imported header file, then what?

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cayennep
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 390
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:42 pm

imported header file, then what?

Post by cayennep »

The header and alias files brought in by the initial Frame import were wrong - it put the topic name in the Identifier column.

Testing bringing in a (subset) header file, which seemed to work. Now have the full thing from developer, but testing is not enlightening so would rather have some better info before testing in a lot of different directions.

However, I can't make sense of what's happening in the alias file, and the help does not explain this or any best-practice. Hoping some who've done this can help, also have a support call out to madcap.

I do not see ANY of the ones mapped in the header file – there are only ‘NEWxxx’ in every Identifier row. How is that associated with the header, even tho I chose Keep existing? It doesn't seem like the alias file is being populated, or is related to the header. Exporting the header also doesn't show them.

Also, since I’m importing content in at least 6 different phases and groupings, any best-practice or heuristics would be appreciated. I'm leaning toward importing the whole header file and hoping the updates happen as I bring in new content, but would rather have separate header files for the 6 content areas, if not even smaller groupings.
devjoe
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:43 pm

Re: imported header file, then what?

Post by devjoe »

I am not quite sure what you seeing, but I can guess.

If you are importing from a non-help system like FrameMaker, there aren't going to be existing identifiers. So Flare has probably generated those identifiers (topic name in the identifier column) for you, in which case it generated identifiers based on topic titles.

The NEWxxx are also auto-generated identifiers, but without the option checked to generate identifiers using topic titles. So it sounds like you have autogenerated identifiers at least twice.

Since your developer has a header file for you, both of those are wrong. You should delete those autogenerated ones, use the header file your developer provided, and map the unassigned identifiers this results in to topics using the alias editor.

Finally, regarding the header files, either way works. If you import everything now, the ones for the future segments will hang around and not cause any problems until you need them (though you will see a yellow status light for the unmapped identifiers in the alias editor). If you have multiple header files in your project, Flare will force you to select one any time in the future you want to add new identifiers through the alias editor (as opposed to importing them). If it's a large project, though, this can be convenient for you - keep the topics from each import in a separate folder, and then in the alias editor, open one folder of topics and select the corresponding header file and you will only see those identifiers while you are mapping.
cayennep
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 390
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:42 pm

Re: imported header file, then what?

Post by cayennep »

Hi, and thanks

I did import that header file - but it was not clear what should be in it. I got it now, but not good news.
I can get the GUI ID list into Flare, but will have to assign the topics manually.
Even tho there's a list with both these pieces of info, the way alias and header files work in Flare there's no way to get both in. Support will add a couple requests that could simplify this considerably.
Not an option to create the alias file in a text editor - again, the way the Identifier, topic name/location, and value work in header and alias files, one must populate the other.

Header needs:
3 'columns' (using a text editor and excel)
#define
#Identifier/MapName (GUI ID, called both these things)
#value (number)

This is not clarified in the help, but I've requested they add it.
The value was the part that didn't make sense, but it's needed in the header. So instead of having Flare assign a value, it comes from the header. I still have to assign a topic.

hope this helps somebody, some day!
devjoe
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:43 pm

Re: imported header file, then what?

Post by devjoe »

If you have the information about what topics need to link to each identifier, you can make your own alias file with the information. You will need to put it into the XML format Flare expects, though. Take a look at anything you have built in Flare. Aside from the XML header and the CatapultAliasFile element, the alias file consists of a bunch of <Map /> tags, each of which has two attributes, Name (which is an identifier matching one in the header file) and Link (which is the path to the topic starting at /Content).
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