Cross-refs don't convert when using DropDownCaption/DropDownBody

Report · Mar 03, 2011

Using TCS 2.5 (RoboHelp 8.0.2.208 / Frame 9). I am current with all updates for this version.

I'm still in the process of setting up our templates for converting our books from Frame to RoboHelp using the "linking" ability in RH. I have run into a problem where cross references in some topics fail to convert when generating the HTML in RoboHelp. The HTML for these xrefs turns out something like this:

<p class="FM_Body">This will be an x-ref to the second topic: <a>“This is the Second Topic” on page 1</a>.</p>

The href portion is missing so of course the link does not work.

After much troubleshooting and experimenting, it appears this problem is only occuring in topics where I used the DropDownCaption and DropDownBody formats in Frame to create DHTML effects. In other words, something about the code that creates the drop-down text effect prevents RH from properly creating OTHER xrefs in the topic.

If I go back to Frame and eliminate the DropDownCaption/DropDownBody paragraphs (either deleting them or changing the text to use a different paragraph tag) and regenerate, the bad cross-references start working again.

Has anyone else encountered this? Are there any work-arounds OTHER than just not using the DropDown tags in Frame?

Since going through our very large projects in RH with every update and editing to add the drop-down effect effect in would be ridiculously time consuming (and defeats the point of single sourcing), we basically won't be able to have normal drop-down text in our help system at all. Not a very good work-around. But it is all I can think of at the moment.

I did submit this using the bug submission form on the Adobe site, but I was hoping someone else who has encountered this might have found a better work around.

Thanks!

Sara

Report · Mar 03, 2011

Following are the solutions/workarounds available for this issue.

1. In RoboHelp 8(TCS 2), you can try importing(File->Import->FrameMaker Document) a FM document(in place of linking) for documents having such an issue. The document is converted fine while importing.

2. In RoboHelp 9(TCS 3), the issue has been fixed and works fine for both Import and Link functionalities. You may download a trial version of RoboHelp 9 and explore the functionality.