WebHelp in Chrome - first look

[Guest]

Just downloaded the new Chrome browser from Google, and as I feared, my WebHelp doesn't work (nav pane contents don't display). I am using a skin.

I tried a test project using the default skin and found that only pure html works for navigation pane format (WebHelp Options page 3).
If I use DHTML > Pure HTML the pane comes up empty
If I use Java Applet > Pure HTML I get a message in the pane saying no plugin is available to display the content. The odd thing is that I included some drop-down text (which is javascript, right?) and that woks fine.

Pure html is ok, except there's no Search Input field available. So, I'd love to be able to use dhtml or Java for the nav pane.

If anyone has an idea for getting this to work I'd be grateful for info.

Jeanne

[Peter Grainge]

My point was more not to worry unduly about what you read in the comparison.

If it is the default, it cannot be deleted. Otherwise it shouldn't be a problem. Haven't seen anyone post about it.

[meKarla]

I did notice that at least one of the things that MadCap pointed out was not true, so one wonders what else isn't true (or which version they used as comparison).

I created a new index, told RH to generate with that index, and deleted the old index. The offending text in the Index was still there. I have since done a search of topics, and found that the offending text was added to the meta tags in several topics (e.g., <META NAME="MS-HKWD" CONTENT="BadText">) and removed it. I'm regenerating now to see if that fixed it.

*Most* of the time, when I find RH stupidness, I can find a workaround or fix (often with tips from other RH users and gurus--thank you, thank you, thank you!). But I've worked with numerous technical writers who were not very technical (and some barely writers) who would not be able to fix it, and would likely have convulsions at the mere thought of editing the .js files.

Sometimes RH does things for me, because it thinks it knows better (and sometimes it does know better). For example, some of the projects that I am working on were started 4 or 5 years ago by someone else on RHX5. While manually editing the help to "fix" the tags, I would occasionally miss a closing tag. Rather than highlighting the leftover tag (as Front Page does), RH would say, "Oh, what you meant to do is make everything bold!" So then I would have to go edit the HTML again (more carefully this time) to get rid of all the bold tags.

I used to use DocToHelp 2000 to create printed docs, then generated JavaHelp from them, then had to spend a few weeks editing the individual html files. RH causes many fewer headaches for me than DocToHelp ever did, but I don't do JavaHelp here. And version 7 is MUCH improved over the previous versions. Let's hope Adobe continues with its awesome support and continues to make improvements!

[Guest]

Vivek,

I'm using RoboHelp 5. My project has a whver.js file (not whvers.js), and I updated the code with the revised that you posted. However, my navigation and search are still not showing up. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for getting the navigation to work for legacy RoboHelp users.

Thanks,
Betsy

[vivek_k-GfmzA1]

Hi Betsy,

Chrome is using WebKit engine which is same as what Safari uses. We had fixed many Safari issues in RH7 and current fix for Chrome just involved recognizing that browser and mapping that to same as Safari.
In order to support Chrome in X5 we need to bring in all these fixes which will be difficult to do.

thanks,
Vivek.

[Guest]

Thanks, Vivek,

Does that mean if we upgrade from RH5 to RH7 and then update our whvers.js, our navigation and search should work with both Safari and Chrome?

Also, will the revised whvers.js file be included in a free software update for RH7 soon (making a manual update to the file unnecessary)?

Thanks again,
Betsy

[Peter Grainge]

I cannot comment on inclusion in updates.

I will be putting a copy of the amended whvers.js on my site over the weekend. Look in Snippets.

[meKarla]

on my box the file is called "whver.js"

[vivek_k-GfmzA1]

Hi Betsy,

For now one has to fix whvers.js manually. It will be included in any update we have in future. Chrome is a beta version right now, claiming support for it is risky.

You please download RH7 trial version and apply the 7.01 and 7.02 patches and see if it solves all your issues on Safari and Chrome. If you still have issues then please let us know.

thanks,
Vivek.
Adobe Systems.

