or expanded text code in one or more of your source files.

Note that there are quite a few hits for this error message on the robohelp forum; see this google search. It's a persistent problem and isn't actually a RoboHelp error, it's an OS error and is not necessarily very informative about what's going on.

At this point, I would recommend troubleshooting the problem by removing files from your TOC (or creating a new TOC) until you get a successful build of the doc file, then use the process of elimination to figure out which file(s) in the project are causing the problem. Consider using the "half-split troubleshooting method." 

[daniela65]

yes thanks.

Peter had already taught me to do this a few years ago when there was a problem and I always use this method and it works.
The problem here is long ... it gives me this error for all projects. I manage 50 projects with very important toc and about 70.000 topics .... A huge job.
What I can't understand is why I had no problems with the other version.
Isn't there another way?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Did you make changes since "the other version" [which you haven't mentioned was what?]?
Did you have both inline and CSS styles fighting it out as mentioned in that thread Peter brought up?

You also never answered the question about if it generates fine if you don't include that option in the preset - if that's the case, then the issue probably lies inside one of those expanding/dropdown sections.
I suspect you're going to need to get the RH folks involved - see https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/enterprise-support.other.html#robohelp for your Adobe Support options. I'd recommend using the tcssup@adobe.com e-mail address as it reaches a team dedicated to Technical Communication Suite products including RoboHelp.

[David Kinyon]

Unfortunately, I don't use drop-down or expand text on a regular basis so I can't say whether there has been some change from a previous version, nor do I have previous versions laying around to test. 

I recommend creating a new file in your current RH version. Reconstruct the dropdowns and expanding text from an old failing file, but don't copy-paste — create them anew. Make sure the new file is correctly building, and the old file is failing. Now look at the source of both files and see if there's something different in the code for the dropdown/expanding text. I suspect there will be, based on the fact that my test worked. 

Definitely also file a bug with RoboHelp. Given your grand mal failures, this looks like a pretty serious regression.

Edit to add: Oh, also, if I were you, I'd check your version of java. I don't know if/how java is involved in *.doc production, probably not at all, but the correct java version is crucial to PDF production, and it might play some role in the *.doc production as well. This might explain why an upgrade is causing the failure — different required levels of java support. FYI my java version is 1.8.0_431. And of course you've got all the related problems, like make sure the current version is in your $PATH, etc.

(On that note, I'd check all system requirements for 2022 and make sure you're meeting them all. Most likely you are, with java version being the one culprit that seems to always be different from one machine to the next. But it would be good to verify, since system requirements are the sort of things that change for new releases.)

[daniela65]

thanks to all for your answers
I had version 2022.2. and I switched to 2022.5.28. The production of the word document does not work if I set the ''drop down and expanding text'' setting. If I do not set it it works.
In any case I still try to put into practice all your advice.
thanks
daniela

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So it's got to be something in those dropdown/expanding text things - I'd be tempted to test with the sample project. Send it to Word - if that works fine, then stick in one of your dropdown/expanding text things & try it again. If that blows up, then you've got something to show the RH folks.

[Peter Grainge]

See also https://community.adobe.com/t5/robohelp-discussions/enoent-no-such-file-or-directory-lstat-word-outp...

________________________________________________________

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