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RH2017 Topic Filenames Include Ending Hyphen

Contributor ,
Sep 24, 2018 Sep 24, 2018

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Hi, I've been using RH for a couple years now and I'm trapped in a situation I've previously randomly seen (but always seem to get out of, somehow). The situation is that after importing a Word (2017) document the topic filenames include an ending "-" (hypen) as the last character of the file's basename (e.g., 1_Introduction-.htm - I need this to be 1_Introduction.htm). I've seen this occur randomly in the past and I know there must be some way to control this, but I can't seem to find it. My conversion is very straightforward (pagination on Heading 1/2) and the topic pattern is using $paratext (in angle brackets)).

Any ideas how I can control/fix this?

Thanks,

-David

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Community Expert ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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Have you tried paratext no num? I am wondering if it is trying to apply a number and then truncating. It's a wild guess.


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@petergrainge

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Contributor ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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Hi Peter,

Yes, I've tried each of the available options and they all end up with topic filenames including the trailing (in the file's basename) hyphen.

1_Introduction-.htm <$paratext>

1_Introduction-.htm <$paratext_no_num>

<filename>-1-.htm <$filename_no_ext>-<n>

<filename>-1-Introduction-.htm <$filename_no_ext>-<$paratext>

BTW, I'm not sure why the second option isn't removing the "1_"(?). Each of the above were generated from defaults during import (except for the topic pattern option/setting obviously).

I have isolated the issue related to what I thought was the "randomness" element. I happen to have two, saved ".isf" (import settings) files. I had thought these were *identical* but after comparing them I see they are very slightly different (these are binary files so their differences are a couple dozen bytes, which I can see in my hex editor/differ - however, there isn't anything obvious here, e.g., the hex values don't equate to any ASCII representation that might provide a hint about the phantom hyphen). The two .isf files are identical otherwise and certainly don't indicate any differences that I can make out in the settings dialog in the import dialog (both topic pattern values are <$paratext>). When I use one of these settings files the hyphens are present but not when I use the other one.

Now I'm really nervous about preserving the apparently "special" .isf file; I can't seem to get an import that works properly without it.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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When you import you select an ISF. Next time you import it shows Custom. Don't assume it is still using the ISF you think it is.

Select one ISF and start the import. Go to the Edit button and screenshot everything.

Now select the other ISF and do the same.

Does that reveal any difference?


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Contributor ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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https://forums.adobe.com/people/Peter+Grainge  wrote

Does that reveal any difference?

None.

Now, I didn't actually go in and compare every single converted style, except for the two styles I know were modified in each (basically setting pagination on Heading1/Heading2 only). Given the number of styles this would be a very large set of screen shots . Seems like someone with an understanding of the binary ISF format could easily run a compare to determine what the differences are.

*However*, this all seems somewhat moot (or second order at least - why the one ISF file is doing what I expect/want is curious) since even new projects defined with Word documents imported (I even tried your For902ImportTest... Word file) result in these weird topic filenames.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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Sorry but I don't have the ability to compare two ISF files. What I was hoping was that by comparing the two via the interface, it would reveal some difference.

Do you have all updates applied? If you do, then maybe Adobe Support can help.

I'll see what result I get tomorrow.


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Contributor ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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Thx Peter.

Yes, I'm up to date with Update 2 (I think anyways - I get the "Your applications are all up to date..." message when checking for updates).

And just a reminder, the primary issue here is why a new project is doing this with imported Word topics. The secondary issue of the two ISF file behaviours is less important (for now).

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Community Expert ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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I see Outlook opening on import! New one on me. Will look at that tomorrow. Can I share the document with Adobe?

On the underscore, try Default in the dropdown. With that no underscore, with the only other one I tried at the moment, I get an underscore.


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Community Expert ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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I missed that you have two threads running.

Back to filenames. I just tried other settings and I still don't see an underscore at the end of the topic name. I do see one in the folder that holds the image.

Bedtime here now.


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Contributor ,
Sep 25, 2018 Sep 25, 2018

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Just so I understand, are you saying you *are* seeing the ending hyphen (you say "underscore", but I've always been referring to "hyphen")? BTW, selecting Default in the topic pattern dropdown doesn't do anything for me: same results with the ending hyphen.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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When a document is imported, one or more HTM files is created for the topic(s). I am not seeing anything after the filename(s).

RoboHelp also creates a folder containing an images in the topic(s). I am seeing an underscore at the end of the folder name.

Create a brand new project and import a document into that. What is the result there?


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Contributor ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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Yes, I mentioned above that I did this with a new project and I'm still seeing this trailing hyphen after import.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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Sorry, I don't always read all the way through a thread.

I simply cannot recreate this problem with the filename using your document and I'm pretty sure I have not seen anyone else report it here. Perhaps Adobe Support have so it could be worth giving them a try.

