Help finding error in a CSH call

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AlanKearns
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Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

I am having trouble diagnosing something which is going wrong with a demo of HTML5 CSH I’m trying to do. I have two skins ‘KBSkin’ the default, and ‘KBSkin_CSH’, which differs in that it sets the window size and position, and turns the navigation pane off.

The trigger below is not working, in that it picks up the size and position correctly, but it leaves the navigation pane on, and shows the browser’s ‘page not found’ in the main pane.

Code: Select all

<input type="button" value="Help" onclick="MadCap.OpenHelp('Details.htm', 'KBSkin_CSH', null, null );" /> 
I’ve tried varying the parameters to see where my mistake might be as follows:

1. Replacing the filename with ‘null’ displays as expected; correct size and position, navigation hidden, site home page displayed as expected.

2. Replacing the skin name with ‘null’ displays as expected; The ‘Details’ page displays in the current browser window, with navigation shown.

3. Replacing the skin name with ‘KBSkin’ displays the browser’s ‘page not found’ in the main pane of the current browser window, with navigation shown.

What is puzzling me is that this seems to show that the most obvious error – getting the target filename wrong in the button – is not what’s causing it, because version 2 finds it.

Please let me know if this rings any bells with you!
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

The really strange thing is that it used to work!

I have a project from 6 months ago which worked fine. This project is a copy of it.

In fact, the original one has stopped working too. I have output built from it at the time, and accompanying web page with button, and they work fine. But if I open the project, change the build directory so as not to overwrite, and rebuild, then I get exactly the same problem.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

Something similar happens even when I use the URL method, so it's not necessarily Javascript. Including the CSH skin from the URL causes the error message to display but with the navigation pane showing, excluding it caused the correct topic to be displayed, again with the navigation pane showing.

It's like the combination of the two - an alternate skin and a specific topic - that has to be in place for it to go wrong. I've tried actually using an alias file and ID names/values, with no success, too.

Could it be introduced during an upgrade? Only a file comparison of csh.js on my original working output and today's, shows some differences in the content.
NorthEast
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by NorthEast »

I tested using the skin setting in CSH calls to HTML5 targets (tripane) a while ago (v9 possibly), and found it didn't work very well at all.
Only some of the skin properties worked. I only checked the URL method (not javascript), but there are bugs in this area that have never been fixed.

I'd suggest asking MadCap support, as they can probably confirm if it should work (and how), or whether it's broken and won't work.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

Thank you - I've found that the problem goes away if I open the project in an old v10 copy and rebuild. So it looks like it stopped working during a product update, rather than from something I did, so I have taken your advice and contacted Support.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

Turns out it's a bug starting at v11, and Madcap have raised a Bug Report for me.
SusanL
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by SusanL »

AlanKearns wrote:Turns out it's a bug starting at v11, and Madcap have raised a Bug Report for me.
Hope they fix it soon. We ran into it, too. Good thing I make it a habit to keep previous versions... :) Even better that somebody else found it first and had a workaround!
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

Unfortunately my colleague got his copy of Flare post-v11, so we have only one copy that can create CSH.

It may only be a tiny fault in the output .js file, but effectively it takes CSH using HTML5 (i.e. the main medium now that CHM is deprecated) off the list of what Flare can output, and that's a HUGE part of what it's for. It's sort of worrying.
cbspowart
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by cbspowart »

Thank you so much everyone for ensuring the rest of us none trail blazers don't fall into the same hole - I have this error occuring and now have saved what little hair I have.

Thank you all. Colin
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

I'd be interested to know if v12 fixes this issue - It'll be a few weeks before my upgrade gets deployed.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

It turns out v12 doesn't fix this bug - Support have just confirmed.
SusanL
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by SusanL »

AlanKearns wrote:It turns out v12 doesn't fix this bug - Support have just confirmed.
Does anyone know if Flare 2017 solves this issue? I still have version 10 to compile CSH help. Works fine, but is a bit of a pain to remember to switch versions.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

SusanL wrote:
AlanKearns wrote:It turns out v12 doesn't fix this bug - Support have just confirmed.
Does anyone know if Flare 2017 solves this issue? I still have version 10 to compile CSH help. Works fine, but is a bit of a pain to remember to switch versions.
When I raised it, I was told by Madcap it was going on the register as a tracked bug report and I'd get an email when it was fixed, but that hasn't arrived yet.

Best regards

Alan
SusanL
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by SusanL »

Does anybody know if ver. 17 R2 or R3 fixes this problem? I am still using version 10 to create CSH help.
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

The abovementioned email hasn't arrived, so I'd say not. I also keep an eye out on the release notes of new versions on the Flare KB and haven't seen it..

It's odd really. Flare is for creating help systems, HTML5 became the leading format for help systems following the demise of CHM, and yet there seems no urgency to fixing a bug that effectively prevents Flare v >10 from doing HTML5 CSH.

It looks like the PDF documentation for 2017 is still claiming that it works, though....
SusanL
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by SusanL »

Does anyone know if any of the 2018 releases fix this problem? I still have a copy of ver. 10, so am able to produce HTML5 CSH help. Perhaps there are just not that many of us working with HTML5 CSH to prompt them to fix this issue? It's been going on a long time.
Nita Beck
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by Nita Beck »

SusanL wrote:Does anyone know if any of the 2018 releases fix this problem? I still have a copy of ver. 10, so am able to produce HTML5 CSH help. Perhaps there are just not that many of us working with HTML5 CSH to prompt them to fix this issue? It's been going on a long time.
Look here:
https://kb.madcapsoftware.com/Content/F ... _Notes.htm
Nita
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RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
AlanKearns
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Re: Help finding error in a CSH call

Post by AlanKearns »

I never did get that reply of a bug fix but yes, I am no longer getting the problem with Flare 2018.

Regards

Alan Kearns
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