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stevenjs
Inspiring
August 6, 2009
Answered

PDF fails to generate correctly -- "malformed topic" error

  • August 6, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 2134 views

Here is a link to a screen shot of the output view log together with the topic files indicated as "malformed" therein.

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/723109485/295a6159c17d8386b3308c9404681b90

Just what is meant by this word "malformed." There is nothing apparent to distinguish these topics/files from the others, and Web Help output is unaffected.

Or is this just another RH bug?

I have 15 projects for which PDFs urgently need to be generated.

Thanks.

Steven

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer MergeThis

typical developer attitude. the source of all malformedWare.


First, I am not a developer, only an online help writer since 1990.

Secondly, how are third-party software, network issues, insufficient resources, overly aggressive anti-virus software, etc. under the purview of RoboHelp?

Looking at the files you provided, I suspect that the Previous/Title/Next tables at the very top of these topics, particularly if they were converted from Framemaker, might be at the root of your problem.

Try this:

  1. Assign the Print conditional tag to that entire table, then add a separate Chapter title (title only) with the Online conditional tag.
  2. Add a "NOT Online" conditional build expression to the Print Documentation layout.
  3. Add a "NOT Print" conditional build expression to the WebHelp layout.

Good luck,

Leon

1 reply

Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
August 6, 2009

Hi there

Please review the page at the link below.

Click here

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links

RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95!

Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training

SorcerStone Blog

RoboHelp eBooks

S
stevenjsAuthor
Inspiring
August 7, 2009

Thanks. the RHStyleMapping.css did the trick.

Your link shows quite an impressive list of known, unremedied bugs for this one crucial RH feature.

Is there a like list for every feature in this malformedWare?

MergeThis
MergeThis
Inspiring
August 14, 2009

Leon,

Didn't quite get your steps, but took the general idea and ran with it. No idea why, but yes it seems the Prev/Next nav tables were "upsetting" the PDF creation. So far (3 out of 15 projects), a conditional print build without them obviates the "malformed" error and the need for applying/removing the RH mapping CSS.

Thank you.

Afraid that changes nothing vis-a-vis shoddy development and the marketing of "malformedWare." I believe tech writers should unite in riding developers and their corporate masters just as hard as they can.


Sorry, but I'm way too busy to be "riding developers and their corporate masters." In putting together online help, I usually find myself as the "ridee," not the "rider."

I try to save my energy by accomodating my help practices to the HAT, so that I can more efficiently deal with the demands of my developers, my management, my IT, my release engineering, and my software product. There's not really much time to kvetch about the HAT I'm using (which by the way is darn good).

How's that "alternative" search going, by the way?

Good luck,

Leon

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