Error when searching in webhelp help

[epsobolik]

We are using RoboHelp 2015 to generate webhelp.   Don't know how long this has been a problem, but was just reported after a service pack release of our software.  When the user is in the 'full help' screen and either clicks on the 'Search' button on the left or types something into the search field at the top and clicks 'Go', the following message is displayed:

That line in whutils.js is just a comment.  Any ideas?

Phil

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Does it continue if you say "Yes"?

[epsobolik]

When I click 'Yes', the message goes away, but the search doesn't complete.  e.g. the left side of the screen changes to the search screen, but when I click 'Go' again, nothing happens.

=============================================

Philip Sobolik

Contact details removed. Please do not include in forum posts for your own protection.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Is your RH2015 all patched up? Does any default browser make any difference?

[epsobolik]

'Check for updates' reports that RoboHelp 2015 is up to date (12.0.2.384).  Changing the default browser from Chorme to IE or Edge (running Windows 10) still produced the error.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Is it happening on all machines? If you launch the help from the index page outside of your application, does the error happen when a search is attempted?

[epsobolik]

It has happened on my machine and on one of our support rep's machine.  Both machines are 64-bit, if that matters.  It used to work.  The support rep installed the previous version of our software and it worked fine.  The current one is the one with the problem.  It is the same help.

If I run the help by double-clicking on rsu.htm (the root), it works fine.

[epsobolik]

Any ideas on this?

[Ioana_St]

Did you compare the whutils.js file that is giving you errors with the version that exists in the previous version of the help (the one that worked)? Maybe the file got corrupted somehow between versions.

[epsobolik]

I compared the 2 whutils.js files.  They are quite different, but neither looks 'corrupt'.  Don't know enough to determine what happened.  The first difference is starting on line 3.  The newer one has the following, but the older one does not:

/* sym.js

*/

if(typeof String.prototype.trim !== 'function') {

  String.prototype.trim = function() {

    return this.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g, '');

  }

}

if (!Array.prototype.indexOf) {

  Array.prototype.indexOf = function (elem, startFrom) {

    var startFrom = startFrom || 0;

    if (startFrom > this.length) return -1;

    for (var i = 0; i < this.length; i++) {

      if (this == elem && startFrom <= i) {

        return i;

      } else if (this == elem && startFrom > i) {

        return -1;

      }

    }

    return -1;

  }

}

/* whutils.js

*/

The support person copied the whutils.js from the working version to the non-working one.  He got further - he got seach results.  However, when he clicked on one of the results to display the message, he got the same message about another file - whtopic.js.  I compared these files and they were also quite different.  For example, the line:

   var gEnableOperatorSearch=true;

Occurs in the newer file (on line 6) but not in the older file.  The variable g_RunesHelSuffixes has an additional member - "ex,1" in the newer file.

I tested 2019 a while ago and installed it on the same computer.  Would that matter?

[Peter Grainge]

You say you are up to date but there were four updates for 2015 and you

only have two applied.

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

@petergrainge

[epsobolik]

OK.  How do I get the other updates?  'Check for updates' doesn't work?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Go to Adobe - Support : RoboHelp Support Center : Service Releases 

[epsobolik]

Peter Grainge said I had 2 of the 4 updates.  Should I install both 12.0.3 and 12.0.4.1 or just the most recent?

[Peter Grainge]

4 would have done but you now say you installed 2019. I would uninstall

2015 and then reinstall it. Then apply just update 4.

I'm assuming 2019 has been uninstalled.

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

@petergrainge

[epsobolik]

It ends up that 2019 wasn't uninstalled.  I uninstalled 2019 and 2015 and rebooted.  I then installed 2015 and the last update.  I rebooted and generated the help.  The resulting whutils.js (in !SSL!) is the same as the one that didn't work.  I replaced the help for the program that is installed on my computer with the above generated help.  Same error as before about whutils.js.  Is this file removed when RH is uninstalled?  If not, I should uninstall again, delete this file (or folder where it is) and re-install again.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I believe the "factory" or "seed" location for those files is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [VERSION]\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext\template_stock\

[epsobolik]

Close.  I installed to drive E:.  It is in E:\Program Files\Adobe RoboHelp\Adobe RoboHelp 2015\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext\template_stock

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Is that drive on your local machine's hard drive or a network location?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

PS - word from the wise - never install trial versions on your production machines & only use copies of your content to play with.

[epsobolik]

Local

[Peter Grainge]

It might be way back but I believe I have seen issues with installations

other than to C. I'm not saying that is the cause but it would be on my

list of suspects. See how that sample goes first.

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

@petergrainge

[epsobolik]

I uninstalled RoboHelp 2015 and deleted the RoboHelp folder in Program Files.  I then renamed my output folder to force a new one.  I re-installed RoboHelp 2015 and the last update.  When I rebuilt the project, I noticed that the output folder wasn't what I expected.  So, I changed it and rebuilt the help.  However, when I put in our program, it fails right away when the program requests help - same error, same file.  The whutils.js in the output (!SSL!) is not the same one that is in the working release of our software.  There are additional functions, getFilePath(url), getFileName(url), getFileExtention(url), scheme(url), isRelativeUrl(url), and isValidHelpTopicExtension(url).  IsValidInternalTopicURL(rulName) has been changed to be more restrictive.  Does that mean that the working version is an earlier version?  Should I try to debug the js code?

[Peter Grainge]

Please try the sample project as it is a known quantity.

Is it only failing when called from your software?

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

@petergrainge

[epsobolik]

Yes.  If I run the root page (rsu.htm), searching runs fine.