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A
Anonymous
January 26, 2011
Question

PDF Baggage File always included in generated help

  • January 26, 2011
  • 1 reply
  • 616 views

I have several web-based products that are provided on the MicroStrategy platform.

I have replaced the standard MicroStrategy platform help with custom help for each of the 6 products.

At the end of last year, I started moving from multiple help projects to a single-source help project.

I use several build tags to hide content in the generated help based on the product help being generated.

Each of the 6 products will have their own Documentation Library topic with links to PDF files that have data definitions specific to each product.

I am using RH8 (8.02.208).

I have used build tags in the past with no problem.

I have 2 Documentation Library topics (one for Product A and one for Product B right now) that contain links to one or more PDF files specific to that product.

I am generating help for Product A but the PDF for Product B is continually included in the help output.

The PDF for Product B is:

(1) Available as a link from the Documentation Library topic for Product B

(2) That Documentation Library HTM source file for Product B has a build tag that is omitted when generating help for Product A

(3) That Documentation Library HTM file is NOT included in the output when generating help for Product A

(4) BUT the PDF file for Product B is included in the output when generating help for Product A

(5) The PDF for Product B is in the baggage file list for the project

I did a test and added a new PDF file as a Baggage file in my project but did not add it as a linked file in any topics. The new PDF file appears in the output folder when I generated the help for Product A AND also when I generated help for Product B. So, it appears that ALL baggage files appear in the output and there is no way to flag a baggage file to be blocked when generating help.

I am thinking I may have to manually delete the "unwanted" PDF files from the Baggage File list each time I generate a help for one of the products.

This means, I have to reinsert the hyperlink and add the file to the baggage file each time I generate a help for one of the products.

Is my solution above the only what to block the PDF for Product B when generating help for Product A?

As always - thanks in advance for any input

Michael F Weart

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1 reply

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 26, 2011

Baggage files will get uploaded every time. However I think the question is does that matter? If the PDF does not have any links to it, how will a user be aware the PDF is there.

I realise there may be other reasons you don't want it uploaded, I am just looking at the problem narrowly.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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A
Anonymous
January 26, 2011

Peter --

That was my original reaction when I saw it in the output folder.

No access to it, so what does it matter?

Then I got the issue reported by my QA team.

I did see a thread on this forurm on search results for PDF contents when I was researching my issue.

I did some further testing after reading that issue thread, and I searched for a field name that is ONLY available from within the PDF file.

The search results showed the PDF file - clicking the search result (there was only that one) opened the PDF file but I still had to navigate to the location of that field name within the PDF file (i.e., it did not open the PDF file directly to the first instance of that search string).

Apparently (and I think this is a GOOD thing), the search engine for WebHelp includes the content of the PDF file in the Search results.

If a match is found for the search string within the PDF, the PDF file name is shown in the search results.

So, my QA team was searching within the help for Product A for content that was also within the PDF file intended for Product B.

As a result, the search processing within the Product A help system provided access to proprietary information from Product B through the PDF file.

There is no other way to get to that PDF file.

Thanks again - I guess I will be deleting and reinserting baggage files when compiling each product help.

Michael F Weart

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 26, 2011

RoboHelp 9 has an Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files option.

Meantime there is a workaround in http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh8/using_rh8.htm but it will exclude all PDFs and may not suit your needs.

Sorry.

BTW. You might want to grab a new user id. Using your email address is not recommended on forums.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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