Interpreting Log Files

[Cynthia Pao]

Where can I find information on the messages displayed in the compilation log file?

I have warnings, and I cannot find out how to locate the files that generate the warnings.

I've searched on "log file" in this forum and the user guide, and I don't see anything.

Thank you,

Cindy

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

What point version of RH are you running?

[Cynthia Pao]

2020.6.76

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I suspect you'll have to contact the RH folks for that one - 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.
I'm not aware of where they [the logs] are stashed and I doubt they would mean much to users. What sort of warnings are you seeing?

[Cynthia Pao]

Hi, Jeff!

I have a bunch of warnings like this: 

Skipped copying external file "C:/Users/H188391/Source/repos/RoxCDoxC/WorkflowTopics/Workflows-RoxC_Workflows.htm"

Skipped copying external file "C:/Users/H188391/Source/repos/RoxCDoxC/ReferenceTopics/Reference-ReferenceTOC.htm"

Skipped copying external file "C:/Users/H188391/Source/repos/RoxCDoxC/InterpretTabTopics/InterpretTab-Running_StrataStar_Inversions.htm"

Toward the end of the log file, I have this warning:

Skipped copying directory "C:/Users/H188391/Source/repos/RoxCDoxC/RoxC Online Help/contents/SupportTopics" found in "C:/Users/H188391/Source/repos/RoxCDoxC/RoxC Online Help/contents/Other/Other-Configuring_RoxC_for_Remote_Calculations.htm"

This last one is helpful because I know what topic to fix. The others, however, are not as helpful. This a new help project, and I suspected I would have to fix a lot of links. I just can't figure out how to find the files that have the first set of warnings.

Thank you!

Cindy

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You're seeing these when you generate your output?

[Cynthia Pao]

Yes!

Right now, I'm using the search feature to locate the bad links. I'm betting that's the only thing you can do.

At first, I didn't think I could search through the HTML, but it works, so I'm searching and replacing now. It's going well for mis-placed graphics. Later I'll see if it works for incorrect links to other HTML files.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Ok, whatever works for you - I'm still not sure what you're doing that would throw all these messages. If it's a new help project, there shouldn't be any bad links - unless you're importing content from some other place and it's got the bad links in it.

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

That particular warning, failed to copy external files, is telling you that in your topics you have links to topics that are outside your project. Often this is caused by linking to an output file or a topic in some other project.

Because users will not have access to anything on your C drive, the target is not included in the generation. 

What you need to do is use Find and Replace and select Source Code, Then search on the file names reported. That should find those links so that you can correct them to become relative paths within the project.

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

[Cynthia Pao]

Jeff, I'm creating a new project but importing files from several old projects and adding more folder organization. That's where the bad links come from.

Peter, I am doing a search on the source code and replacing, just like you said. I did not know I could search through the source code until today. I should have tried it yesterday.

Thank you both!

Cindy

[Peter Grainge]

Maybe you are using Import File rather than Import HTML Topic or worse still importing output files rather than source files.

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

[Cynthia Pao]

Peter, I think I did use Import File when I did it.

I've tried to go through all the topics and update links, but obviously I missed a few.

I'm glad to find the way to fix things now!