[MergeThis]

Vivek:

Will this whver.js fix also work for V5.0.2? It's located in a different folder, of course (C:\Program Files\RoboHelp Office\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext\template_stock), but the only difference between mine and your attached code (besides the gbSafari and gbChrome entries is this:
var gbUnixOS=(gAgent.indexOf("linux")!=-1) || (gAgent.indexOf("unix")!=-1);

Thx,
Leon

[Peter Grainge]

meKarla

I took a look at that article and there is more than one thing that is wrong. For example, it states RH does not output to PDF! It also makes a big thing of the ability to email topics for review. Doesn't mention as I read somewhere else that it is one topic at a time. One of my projects has 12,000 topics. I think I will pass on that method!

[meKarla]

yep, I have 9 different projects, but the biggest is only just under 500 topics, but I don't think my SMEs want 500 emails to review. It's hard enough to get them to review a Word doc.

[Peter Grainge]

If anyone prefers to download whver.js instead of amending the code, see Snippet 103 on my site.

[vivek_k-GfmzA1]

Hi Leon,

Fixing just whver.js in X5.0.2 will not work. As I posted earlier we have done many fixes for Safari browser in RH7, they also need to be brought in for X5 to work properly in Chrome.

Vivek.

[MergeThis]

Vivek, I assume that you'll make an announcement when that happens (complete Safari/Chrome fixes for X5.0.2)?

Thx,
Leon

[katie_barnes]

meKarla and Peter, I have had a fairly easy time getting my project to the 99% point with Robohelp, but I do feel it lacks some customization ability. I did have pretty good luck doing anything I wanted with ePublisherPro. Although not without spending some time reverse-engineering the product since, like Robohelp, much was undocumented.

Anyway, with ePubPro I could create my own xslt scripts to override theirs and make the project do exactly what I wanted and needed--just about anything. I haven't tried yet to reverse engineer Robohelp, but I do find that I wish for greater control in some areas so far, and I'm a little frustrated with a bug or two that I have found and worked around.

Overall it's a good product, but at this point, I don't know how I'm going to accomplish some of the things that I wish to accomplish. These are things that would be a snap to do in ePublisherPro, which I think is better suited to single-sourcing, but does not work as a stand-alone help system. So I guess it really depends on ones needs which product is best.

[Peter Grainge]

Katie

Interesting observations but I am not clear how it relates to this thread.

Also you make some comments about RH but nothing specific enough for anyone to respond to.

[Guest]

I've noticed that two menu options are disabled when I right-click in my help: Save frame as, and Print frame. Is it just me, or does everyone see that?

I'm using RH 7.02.001 and Chrome 0.3.154.9.

Thanks,
-- Jeff

[Guest]

sorry, duplicate post

[Guest]

I am experiencing the same problem with Chrome. I am on Robohelp 7 would the fix be the same as with Robohelp 8

[Peter Grainge]

Jennifer

The same problem as originally posted or the same problem Jeff reported?

What fix for RH8 are you referring to? RH8 is not released.

[Guest]

Sorry about that. I am using Robohelp 7 with webhelp. I checked it in Chrome today, which I had been neglecting to do. And I discovered that the content and index links were not appearing in the left nav. I read an earlier posting of someone having the same problem and the answer was to add code to the file whvers.js. But it was a reply for robohelp 8. I did go in and make the change in the file. But it still is not working.
Here is the code:
// WebHelp 5.10.006
var gbNav=false;
var gbNav6=false;
var gbNav61=false;
var gbNav7=false;
var gbNav4=false;
var gbIE4=false;
var gbIE=false;
var gbIE5=false;
var gbIE55=false;
var gbOpera6=false;
var gbOpera7=false;
var gbKonqueror3=false;
var gbSafari3=false;
var gbChrome=false;

