Topics not generating in HTML

[Guest]

Whether I use the Batch Generate or the Primary Layout, the same five topics do not generate in HTML, but they do generate successfully in WebHelp. Why?

[Guest]

Check your topic-level conditional build tags on the 5 topics, and see if they are excluded in the Conditional Build Expression for your HTML project.

[Guest]

If the Conditional Build Expression on the HTML job looks fine, and should include these missing topics, I would rebuild the expression. I find that once in a while a build ignores the Build Expression and either hides or displays content and topics incorrectly.

If you need more assistance, let us know which version of RoboHelp you are using, and give more detail about the problem. Thanks!

[Guest]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I forgot to mention I was using RH5, in case that makes a difference.

I've never used conditional build tags and I successfully generated Help files in the past. I will be getting training soon for RH7, but right now, I don't have a clue on using Conditional Build Tags.

I also have other topics that are in level 4 books that generate correctly.

[Guest]

ok, let's clarify - is it that the topics do not appear in your TOC, or is the problem that they do not appear even in a search by keyword - they just aren't there at all?

[Guest]

They are not there at all.

[Guest]

Yet you can see them and work with them in your project wthout error, and the WebHelp contains them when you publish to your destination for the web help. Correct?

Are they in the same project folder?
Is there anything about these topics that is different from the rest of your project?

[Guest]

and just to confirm - right-click on the name of your Single Source layout for the HTML Help, and select Properties.

Is there anything in the Conditional Build Expression field at all? If there is, is it different from the contents in the Properties window for the Web Help project?

[Guest]

1- Correct.
2- They are in the same Project folder. There are 215 Topics and those five are the only ones that do not generate.
3- Nothing is different from the other Topics.
4- There is nothing in the Conditional Build Expression field in either the HTML Help or the WebHelp.

[Guest]

just for giggles, try duplicating one of the topics (right-click on one of the topic names and select Duplicate from the right-click menu) and call it something else, like Test. Add it to your TOC, and recompile and see if the Test topic is included in the HTML build.

[Guest]

are there tables on these missing topics, by any chance? tables within tables? I think I remember reading somewhere that nested tables could be a problem...

[Guest]

It worked!!!???

Why?

[Guest]

what worked? the test topic compiled? Not sure why. Maybe the background files (the .cpd file seems to be a frequent culprit) needed a shake up.

[Guest]

ok - here's what I would do to finish up.

Duplicate each of the trouble topics. Rename them Test 1, Test 2, etc.
Delete each of the original trouble topics.
Duplicate each of the duplicated topics, naming the new topics with their original names.
Delete each of the Test topics.
Compile.
Have a drink (if successful, of course.)

[Guest]

Yes, the Test topic compiled. I guess I'll duplicate the others and see if they compile.

Thank you.

[Guest]

I followed your instructions to the letter, but it did not work.

However, I removed, in the Properties window, two words that were repeated in each of the troubled Topic titles, and it generated properly.

Thank you again for your help.

[tkj728]

Assuming your new topics aren't showing up in the TOC but they do in search results, then the problem is probably that you need to, once again, auto-create the TOC or manually add the topic to the TOC from the list.  Generating the layout will not automatically add new topics that were created since the last creation of the TOC.