Problem compiling help RH2015

[Ayrton_5]

I'm having problems compiling help into Microsoft HTML, and Reponsive HTML5, the two formats I use. As an experiment I tried Multiscreen Help, which annoyingly - since I don't use it - actually works, but at least I guess it tells me that nothing is fundamentally wrong. 

I can't think of anything I've done to break it, I haven't done anything on it for a few days since I last compiled.

I have no doubt I'm going to need to supply more detail here but where do I start?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Try creating a brand new HTML5 SSL?

[Ayrton_5]

Sorry can you elaborate? I'm still a bit inexperienced with RH. I've tried clearing out the !SSL! folder if that's what you mean. I'm a little puzzled why only two specific output styles are affected.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I'm thinking there might be something messed up in your Single Source Layout definitions, so creating a brand-new one with a slightly different name and trying it may work. The other thing you might try - to rule out if it's the project vs. something busted in the software - is to try loading a sample project included with RH and try generating the same outputs in that project. If it works, then there might be something messed up in your project specifically. If it doesn't, then there might be something busted in the software.

[Ayrton_5]

That has worked for Responsive HTML, but not for the Microsoft CHM. Is there any further advice here?

I've got plenty of backups, and I've successfully compiled them today, so there must be a dodgy file in there somewhere, but which one to swap out?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Sorry, what part worked? Creating a new HTML5 layout?

[Ayrton_5]

Yes, I created a new SSL layout for both formats. HTML5 now works, I don't get the error message shown in the image on the right. However when compiling as Microsoft CHM, I still get the error on the left, despite having created a new layout for that too.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Sorry, the forum is misbehaving today when it comes to images - you may have to save them as files, edit your message and use the icon for inserting images to get them to show in your post.

[Ayrton_5]

Adobe Robohelp has stopped working.

A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.

It always bugged on the same file. As an experiment I removed that file from the project,  and it bugged somewhere else instead.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Did it throw that same error when trying CHM generation with the sample project?

[Ayrton_5]

It doesn't throw an error running an older version of my project

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Ok, so you conclude that something in the current project is throwing the error - start with a copy of it; throw away half the topics, try CHM generate. Error? throw half away again - rinse & repeat until you find the offending topic.

OR start with a copy that worked; add topics from a newer copy that doesn't work one at a time, stopping each time to CHM-generate error-free. Same result = find offending topic

[Ayrton_5]

Oddly enough I had already started that, and I've finished now. There are 4 pages out of about 1600 that are causing this. They are not new, they are not recently edited, so I've no idea why this has become a problem now. The common denominator is that they have bookmarks on them, and links to those bookmarks on the same page (allowing you to jump say a third of the way down, for instance). Not a tactic I employ - I prefer a greater number of smaller pages with 'Next:' at the bottom. I think more than about two screens down and people lose interest. This bookmark stuff is a previous author. These 4 are not the only examples of this style, though.

Anyway I don't know why this has happened now, so I hope it doesn't happen again, but I have resolved it. Thank you very much Jeff for helping me out with this.