Linked topics from TOC not included in GPL import

[doloremipsum]

Salvete omnes, I've encountered an issue with the Flare project import function (global project linking) and am recording it here for posterity.

We generally keep all of our docs in a few large projects, but as part of my translation workflow I create a separate Flare project that only has one the required doc in it (trust me, easier to import that into Lingo than the whole thing). Anyway, normally I create a new blank project, add an import file and get it to import the relevant .fltar and .fllng files with linked files included. Up until now that has always brought through the linked TOCs, topics, images, etc.

This time the document is a huge training slideshow, that includes a few "sub-TOCs" - i.e. smaller TOCs that are linked in the main TOC for the document. This time, when I tried to import the targets as normal, the sub-TOCs came through but the topics linked to them did not. Interestingly, even when I created an import file that explicitly imported one of those TOCs, the linked topics didn't come through.

The problem seems to be that files linked from TOCs are only included via the target, so if the TOC isn't linked by a target the files are not included. As a workaround, I'm going to create some dummy targets to link to those sub-TOCs, which immediately causes Flare to recognise that I actually do want those topics.

[doloremipsum]

Hmm, may have spoken too soon calling this one solved. I've tried the workaround recorded above and it seems to have worked *some* of the time. As in, some of the sub-TOCs have brought all of their topics through on import and others have not. Very frustrating!

Does anyone have any thoughts? I can't find any difference between the ones that work and the ones that don't.

[doloremipsum]

Hmmm. Ok, the target thing seems to have been a red herring. What I'm finding is that the Auto-include linked files feature in the child project seems to base its understanding of the links on the Analyzer in the parent project (makes sense). When I looked at the TOCs in the parent project using the Link Viewer, I found that:

• Some TOCs showed the topics they were linked to in the Linked To column. When I imported into the child project, these TOCs came through with all of their topics/images/snippets.
• Some TOCs did not show the topics they were linked to in the Linked To column. When I imported into the child project, only the TOC came through and not any of the topics/images/snippets.

Clear correlation, but how to fix this underlying problem? I started by making duplicates of the not-working TOCs and adding the same topics to them. At first the outgoing links did not show up. I needed to do some fiddling around: saving the TOC, clicking Locate in Explorer, Locate in TOC and View Links on the topic. Eventually, the outgoing links appeared in the TOC's View Links pane, and they imported correctly into the child topic.

One of the many mysteries of Flare! I hope this saves someone from tearing their hair out in the future.

[Dave Lee]

As the list of linked topics is kept in the Analyzer database, deleting the Analyzer folder in the parent project (so it rebuilds) would probably fix it. I do this when I know the 'link viewer' list is incorrect.

I use conditions to mark the files I want to include in a project import, which is more time-consuming, but is the only reliable way I know to control what is and isn't included.

[doloremipsum]

As the list of linked topics is kept in the Analyzer database, deleting the Analyzer folder in the parent project (so it rebuilds) would probably fix it. I do this when I know the 'link viewer' list is incorrect.

Obviously I did that before trying anything else, thought that went without saying

I use conditions to mark the files I want to include in a project import, which is more time-consuming, but is the only reliable way I know to control what is and isn't included.

Honestly I think that would be much less reliable for me, I can't imagine the human error factor of trying to maintain a conditional tag on every file that is used in even one document.