WebHelp Output not working in Edge V80.x

[SwatyMurthy]

I have been generating a WebHelp output in RH Classic 2019 (14.0.10.010) and integrating it with our application which was working fine in IE11. We are now moving to Edge V80.x and the WebHelp is throwing a blank page if the pop up button is disabled and if it is enabled it throws two consecutive blank pages in quick succession which then disappear. Is there any update required for the WebHelp to work in Edge?

Thanks.

[Peter Grainge]

Disabled and enabled how?

Also you are not on the latest version 2019.0.14. Try that.

[SwatyMurthy]

Hi Peter,

Apologies for the late post, i missed your reply. I did upgrade to the latest version of RH. The problem still persists.

When the Help file opens in Edge (85), i got a message saying, allow popups, i enabled that and got two consecutive blank screen. 

If i dont enable that message of allowing popups i get a single blank screen.

[Peter Grainge]

Given the sample projects work OK this must be something in your project but I can't think what it is. 

1. Create a new project with just a couple of simple topics, not imported stuff. Generate that and see what happens. I think that will work further pinpointing something in your project.
2. Are all the topics from the Word document or are there other topics? I would try apply a tag to the Word based topics and excluding them from the output to see if they are causing the issue. They shouldn't but who knows?
3. Can you share the project? If you can, then see the Contact page on my site and send the project as instructed there. Do make sure you include a link to this thread and please do not email the project direct. Also send the Word document.

[Peter Grainge]

Ignore Point 2. Mixing up this thread with another. 

Also what do you mean by "if the pop up button is disabled".

[SwatyMurthy]

Hi Peter,

I did try creating a smaller project with fewer topics, that dint work either. When i generate the output and open it locally on Edge it works fine, the problem arises when i integrate it with my application. Had raised a ticket with Adobe too but all i got was that they dont support Webhelp anymore and also they support only if the product does not work locally. Dint get this point at all since the reason we are using RH is cause we need to integrate it with an application for multiple users and not just for local use. 

One of our developers think that the issue is in the whver file, she has found some fix and is trying it out.

Will keep you posted on how that works out.

My apologies, i will not be able to share the project, company policy.

Regards,

Swati 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So clearly the issue is how it's being launched by your application - check with your developers on how they are doing that.

[SwatyMurthy]

Not sure if the problem is how it is lauched cause it works fine with IE just does not work  with Edge. Is there something we need to update for the output to work on all browsers?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You proved already that if you launch it manually using any browser, it looks & acts fine - right? But if the application launches it, it's messed up. So clearly the issue is in the application - are you sure that they are including ALL the files that are created [by RH] inside the application? Maybe they've skipped some or failed to update some of them...

[Peter Grainge]

Didn't get this point at all since the reason we are using RH is cause we need to integrate it with an application for multiple users and not just for local use. 

What they are saying is that if the generated help works locally, the output is good. The issue is with how the help is being called and that's down to the developer. That has always been the case and it is the same with all help authoring tools. 

Do you have problems with other browsers?

You still haven't said what you mean by pop ups being disabled?

[SwatyMurthy]

Hi Peter,

Do you have problems with other browsers?

It works fine with IE. We have been using the project in IE for almost 9 years. Our client is now moving to Edge and thats when we noticed this issue.

You still haven't said what you mean by pop ups being disabled?

I get this notification in my browser (top right corner) when i open the Helpfile through the application.

 Pop-ups Blocked: There are two options i can select;

• Always allow pop-ups
• Continue blocking

When i select Always allow pop-ups i get two blank screens which appear and immediately disappear. If i select Continue blocking, i get one blank window.

We tried a fix we got online that dint work either. 

Any kind of help will be truly appreciated, we are in quite a soup now 😞

[SwatyMurthy]

Hi Jeff,

So clearly the issue is in the application - are you sure that they are including ALL the files that are created [by RH] inside the application? Maybe they've skipped some or failed to update some of them...

Yes, we have included all the files generated by RH. We have been using RH for more than 9 years now and it has been working perfectly fine with IE (the browser our client preferred). The client is now moving to Edge and thats when we noticed the issue. The generated output still works fine if the application is run in IE but in Edge and Chrome it gives us a blank screen.

[Peter Grainge]

Edge is Chrome based so the fact that the issue occurs with both is not surprising.

No one else has been reporting this popup blocker issue and you are only seeing it when the help is called from your app. 

Would changing to a responsive skin be an option? Maybe that will remove the problem. It will mean changing the calls but there is information on that on my site. If you do consider that option, then maybe going to the new UI version of RoboHelp and using a frameless skin would be better going forward. That's where more development will occur so going straight to that would be one change of calls.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

What options do you get when you select "Manage" in that dialog? Maybe all it takes is to add the help site to a list of safe sites in the browser?
Have you tried launching the help outside the application with that exact CSH path? Do you get the same effect as launching within the application? What parameters are being used to launch the help in the app? I would have expected to see it open a new tab instead of a new window.