var gAgent=navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
var gbMac=(gAgent.indexOf("mac")!=-1);
var gbSunOS=(gAgent.indexOf("sunos")!=-1);
var gbUnixOS=(gAgent.indexOf("linux")!=-1) || (gAgent.indexOf("unix")!=-1);
var gbOpera=(gAgent.indexOf("opera")!=-1);
var gbKonqueror=(gAgent.indexOf("konqueror")!= -1);
var gbSafari=(gAgent.indexOf("safari")!= -1);
var gbWindows=((gAgent.indexOf('win')!= -1)||(gAgent.indexOf('16bit')!= -1));
var gbMozilla=((gAgent.indexOf('gecko')!=-1) && (gAgent.indexOf('netscape')==-1));
var gbChrome=(gAgent.indexOf("chrome")!=-1);



var gVersion=navigator.appVersion.toLowerCase();

var gnVerMajor=parseInt(gVersion);
var gnVerMinor=parseFloat(gVersion);

if(!gbOpera&&!gbKonqueror&&!gbSafari) // opera can mimic IE or Netscape by settings.
{
gbIE=(navigator.appName.indexOf("Microsoft")!=-1);
gbNav=(gAgent.indexOf('mozilla')!=-1) && ((gAgent.indexOf('spoofer')==-1) && (gAgent.indexOf('compatible')==-1));
if(gnVerMajor>=4)
{
if(navigator.appName=="Netscape")
{
gbNav4=true;
if(gnVerMajor>=5)
gbNav6=true;
}
gbIE4=(navigator.appName.indexOf("Microsoft")!=-1);
}
if(gbNav6)
{
var nPos=gAgent.indexOf("gecko");
if(nPos!=-1)
{
var nPos2=gAgent.indexOf("/", nPos);
if(nPos2!=-1)
{
var nVersion=parseFloat(gAgent.substring(nPos2+1));
if(nVersion>=20010726)
{
gbNav61=true;
if (nVersion>=20020823)
gbNav7=true;
}
}
}
}else if(gbIE4)
{
var nPos=gAgent.indexOf("msie");
if(nPos!=-1)
{
var nVersion=parseFloat(gAgent.substring(nPos+5));
if(nVersion>=5)
{
gbIE5=true;
if(nVersion>=5.5)
gbIE55=true;
}
}
}
}
else if (gbOpera)
{
var nPos = gAgent.indexOf("opera");
if(nPos!=-1)
{
var nVersion=parseFloat(gAgent.substring(nPos+6));
if(nVersion>=6)
{
gbOpera6=true;
if(nVersion>=7)
gbOpera7=true;
}
}
}
else if (gbKonqueror)
{
var nPos = gAgent.indexOf("konqueror");
if(nPos!=-1)
{
var nVersion = parseFloat(gAgent.substring(nPos+10));
if (nVersion >= 3)
{
gbKonqueror3=true;
}
}
}
if(gbSafari)
{
var nPos = gAgent.indexOf("version/");
if(nPos!=-1)
{
var nVersion = parseFloat(gAgent.substring(nPos+8,nPos+9));
if (nVersion >= 3)
{
gbSafari3=true;
}
}
}
if(gbChrome)
{
gbSafari=true;
gbSafari3=true;
}
var gbWhVer=true;

Thanks,
Jennifer

[Peter Grainge]

There are no fixes anywhere for RH8 because it has not been released. Don't know what you saw. Take a look at Snippets on my site. There is a replacement file there.

[Guest]

Hi all,

Regarding the TOC/Index/Glossary/Search loading issues in Chrome, it seems the suggested correction does not solve the problem for RH6 projects. Is there any other workaround?
Thanks in advance.

[Peter Grainge]

Not for RH6. This fix builds on many other fixes introduced in RH7.

It still amazes me that when Adobe offered a limited time upgrade to RH7 for $80 not everyone went for it.

Might be worth hunting around to see if you can still find the offer.

You will not find it on Adobe's site now. Might be worth pleading with Customer Support.

[Guest]

Thanks, Peter.
As regards upgrading to RH7, it's only a matter of corporate policies and decisions, you know, so... I'm sure time will come ;-)

Isabelle