Is there a limit on linking between child projects (HTML5 Responsive)?

[Vulcan_Howl]

Hi

I am currently working on a HTML5 Responsive system with a master and two child projects in Robohelp 2017. There is no problem with creating links from the master to either child projects however linking between the two child projects is throwing up problems.

One of the child projects has a complex folder structure as historically it was Word based and printed out, in Robohelp there are eight or sometimes nine levels in the folder structure. Using the ../../../../ method of creating links between child pages, Robohelp appears to truncate the number of ../ used - is there a limit to how many folders Robohelp can navigate up and down in merged projects?

Many thanks

Richard

[Peter Grainge]

RoboHelp does not impose any limit but you can hit problems with the 256 Windows limit.

Unless you have to retain the structure for some reason, you can move them around within RoboHelp and the links will be kept, RoboHelp rewrites them. Do not do this in File Explorer.

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

@petergrainge

[Captiv8r]

Is it possible that perhaps a link is being established to a place you believe it is when in reality it's a different place?

I know that oftentimes RoboHelp will present a link path in a dialog that looks rather extensive, but then will later amend that path to be something different because the process of making the link causes what you are linking to, to be copied to the project. And when that happens, the actual path changes.

Just thinking out loud a bit... Rick

[Peter Grainge]

@Vulcan Howl

Is the issue that the depth of folder structure you see in File Explorer or Project Manager or as Rick is suggesting what you see when the links are created?

If what you are seeing in the dialog when you create links is worrying you, double click the link after you have created it, you will see it is a lot shorter than when you created it. In the case of merged help though, the target will not be copied into the project.

I am assuming that in the dialog you are selecting File as the type of link. Creating the links that way keeps the path as short as possible. See Merged Help on my site.

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

@petergrainge

[Vulcan_Howl]

Thanks for your reply - I worked out the solution.

Part one - the output for the second child project was set up correctly but when the files where output the files where going to a different location. This was remedied by deleting the link to the child in the master project, moving the location of the child project in Windows Explorer and then creating the link in the master project again.

Part two

For a reason unknown to me, when a hyperlink is created from one child to the other, for this link RH2017 inserted ../../../ in front of the file path, which doesn't work. Trial and error has show that if another ../../../../ is inserted the link will work, as shown in the screen grab. This method of inserting an additional four sets of dots and slashes works for however many sets RH has originally added in.
RH however truncates the string of dots and slashes to six sets using the GUI view, which means the link will not work, which is why I asked my original question.
The workaround I have used is to add the extra sets of dots and slashes in the HTML code view rather than the GUI view.

I hope this makes sense - I am just glad to have worked out the problems.

Richard

[Peter Grainge]

I think the problem causing that is how your projects are set up relative to each other. If you use the structure set out on my site, that will not be necessary.

Moving things though will mean having to go back to the existing links and correcting those for the new structure. Your call, a bit of work now or risking forgetting in the future.

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

@petergrainge

[Vulcan_Howl]

Hi Peter

So I understand this correctly, the screenshot below is the current structure, both parent and child projects at the same directory level,

You are suggesting the following structure:

If this is going to make linking easier going forward then I am happy to change the structure, before I make the jump I want to make sure that my understanding is correct!

Many thanks for your assistance

Richard

[Peter Grainge]

That is correct. If you change the folder name from Projects to Children, the content becomes a bit more obvious but that's your call.

All existing links from the parent to a child or a child to the parent will be broken as the restructure will not be known to RoboHelp as they are independent projects. Links between children will not be broken by the move as the relative path, which is what RoboHelp uses, will not be changed.

From then on, when you create a link, choose File in the dropdown and link to the required topic will be right first time.

When you generate the first time after the restructure, delete the content of the old folder.

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

@petergrainge