Multiple mapIDs for the same topic

[adrazkow]

Our online help uses context sensitive help with MapID numbers and names to retrieve the correct topic. We want to create one topic to be used for multiple screens and be retrieved by multiple mapIDs. Is there a way to do this in RoboHelp 2019 Classic? I use the h file and alias file for assigning mapIDs, but I don't currently do anything outside of the mapID tool in RoboHelp.

[Peter Grainge]

There isn't a way I know of but I don't get why you want to have multiple IDs in the first place. You always want the same topic so why can't you just use the one ID?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Or you could put the content in a snippet & then create multiple empty topics (with multiple MapIDs) and have the snippet referenced in each of them..

[Peter Grainge]

True but I'm still curious as to why. 🙂

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Here's an example of where I've done that for one of my projects - I have a topic about creating Sales Items; inside the program I'm documenting, the place to create Sales Items shows up in both POS and Inventory. To avoid confusing the user as to where they are looking at the help topic & where to navigate to next, I've got placeholder topics in both the POS and Inventory folders with the snippet content in each - each has its own MapID, so that the breadcrumbs appear to match what they see in the program.

[adrazkow]

The biggest reason is that the screens already exist with unique titles based on their place in the system and unique mapID names and numbers. Our team is trying to streamline the project and these topics don't need unique instructions. We are currently using a snippet with unique topic titles and bread crumbs like Jeff mentioned, but that means there are 144 shell topics in the project. 

[Peter Grainge]

OK I see the need but the problem means Jeff's solution is the only way as it is one map ID per topic.

[Amebr]

You can't assign one map id to multiple topics, but you can assign multiple map ids to one topic.

[Peter Grainge]

Amber is correct. My memory was telling me it was the other way around but clearly I need a trip to crucial.com.

My apologies for posting incorrect information.

[Amebr]

It's an easy thing to get around the wrong way. To be fair, I need to go in and check the interface every time this question comes up because I know I get confused. 🙂

[adrazkow]

Thanks Amber! That's great news. Do you know if there's a limit on how many mapIds I can assign to a topic?

[Amebr]

Sorry I have no idea. I don't think I've ever read of a limit, but maybe you'll be the first to discover one. 😛