Searching for special characters in RH 9

[MM_Acton]

Occasionally I get broken links because when I add a hyperlink, I must be at the wrong level or something. I haven't figured out exactly when this happens, but it's never bothered me because I can just do a Find and Replace to find it and replace it.

Here's an example from the Broken Link Report (Tools > Reports > Broken Links):

Missing topic 'MyHelpProject\Editing_Trade_Show_Codes.htm' is referenced by the following...

In the past, I would open Find and Replace (Edit > Find and Replace in Files) and paste in the following string in the Find box:

MyHelpProject\

Notice that I included the backslash. I'm pretty sure that this worked; that is, it would find any string beginnging with MyHelpProject\, but now it won't find anything at all unless I leave off the backslash. Of course, that doesn't make sense because the backslash is an escape character. Maybe I'm just mis-remembering.

So how do I unescape it so that I can find MyHelpProject\?

I know that I can search for it without the backslash, but there are a few instances where I don't want to delete MyHelpProject.

I'm using RoboHelp 9. 

[Peter Grainge]

Please confirm these are links to other topics in your project and how you are creating them in the first place.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[MM_Acton]

I'm not sure what you mean by "these are links to other topics in your project," so I apologize if this doesn't answer your question.

I have a topic called Editing Trade Show Codes.  In another topic, I link to it. Since the other topic is in the same folder, the HTML href should look like this:

    <a href="Editing_Trade_Show_Codes.htm">Editing Trade Show Codes</a>

But it doesn't. Instead it looks like this:

    <a href="MyHelpProject\Editing_Trade_Show_Codes.htm">Editing Trade Show Codes</a>

I know that Editing Trade Show Codes (that is, Editing_Trade_Show_Codes.htm) exists. I don't know how the MyHelpProject\ got in there, but in the meantime, I want to use Find and Replace in Files and go in and remove the MyHelpProject\ at the beginning of the affected links.

The problem I need to resolve first is how to tell Find and Replace in Files to change every occurrence of MyHelpProject\ to nothing.

Then I need to find out why it's happening.

How did they get there? I click the Insert Hyperlink button on the toolbar.

(I'm using RoboHelp 9 right now.)

[Peter Grainge]

The links could have been to something outside your project. In this case it looks like they are topics that are in the project.

The find is "MyHelpProject" and the replace field is left blank.

It looks as if you are somehow creating an external link. Describe your process for creating links.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[MM_Acton]

They are links within the project.

Here's how I create the link:

1. Highlight the text.
2. Click the Insert Hyperlink button on the toolbar.
3. Select the topic.

[MM_Acton]

As I said, for now I need to know how to find and replace.

You said, "The find is "MyHelpProject" and the replace field is left blank."

Yes. I want to replace all occurrences of MyHelpProject\ with nothing.

[Peter Grainge]

You mean where is the Find and Replace tool? In the Edit menu. Find and Replace in FIles. Do backup first.

Find = MyHelpProject\

Replace = <leave blank>

To create a link, after selecting the text, try dragging the topic from Project Manager to the selected text. If the title of the topic is what you want as the link, just drag it to your topic.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[MM_Acton]

You said:

You mean where is the Find and Replace tool? In the Edit menu. Find and Replace in FIles. Do backup first.

Find = MyHelpProject\

Replace = <leave blank>

That's exactly what I've been doing. The problem is the  \  at the end of the Find. It won't find anything if I include the backslash.

[MM_Acton]

You said:

"To create a link, after selecting the text, try dragging the topic from Project Manager to the selected text. If the title of the topic is what you want as the link, just drag it to your topic."

I will certainly try that, but I don't think that's the problem. I have over 500 topics and the other method works most of the time. Sometimes this weird path problem creeps in.