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to solve this one for you. Happy to try anything else you want to suggest.


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Contributor ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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No problem, thx for trying and for offering your thoughts. I appreciate it!

I've been whittling away at this to try to come up with a succinct/reproducible and simple project to demonstrate this. I'm getting close. To complete this however, I have another question: I'm trying to retry creation from a new project and one aspect of this is troubling me. Specifically, I'm trying to get the import settings value to be the "default". However, this always seems to indicate "[Custom]" and I can't edit/change this value; I can only "browse" for another settings file. How do I get a new project to load the "default" import settings?

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Community Expert ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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In a new project it will be the default settings. It always shows as

custom. Look at Importing on my site. There's a quirk in how things work

when you start customising.

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

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Contributor ,
Sep 26, 2018 Sep 26, 2018

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OK... [not sure what "custom" means if they're supposed to be the default]

So I can be sure these settings are the *default* whenever I create a new project? This appears to be as you say when I look closely at a couple example settings. So given this, I can reliably reproduce this with a test file (I'll email you separately with this). Here's the sequence:

  1. Create a new blank project
  2. Import the Word file
    • leave [Custom] as the import settings (these are the default - as above)
    • select the "Edit" button ("Edit conversion settings...")
    • set pagination on both the Paragraph Heading1 and Heading2 styles
    • in "Other Settings" set each of the following:
      1. select Auto-create CSS styles...
      2. select Convert references to hyperlinks
      3. select Convert Header and Footer
      4. set Topic Name pattern to <$paratext>
      5. select Use only ASCII characters...
    • Press OK to save/close the dialog
    • Press Next and then Finish
  3. After the import completes inspect the topic list to see the filenames with the trailing hyphen character

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Community Expert ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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I saw the issue with this document and the settings above.

Solution - Don't select Use only ASCII characters. With that cleared, no hyphen.


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Contributor ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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Two things:

  1. This isn't just this document. For e.g., if I simply add two Heading 1 and two Heading 2 styles to the other document I passed along to you (for testing the mailto: bug) I see the same error (with ASCII selected).
  2. Just turning off ASCII characters in filenames is not a solution (but a narrow workaround). The question is: why is this happening with very simple heading definitions?

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Community Expert ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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That I cannot answer. You would have to take that up with Adobe.

Why is not clearing that option an issue? What advantage do you get from selecting it? Apart from a free hyphen?

I'm teasing of course but I'm not clear why you are unhappy with that as a fix.


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Contributor ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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Why is not clearing that option an issue? What advantage do you get from selecting it? Apart from a free hyphen?

Again, two reasons:

  1. I have many documents and I can't be sure that all of the pagination styles (usually just Heaeding[12]) will also produce valid filenames (unless I choose ASCII always)*. I certainly don't want to have to review all topic filenames to ensure they are sound.
  2. This is not  "fix" - it's a workaround for an issue I'm seeing in RH that noone seems to be able to explain to me**.

* If someone could tell me whether there's *ever* a reason to check the ASCII setting then I could evaluate what the trade off is for my use case. This could be anything from fixing up the resulting hyphened topic filenames, more direct conditioning/review of the source file, etc.

** Nowhere does it say that a hyphen will be added to topic filenames when pagination is set on Heading[12] styles and use ASCII is selected. I would like to understand why this is. Maybe there's a better root cause fix than allows for proper use ot the "use ASCII" setting (either enabled or disabled).

Anyway, these are more questions for Adobe I guess. In your estimation should I use the bug tracker for this or some other way of contacting Adobe? And thanks again for helping me walk through this and eventually distill it down to a simple and reproducible test case.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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In 20 years of using RoboHelp I have not seen anyone have an issue either

way, until now. I would clear it and just keep an eye on things for a while.

There could be a logical reason that I am not aware of so a bug report

would just get closed as Not a Bug. Try Support to see if they can advise.

Tomorrow I will try with 2019 to see if that is any different.

Have you looked at RoboHelp's own help to see if there is an explanation there?

Peter Grainge

www.grainge.org

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Contributor ,
Sep 27, 2018 Sep 27, 2018

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The hits on the string "ASCII" I see in the RH 2017 manual are as follows (in the importing Word document section):

"NOTE: Pagination is based on the Word paragraph styles and not on RoboHelp styles. The text of the Word paragraph style is included by default in the filename of the HTML topic file created. Any non‐ASCII characters in the topic file name are automatically converted to ASCII characters."

- from: https://help.adobe.com/en_US/robohelp/2017/robohtml/robohelp_help.pdf.

Indeed, neither the context sensitive help in RH2017 itself (in the Conversion Settings dialog's Other Settings pane) nor the manual reference the "use ASCII" checkbox at all (?!). Both of these imply that there is no benefit to selecting the "Use ASCII" checkbox (?!).

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