Fixing the RoboHelp X5 ns.css WebHelp Style Sheet

Report · May 22, 2009

Hello,

We are using RoboHelp X5. We've recently made some changes to our style sheet, and when we generate WebHelp, all numbered and bulleted lists are in a very small font. This problem goes away if we delete the extra "_ns.css" style sheet that RoboHelp X5 generates.

We already have manual steps that we need to do after generating help, and I'm reluctant to add this to the list - it's another thing that can get missed. Is there any way to fix the problem in the automatically generated list or prevent RoboHelp from generating it at all? It's frustrating not to have control over the style sheet that is being used.

By the way, I am viewing the topic in IE 7, and I thought the ns style sheet was for Netscape, so I'm not even sure why it's causing a problem.

Thanks,

Tammy

Report · May 24, 2009

Hi there

My guess here is that since X5 appeared WAY before IE7, it simply doesn't understand that IE7 remotely exists. Because it isn't recognizing IE7 (which you really can't expect it to) it's shifting automatically into NetScape mode.

You asked if there is a way to prevent it. I'm sure there is, but unfortunately I can't tell you how. It would require amending the JavaScript code X5 uses. As X5 is rather long in the tooth, this would likely appeal to a very select few users. The best option would be to upgrade RoboHelp to the latest version. Then again, I can understand if you aren't able to do that just yet.

If you can't do that just yet your second best option is to manually add the steps to the list. Depending on what other things you are doing, you might factor this into some batch job that does other things. Then it would be somewhat automatic.

Cheers... Rick

Report · May 26, 2009

Thanks, Rick!

Unfortunately, we aren't able to upgrade right now because it isn't in the budget, and the RoboHelp versions that have come out since X5 haven't seemed to offer much for what we do. We do hope to upgrade someday, but not right now.

Probably the easiest solution for us right now would be to continue to delete the ns style sheet after each generation. I just hate to add another manual step to what we're already doing to our WebHelp after generation.

Speaking of those manual steps :-), if any RoboHelp developers are listening, we would *really* love to have that ability to generate single-frame WebHelp with the navigation buttons are at the top of the window and the TOC and Index open in that window instead of the topic when they are selected. We have waited and waited and waited. That would probably justify an upgrade for us even with the current budget! Not everybody wants two-frame help.

Tammy

Report · May 26, 2009

Hi Tammy

While it's fine to post things here that you would like the RoboHelp development team to see, you also need to understand that they aren't cruising the forums with bated breath looking for issues to fix. Largely they leave that up to us users to help one another. That's really the purpose of these forums.

So if you have something you really want the developers to see, you need to use the channel they are actually tuned in to. That channel is known as the Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form.

Click here to visit the Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

Cheers... Rick

Report · May 26, 2009

Understood. I have, however, logged this request before on the approrpriate form. Not sure if it's helpful to repeat that action.

I did that for Macromedia, too, when RoboHelp was owned by them. And I have done it on the Adobe site since RoboHelp was purchased by Adobe.

Tammy

Report · May 26, 2009

Hi there

As I understand things, the most helpful thing would be for hordes of users to all request the same thing. It's a numbers game pure and simple. The more requests for a particular feature or the more reports of a particular bug, the higher the priority for implementation or a fix goes.

Cheers... Rick

Report · May 26, 2009

Understood again. In all fairness, we have looked at other tools multiple times and have not come up with another one so far that can do what we want without manual tweaking in their Web-based output. There was one that could but had other problems that we could not overcome. We are continuing to keep our eyes open both for relevant RoboHelp updates for our purposes and for updates to other tools, but I suspect we will stick with RoboHelp.

I am hoping we can upgrade at some future point, but from the posts I see on another list, we're not the only ones stuck in X5. Ah, well. We will make do.