Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

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AlanFisk
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Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

I have a large number of topics that were copied from another project, which had a different style sheet. When I look at a topic under the preview feature, it appears correctly with the settings of the style sheet in the new project, but when I actually create the DotNet Help target, the topics appear with the old style sheet.
Alan Fisk
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Commonwealth Secretariat
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LTinker68
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by LTinker68 »

Make sure the DotNet Help target is pointing to the correct masterpage, if applicable, and the correct stylesheet medium. And if you are using a masterpage, make sure the masterpage is pointing to the correct stylesheet.

Also, more than likely, you have two references to stylesheets in the topic, because if you open the Properties screen for a topic and select a different stylesheet, you're not actually removing the reference to the old stylesheet, you're just adding a reference to a second stylesheet. To make sure a topic is pointing to the correct stylesheet, either open it in the Internal Text Editor and look for the stylesheet references, or open the topic in the XML Editor and go to Tools > Stylesheet Links and see how many stylesheets are associated with that topic.
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Lisa
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AlanFisk
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

Thank you, but the DotNet Help target is pointing at the correct master page. There's only one master page in the project, but the offending topics simply take no notice of it.

I changed the style sheet medium from "Default" to "Non-print", but that had no effect.

The topics also point to only one style sheet, which is correct as well. These topics, which all appear as they should in the preview, still display in the output as they did in their former project, even though they are now cut off from their old style sheet and master page. I've also checked that the old style sheet and master page aren't still lurking somewhere in the project.
Alan Fisk
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LTinker68
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by LTinker68 »

AlanFisk wrote:,,, even though they are now cut off from their old style sheet and master page.
If you look at the source code for one of these topics after you've compiled the project, do you see any references other than the ones Flare automatically adds? You should see MadCap.css and one or two others.

And you've checked the stylesheet to make sure the html tag isn't pointing to the old masterpage?
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Lisa
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Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
AlanFisk
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

Thank you. There aren't any extra references to style sheets in the source code, or in the html tag.

I did notice that I hadn't changed the Master Page medium to Non-print, so I've done that and will try another build... but not until Monday morning, because a build takes more than 40 minutes (twice as long as early versions of RoboHelp did), and it's going-home time in 15 minutes. Have a nice weekend.
Alan Fisk
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AlanFisk
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

That didn't work, either. Here are the two different versions.

First of all, the Preview (which is correct, and is what I want):

Image

Here's the Output, which shows the old styles and ignores the Master Page:

Image
Alan Fisk
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AlanFisk
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

The only clue that I can see, which may be irrelevant, is that the old project was originally created (not by me) in ForeHelp, and I wonder whether some of the residual ForeHelp instructions are somehow overriding the Flare ones. Perhaps it's the ForeHelp "Ignore" commands? If I open the topic with the Internal Text Editor, it shows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<html xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
<head><title>Debt Management and Macroeconomic Management</title>
<script src="hints.js" language="javascript">/*<![CDATA[*/


/*]]>*/</script>
<!--ForeHelp.Ignore-->
<script language="JAVASCRIPT" src="sniffer.js">
</script> <![CDATA[ ]]><script language="JAVASCRIPT" src="hhscript.js"></script> <![CDATA[ ]]><script language="JAVASCRIPT" src="CSDRMS2000+.js"></script> <![CDATA[ ]]><script language="JAVASCRIPT" src="fh_dhtml.js"></script><!--ForeHelp.EndIgnore--><link href="Resources/Stylesheets/DMSStylesheet.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /></head>
<body>
<!--ForeHelp.Keyword KKEYS="Debt Management and Macroeconomic Management"-->
<object id="HHCTRL1" type="application/x-oleobject" classid="clsid:1e2a7bd0-dab9-11d0-b93a-00c04fc99f9e" codebase="hhctrl.ocx#Version=5,2,3790,2453" width="0" height="0">
<param name="Keyword" value="Debt Management and Macroeconomic Management" />
</object>
<!--ForeHelp.EndKeyword-->
<!--ForeHelp.Banner-->
<h1 class="BannerBase">
<nobr>Debt Management and Macroeconomic Management</nobr>
</h1>
<!--ForeHelp.Ignore-->
<hr />
<!--ForeHelp.EndIgnore-->
<!--ForeHelp.EndBanner-->
<p class="NormalText">Debt management has become an integral component of macroeconomic management. It is recognised that debt
management strategies must be coordinated with monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies to ensure long-term
macroeconomic stability. The impact of debt on broad macroeconomic variables may be significant. Evidence
suggests that poor debt management practices may be a major factor underlying such problems as high inflation,
a large current account deficit, and sluggish or negative output growth. Many countries with high levels
of debt or risky debt structures find it more difficult to correct macroeconomic imbalances and achieve
or sustain economic stability. The challenge for debt managers therefore is to ensure that they adopt
sound debt management practices. </p>
<p class="NormalText">
<!--ForeHelp.Hotspot JUMP="What_is_Debt_Management"-->
<!--ForeHelp.EndHotspot--><a href="What_is_Debt_Management.htm"><--Prev</a>
<!--ForeHelp.Hotspot JUMP="Debt_Management_in_a_Liberalising_Environment"-->
<!--ForeHelp.EndHotspot--><a href="Debt_Management_in_a_Libera.htm">Next--></a>
</p>
</body>
</html>
Alan Fisk
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Commonwealth Secretariat
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KevinDAmery
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by KevinDAmery »

Not sure if the Forehelp tags are hurting anything, but they probably aren't helping. I'd try removing them all from one of the topics and see if it behaves any differently. (Make a backup of the topic first, just to be safe...)
Until next time....
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AlanFisk
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

Thank you, Kevin, but it didn't help. I'll set the problem aside until the person who created the original ForeHelp and then Flare files returns from an overseas mission, and then ask him if he can explain it. He is a software expert and may have built in some clever trick that we now need to undo. I appreciate your efforts to help. Meanwhile, I can get on with rearranging the topics, which doesn't depend upon them outputtting (putting out?) correctly.
Alan Fisk
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LTinker68
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Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by LTinker68 »

There could also be something in the Javascript files. Even some of Flare's styles are specified in JS files. That would explain why it appears fine in the Preview -- at that point, Flare hasn't loaded the JS files and applied them, so it's only going by what's in the stylesheet. If you remove all JS references (make a copy of the topic, as suggested), then it might work.
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Lisa
Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
AlanFisk
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Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:15 am

Re: Topic doesn't appear as in the preview

Post by AlanFisk »

That sounds very plausible. I'll try it. Thank you.
Alan Fisk
Technical Writer
Special Advisory Services Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
London
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