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Another Baggage File Question

Participant ,
Aug 27, 2018 Aug 27, 2018

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How do I include Baggage Files in the online help output? Does it have to be included in a topic?

Thanks,

MDawn

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Aug 27, 2018 Aug 27, 2018

For Printed Doc (which this question is posted in, for completeness), I think the baggage files are just copied into the same directory, or possibly sub-directories based on your folder setup (?), that the printed doc is generated to. However it's been a long time since I did printed doc in in any meaningful way, so I could be mis-remembering or it could have changed.

For online, the baggage files are copied into the output as part of generation. But a few things to keep an eye on.

There's a setti

...

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2018 Aug 27, 2018

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For Printed Doc (which this question is posted in, for completeness), I think the baggage files are just copied into the same directory, or possibly sub-directories based on your folder setup (?), that the printed doc is generated to. However it's been a long time since I did printed doc in in any meaningful way, so I could be mis-remembering or it could have changed.

For online, the baggage files are copied into the output as part of generation. But a few things to keep an eye on.

There's a setting in the SSL/Output settings to prevent unreferenced baggage files showing in search. (That is, not linked to from a topic or the toc or index.) You'll need to decide if you need to clear that setting in your situation.

There's another setting in the Search settings that prevents baggage files of certain types from showing in search. I don't think any are configured by default, but you might need to double-check your output settings.

You may want to ensure each baggage file is linked to from relevant topics, or include them in the table of contents. I seem to remember some file types don't play nice sometimes, but I can't remember the  details. Peter's site might include that information

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I justed tested the Printed Doc scenario in RH 2017. The baggage file is not copied over anywhere, the link in the output references the location of the file in the source folder.

Details:

  • My source files are at (e.g.) C:\projects\myproject.
  • In one topic, I embedded a link to the baggage file bag1.pdf. The link looks something like this; <p><a href="bag1.pdf">Baggage File</a></p>.
  • I generated the Word output in C:\Users\ioana\Desktop\.
  • In the Word document, the link points to C:\projects\myproject\bag1.pdf.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I'm completely confused by this thread. Baggage files are for online help only which is what the poster specified but then posted in the Printed Documentation forum where there is no concept of baggage files.

We need MDawn to explain the issue.


See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

@petergrainge

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I guess that MDawn is generating Printed Documentation and wants to include that in a WebHelp/Responsive etc output. I honestly tested the "baggage file in printed doc" scenario because it never occurred to me to wonder what happens to the baggage files in this scenario.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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Could be in which case it is just another baggage file. If that is the question, then if you don't add a link from somewhere then search would be the only way to find them. Amber's post covers what you need to watch for there.


See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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Sorry for the confusion. I'm actually experimenting to see what works. I've been asked to not create online help any more, but instead produce pdfs. Before, I was doing both and it was time consuming. So, I'm trying to figure out a way to put the pdf files in one help project so the output can be linked to from the software.

I'm sure other file formats can be linked to, but wanted to test this solution. I did include the baggage files in a help topics that are listed in the TOC.

I haven't generated the help project yet, so my experiment continues.

Thanks,

MDawn

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Community Expert ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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Sounds like a backwards step but that's your organisation's issue. Personally I would be arguing why they want to go this way as it seems backwards.

From within RoboHelp, each PDF layout is a printed document that stands alone so it can include as much or as little as you want from the project but not baggage files.

I believe you can create links from one PDF to another using PDF tools such as Acrobat (not the reader version). Perhaps you can also create the equivalent of a Word master document. Those are questions for a PDF forum.

Your RoboHelp project can create one PDF but I guess you want to have that link to other PDFs, the baggage files, correct?

The other solution would be an HTML page or a single RoboHelp topic that has links to all the PDFs you want.

Please post back if I have not understood correctly.


See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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My experiment involved what you described in your last suggestion:

"The other solution would be an HTML page or a single RoboHelp topic that has links to all the PDFs you want."

I'm still experimenting.

The company leaders wanted both online help and pdf documents. This was extremely time-consuming for me, and linking the modules/topics in the software was time-consuming for me and Dev. All of those drawbacks made them decide on pdfs only. I was experimenting with a way to include the pdfs in a RoboHelp project that could be easily linked to the Help icon on the main page of the software and could include all the pdfs.

Thanks for everyone's input.

MDawn

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I have another idea - but I am also unsure if I understand your problem correctly

You can link the PDF baggage files directly from the TOC. You would need to add the baggage files in your project, then create pages in the TOC and link each page to a baggage file. In this case, clicking the page in the TOC would open the PDF instead of a topic.

baggage.png

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I'll try this. Mine is a version of that idea, but all the pdfs are linked from one topic. I was thinking if I assigned that topic to the TOC chapter, I would accomplish the same effect.

Thanks,

MDawn

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Community Expert ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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If they do want both, then Ioanu's steps should be fine. You add the external PDFs as baggage to your webhelp or responsive help. That gets that job done.

It seems the bigger issue is getting your product calling the help. The developers should be able to open the help to any section or even any page. If what they want shown for a particular area is a PDF, get them to call a topic that links to that PDF. Questions on this would be best asked in a new thread in RoboHelp HTML.


See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

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Participant ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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They no longer want both, just pdfs. I'm experimenting to find the best, most efficient solution that still supplies information to our users.

Thanks Everyone,

MDawn

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Community Expert ,
Aug 28, 2018 Aug 28, 2018

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I thought it was a case of settling for just PDFs while really wanting both. OK. Good luck.


See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

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