XPJ File is Automatically Checked Out When I Open a Help Project

[av_gchale]

I am running RoboHelp version 8.0.2.208 with Visual SourceSafe version 8.0.50727.42 as my source control.

I have two separate help projects.  When I open help project #1, the XPJ file is automatically checked out.  However, when I open help project #2, the XPJ file is not automatically checked out.

Having the XPJ file automatically checked out when I open help project #1 is more a nuisance than anything else.  I would prefer the project file to be checked out only when the help project is modified (which is the way it works for the help project #2).  Currently when I open help project #1, I check in its XPJ file.

I have looked in RoboHelp and Visual SourceSafe for a setting to control whether the XPJ file is automatically checked out, but I could not find a setting to do so.  Any insight would be appreciated.

[Peter Grainge]

I am not a user of source control but I know from following the forums that there are certain files that should not be checked in and out as they are machine specific, the XPJ is such a file. There is some information in Snippets on my site as well as in other posts on this forum.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[av_gchale]

Thank you for the feedback Peter.  I too thought the XPJ file might not need to be included among the help project files that need to be checked into and checked out of source control because it is machine specific.  However, I found this post on the forum which suggests the XPJ should be checked into and checked out of source control.

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3853685#3853685

[Peter Grainge]

Oops. I looked at the Snippet on my site and that confirms what you found. This is what you don't check in.

* projectname.cpd
* projectname.pss
* projectname.hhp
* projectname.trl
* ehlpdhtm.js

Sorry for muddying the waters. Now is there someone out there who does know about source control?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[av_gchale]

No problem Peter.  I had also found the same information on your web site.  What's odd is that the automatic checkout of the XPJ file occurs only with one particular help project.  It does not happen with any of the other help projects I work on.  Furthermore, the other technical writers on my team experience the same problem.  If no one has any insight, it's not a big deal since we have a simple work-around.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I've used source control in the past but never "integrated" as RoboHelp now allows. However, I have an idea as to where things may have become messy.

When folks approach source control, they often approach it incorrectly. What I mean here is that there are two distinctly different ways to add a project to source control.

Method one

In this method, the RoboHelp author opens the Source Control application directly. Then simply adds the project location to the source control database. This is the incorrect method and often results in frustration down the line as EVERYTHING is added.

Method two

In this method, the RoboHelp author uses the Version Control toolbar to add the project to source control. This adds only the necessary files to source control and is the correct approach.

My own guess is that Method one was used for one of the projects and Method two for the other.

Cheers... Rick

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[av_gchale]

Rick,

The help projects were set up before I started working for my current employer.  From reading the internal procedures regarding the configuration of help projects and source control, I believe the help projects were added to source control using Visual SourceSafe and not via RoboHelp.  I have used RoboHelp with Visual SourceSafe at another company, and I recall adding the help project to source control via RoboHelp.  I might run with your idea and perform some tests by adding help projects to source control via RoboHelp and SourceSafe to see if there are any differences.

George