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Short version: Breadcrumbs in CHM files do not display the styles I've configured in RH.
Long version:
a.breadcrumbs:link {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:visited {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:focus {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:hover {
font-size: 8pt;
}
a.breadcrumbs:active {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
Issue: Upon generating the CHM file, the breadcrumbs are present and functional, which suggests to me that the Master Page is being administered correctly. However, none of the style settings I've specified for breadcrumbs get applied. Instead, the breadcrumbs adopt the same styling as the 'normal' style, as if to suggest that the breadcrumb style definitions in the default.css are being ignored. Note that if I manually-modify other styles within the default.css, such as the 'p' style, the changes are reflected in the output - i.e. I'm satisfied that I'm tweaking the correct css file. ...so why don't my breadcrumbs adopt the style(s) I've specified?
Many thanks, people. With your suggestions, I've managed to resolve this.
Here's what I did:
(being thorough for the sake of anyone dropping in)
Then, in RoboHelp;
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Hi there
Can you double-click the Single Source Layout recipe and share a screen capture of the dialog?
Thanks... Rick
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As requested. Thanks.
Note however, that I've been playing with these settings, and what you see here is the latest 'fumbling' where I'm applying the default.css to all topics. I've also tried combinations of applying the Master Page to all topics, or where I choose to not apply either of these options.
An aside: I'm a bit confused as to why there are multiple mechanisms for applying a css and/or Master Page i.e. I can apply a Master Page to all topics from here, but why would I when each page is already using the Master Page as a template (which itself references the default.css for its styles).
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Thanks for the screen shot,
As for the reason there is more than one way to apply a master page, I think it is because RoboHelp may be used in different ways. For example, I've been using RoboHelp for more than 20 years. In all that time I've only ever used the RoboHelp application itself to create and edit my content.
But I'm aware that in recent years, Adobe acquired RoboHelp and now RoboHelp is offered in a package called the "Technical Communication Suite" and that package also includes another Adobe product known as FrameMaker. I believe FrameMaker had no ability to create on-line help and relied on third party applications to handle that aspect. I believe one such application was called "WebWorks". But when Adobe acquired RoboHelp and packaged it up with FrameMaker, there are now authors that do all their editing in FrameMaker and just use RoboHelp as a conduit for creating on-line outputs. So these folks would likely be very interested in configuring a Master Page or CSS at the time they generate from RoboHelp.
So the question remains, if you disable that "apply to all topics" by clearing the check box, do the breadcrumbs finally adhere to what you want?
Cheers... Rick
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Thanks for the explanation.
Re the check box, once cleared, the result is this:
Notice that the 'Home' link does in fact reflect the style definition I've asked for (8pt Calibri), but the remaining links reflect the style(s) used in the body of the topic (10pt Calibri), as if the style definition I'm using for links with my topic content is overriding the breadcrumbs style.
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I think you need to set the breadcrumbs to use the topic style. So in the Breadcrumb Options dialog box, tick the Use Style from Topic checkbox.
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Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm confused about it.
If I tick the Use Style from Topic check box, which style from the topic will the breadcrumbs use?
...and I'm not sure why I'd want it to do that anyhow, when what I'm trying to do is have the breadcrumbs use a specific style definition that is not used in the topic.
As it happens, I've tried ticking this box before, and from what I can tell, all it does is change the breadcrumb placeholder code in my Master Page from
<?rh-placeholder type="breadcrumbs" ph-align="0" usetopicformat="1" home="Home" sep-char=">" ?>
to
<?rh-placeholder type="breadcrumbs" ph-align="0" usetopicformat="1" home="Home" sep-char=">" ph-style="font-weight: normal;font-style: normal;text-decoration: none;" ?>
And the end result is the same regardless (see my previous post for an example of the resulting breadcrumb appearance).
Thanks, but this hasn't resolved the issue for me.
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It should use the breadcrumb styles you defined in the stylesheet applied to the topic (whether that's on the topic specifically, or defined for the whole project).
My setup:
Topic: masterpage assigned. stylesheet not assigned
Master page: stylesheet not assigned, breadcrumbs using style in topic
SSL: Apply to all topics set to the css I defined the breadcrumbs in.
Also, to style the non-link breadcrumb text, you need to set the breadcrumbs style in the Paragraph section of the Styles dialog box.
Hope that helps
(Hmm, although I just noticed that this time some of the breadcrumb links took the p font, rather than the a font. weird...)
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Re your setup: when I apply those settings to my project, all custom styles are removed from the project itself, leaving only the default RH styles in place. This means I have work 'blind', only seeing the styles applied when I compile the CHM file. Is this correct? ...not sure I like it too much. Regardless, I seem to get the same output anyhow, which leads me to...
Re your example: lol uh-huh yep. I'm glad it's happening to you too, sort-of.
*I'm still trying variations of your setup. Will report back.
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Hi there
Out of curiosity, why are you modifying the Master Page to remove the formatting of the breadcrumbs?
I tried configuring the font using the placeholder and it sailed on into my CHM file with no issues. I tested using Comic Sans.
Cheers... Rick
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Out of curiosity, why are you modifying the Master Page to remove the formatting of the breadcrumbs?
I tried configuring the font using the placeholder and it sailed on into my CHM file with no issues. I tested using Comic Sans.
Just to see if it would make any difference to the output.
Configuring the font using the placeholder? More detail please.
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If you apply the stylesheet to the topics as well, that should also work and you'll be able to see your styles as you edit. I wasn't sure from your description how your topic was set up, so I just tried the least configuration.
I figured out why the second and third links aren't styled. In chm output, the class 'breadcrumbs' is only applied to the first link, whereas in the multiscreen output, the class is applied to all styles.
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I'm assuming that you created a Master Page, then inserted a Breadcrumbs Placeholder into that. So your editor would look like this:
And if you double-click the placeholder you should see this dialog allowing you to configure the Breadcrumbs.
That dialog is what I'm referring to. Seems that if I choose the font and font size there, RoboHelp fully respects what I've selected and it ends up looking as I hoped in the CHM file.
Cheers... Rick
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Many thanks, people. With your suggestions, I've managed to resolve this.
Here's what I did:
(being thorough for the sake of anyone dropping in)
Then, in RoboHelp;
Then, I had to do a little manual tweaking of the breadcrumbs style definitions in the default.css, using the text editor. For my needs, my breadcrumbs work, based on these definitions:
a.breadcrumbs:link {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:visited {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:focus {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
a.breadcrumbs:hover {
font-size: 8pt;
}
a.breadcrumbs:active {
font-size: 8pt;
color: #808080;
}
p.breadcrumbs {
font-size: 8pt;
}
Thanks again, people.
Have I missed anything?
...sorry, am running out the door.