Printed Documentation Table of Contents

[LukeKrz]

I'm generating a PDF via Printed Documentation in 2019 Classic. How does RoboHelp determine what to include on the ToC? I used the ToC from my regular project but I only want to include a subset of topics so I removed all the folders I don't want in the generated document in the Chapter Layout. The structure is below:

ONLINE HELP

     Module

          Reports

               Actual Topics

When I run the Output with a TOC depth of 3 I get the following output, as expected:

ONLINE HELP

     Module

          Reports

However, I want the ToC to link to each individual topic. When I run with a TOC depth of 4, most of the topics do not appear on the ToC, but a handful randomly do. I looked at the .xml and .htt files for this output and I don't see anything defined differently for the topics that appear vs the ones that don't. How does RoboHelp determine what to show on the ToC?

[Peter Grainge]

When you create a printed output in Classic, PDF or DOC, it takes the TOC you set in the layout, often the same one as you use in the online help.

However, you can edit it in the Print layout without it affecting the original. So in the page in the layout that shows the TOC, remove what you don't want.

Personally I prefer to make a copy TOC in Project Manager, call in XXX Print and edit there. Then select that TOC in the layout. If you edit XXX Print later in Project Manager, in the layout use the left chevrons to clear what is there when you open it and then use the right chevrons to put in the new books and topics.

What is in the print layout does not automatically update.

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

@petergrainge

[LukeKrz]

Hey Peter,

I understand that the ToC on the printed documentation is based off of the defined page layout and not the ToC as it exists within the project. My issue is that I have defined the page layout and specify I want the ToC on the printed documentation to go down 4 levels and most of the topics are not appearing.

Each Chapter is defined in the layout as:

MAIN BOOK

     Sub Book 1

          Sub Book 2

               Topic

When I specify 3 levels, I get the first 3 levels printing on the printed ToC, which makes sense. When I specify 4 levels, only a smattering of topics are included on the ToC. The topics are appearing in the output, they just aren't listed on the ToC. Is there any other factors that determine whether or not to display an item on the ToC? I don't think it has anything to do with build tags since the topics are printing and I have reviewed the pages that do appear vs the ones that don't and I can't find a common theme.

Thanks,

Luke

[Peter Grainge]

The print layout contains all the topics you want.

• If you set the level to 3, the PDF TOC is correct and all the topics are in the PDF.
• If you set the level to 4, all the topics are still in the PDF but not all the topics are listed in the TOC.

Have I got that right?

I can't think of any reason for that so it's going to be trial and error.

First check that Update 5 has been applied. Most of the content relates to the new UI but there are a few Classic updates in there.

If, as I expect, there is no change, then instead of creating a PDF, create a DOC output to see if that is any different would be my first trial.

Let us know if that helps.

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

@petergrainge