Searches in generated Help Files

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
April 22, 2009
2 replies
1037 views

Hi,

I create help files for multiple customers from the same project. I have multiple table of contents with lots of topics that need to be customized for different customers. After I generate the help files I do a search as a test. The problem is that the Robohelp search result includes topics that I did not include in the table of contents.

thanks for your help

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Peter Grainge

That is by design and desirable. The TOC is simply a way of bringing a reader's attention to key topics. It does not have to include all the topics in the build. Let me give an example.

I have a project with around 12,000 topics. Only a very small number of those would be in TOC, the rest being accessed from links in the topics.

All topics in Project Manager will be in the build by default. If you have some reason for leaving them in the project but do not want them in the build, such as different versions, then you need to apply a Conditional Build Tag and then use a Build Expression to exclude those topics when you generate the output.

You need to create different layouts for the different versions, each with the required build expression for that output.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Peter Grainge

Correct answer

Community Expert

That is by design and desirable. The TOC is simply a way of bringing a reader's attention to key topics. It does not have to include all the topics in the build. Let me give an example.

I have a project with around 12,000 topics. Only a very small number of those would be in TOC, the rest being accessed from links in the topics.

All topics in Project Manager will be in the build by default. If you have some reason for leaving them in the project but do not want them in the build, such as different versions, then you need to apply a Conditional Build Tag and then use a Build Expression to exclude those topics when you generate the output.

You need to create different layouts for the different versions, each with the required build expression for that output.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

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EileenPalsson

Inspiring

Isn't this what Properties -> Exclude From Search is for in RH8?

If so, it's not working -- at least in my project.

If not, its actual intended use escapes me.

Enlightenment would be appreciated.

Correction: Never mind, I found the info in a separate thread: http://forums.adobe.com/message/2354655#2354655

Namely, this functionality works for WebHelp but not CHM. (Why didn't Adobe say so in their help?)

Captiv8r

Legend

Hi Eileen

I'm hoping that you and all others that find this to be a problem will take a moment and file a bug with Adobe on it. I filed one for the Exclude from Search not working for CHM files, but got a note back stating something along the lines of "it's a limitation with the CHM format". Personally, I believe they can make it happen if they want to. After all, we can make it happen ourselves if we really want to put forth the effort. So the application needs to assist us by making it easier.

Cheers... Rick