RH 11.0.4.291 Responsive HTML5 doesn't like PDF files...?

[Flaven]

I just updated to RH 11.0.4.291 (Windows 8.1) and discovered a couple of issues with Responsive HTML5 output I hadn’t noticed previously: opened locally in IE 11.0.9600.17728, then clicking a topic link to display a PDF file in the viewing pane, there is no escape from the PDF file occupying the viewing pane.

Clicking any TOC entry, any Index entry, running Search…nothing will replace the open PDF in the viewing pane. There is no “X” and there is no apparent way to escape. The Home button doesn’t move it, even the IE11 back arrow has no impact. This occurs with all PDF files (I tested this head-slapper with well over 30 different PDF files).

The same project output as a WebHelp project? Everything works just fine as expected.

Am I missing something here?

Opening the Responsive HTML5 output in Firefox 37.0.2, all the generally accepted escape routes work.

Thanks for any suggestions and confirmations.

[Willam_van_Weelden · Accepted solution]

I just reproduced the issue. But it will only occur if you have a link to a PDF that is set to open in the SAME Frame in RoboHelp. For links what have the frame setting set to Default, it just opens in a new tab. And when you link to a PDF from the TOC, it will also open in a new tab.

It does work OK in Firefox and Chrome. I expect the problem to be in the way that Internet Explorer handles the iframe in which the topic and pdf are shown. This is most definitely an issue in the layouts. Please file a but here: Adobe - Feature Request/Bug Report Form

As a workaround, make sure to not select the Same Frame option for your PDF links. At least, that solved it in my test project.

[Flaven]

Thanks, William -- I also discovered that workaround later after noting that Word and Excel file links, even when set to "Same Frame", actually were opened by the parent application separately, outside RH.

Even more bizarre, when the same Responsive HTML5 system is served up by SharePoint (not locally), the PDF opens successfully in a separate browser tab (even when set for "Same Frame").

I really can't wrap my head around this...

I'll submit a bug report, but at this point my call is that this Alpha release Responsive HTML5 is hopelessly broken and not to be relied on -- I'm heading back to WebHelp.

[Flaven]

FYI, Adobe this morning replicated the issue and confirmed it as a bug.