RoboHelp10 in Windows 7 64 bit and Office Word 2010.

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Hi,

I have installed RoboHelp trial in Windows 7 64 bit with Office 2010.  But Office 2010 file format is not recognised in RoboHelp.  Word 2010 is not listed under options.  How to configure RoboHelp such that Word 2010 files are recognised by RH.

Soni

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Soni.

Can we just check whether you are trying to use the RoboHelp for Word application? The reason I ask is that RoboHelp comes in two flavours; the one I mentioned and RoboHelp HTML. You've posted in the RoboHelp for Word forum but I just want to be sure.

If you are using RoboHelp for Word, you should know that this application is VERY old and is not widely used these days. In fact I haven't used it for 10 years which is software terms is a lifetime. Adobe haven't made any chances to it for a long time either. The chances are it just doesn't work with Word 2010 or any other appliction developed a long time after RoboHelp for Word.

This raises the question, do you need to use RoboHelp for Word or will RoboHelp HTML fit the bill. To answer that, we need to know a little more about what you are trying to achieve. Can you start by saying whether you are trying to amend some legacy output, creating a new help file and what type of output you require. Once we know this we will be able to advise more.

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As I have installed RoboHelp 10 with the Word option the question has been posted in this forum.

The purpose for using RoboHelp is to create a new chm html help file.  The reason to opt for Word is becuase,  the output remains in a word format I just have to replace the word document with the same style that has been used in Word.

Can you please let me know whether it is possible to retain the word format in Robohelp while converting it to chm format.

Soni

[Peter Grainge]

You are saying the output remains in Word but then saying the output is to be converted from Word to a CHM. In RoboHelp for Word the source is a Word document, is that what you mean.

You can work that way but as Colum has pointed out, RoboHelp for Word is not so widely used so that is very little support in that forum.

To get back to your original question, RoboHelp 10 does support Word 2010 so you need to tell us what is leading you to say it is not supported. What is it that you are doing that is failing?

Also you said the purpose is to create a CHM. RoboHelp HTML does that and version 10 enables you to apply a skin to give the CHM a much more modern appearance. See the RoboHelp Tour on my site for information about that.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Yes in RoboHelp for Word the source is a word document.  The output is CHM. The formatting and styles used in Word are applied to the help file.  Word 2010 is not supported in RoboHelp word, hence my query was posted in RobeHelp for word. As word 2010 is not listed under the options just like word 2003 and word 2007. 

But RoboHelp for HTML supports word 2010, there aren't any issues with that.

[RoboColum_n_ · Accepted solution]

Adobe (or Macromedia who owned RoboHelp before Abobe bought it) have not changed the RoboHelp for Word in a long, long time. As such if the documentation says that Word 2010 is not supported, it isn't. Your only option then is to use a supported Word version or go over to using RoboHelp HTML.

If you are producing a CHM file this is by far the best option. Why? For a start it uses actual HTML source code. RoboHelp for Word doesn't. It uses Word. It may well convert (very badly) the Word file into HTML but the result is widely accepted to be hopeless. As a result you are likely to get all sorts of issues.

It is your choice but producing CHM from the RoboHelp for Word application is like trying to run a 100 metre race whilst drinking a cup of coffee. It can be done but it will slow you up and make a lot of mess in the meantime

[Peter Grainge]

You state "Word 2010 is not supported in RoboHelp word, hence my query was posted in RobeHelp for word. As word 2010 is not listed under the options just like word 2003 and word 2007." Where are you getting that from. I just opened RoboHelp for Word 10 and see this dialog in Tools > Options.

I don't think Adobe would give that option for an unsupported version.

The problem could be you have the 64 bit version of Word installed and it may be that is not recognised. It was an issue in RoboHelp 9. See Item 9 at http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh9/using_rh9.htm. You will have to ask Adobe if the issue remains in RoboHelp 10.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

After digging around I have established this was a problem in the initial release of Rh9 that was fixed in the 9.0.1 Service Release.

See http://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2011/05/robohelp-9-0-1-is-now-available.html

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry meant to add that Rh10 should be OK so if it is not you should contact Adobe and ask them to treat is as an installation problem (not chargeable).

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge