Topics and folders not linked when dragged into TOC Editor

This forum is for all Flare issues not related to any of the other categories.
Post Reply
_[shapeonthewall]_
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:01 am
Location: Scotland

Topics and folders not linked when dragged into TOC Editor

Post by _[shapeonthewall]_ »

Hi,

I've searched for hours on the forums for a clue as to what I've done wrong, and having had no luck, am creating a new topic.

I use 2017r3 to author an Online Help. Recently, I completed a major update to the user documentation. This required moving some parent-level topics into another parent-level topic, which results in those parents becoming children. Other changes have included updates to the topic *.htm files, adding new screenshots to our images folder, and creating a small number of brand new topics for existing parent topics. Having done all the content work, I began to focus on the TOC work. But the drag and drop method has stopped working the way it should do -- when I drag a folder from the Content Explorer onto the TOC Editor, the folder -- and all its subfolders and their topics -- are NOT linked.

I am concerned that I have done something wrong that has stopped the feature from working. Is this failed behaviour a cryptic message telling me that I need to retrace my steps?!

I can't find any info on this on the MadCap Flare online help, nor on the entire interweb, it seems. Does anyone here know what actions or inactions during the processes outlined above would give rise to the failure of the TOC Editor?

Thanks!
Flare 2023 r2 bound to Azure DevOps TFS
doloremipsum
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 290
Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:11 pm

Re: Topics and folders not linked when dragged into TOC Edit

Post by doloremipsum »

Wow, it's news to me that you can drag a whole folder onto the TOC editor... You learn something new every day!

Rest assured its much more likely for Flare to be mixed up, not anything you've done. First Flare fix-it tip: close Flare. Open the project folder in the Windows Explorer. Delete the Analyzer and Output folders. Try again.

Are you sure that the topics in the TOC aren't linked to the correct topics? I wouldn't expect the folders to be linked to anything (folders aren't files), but the topics themselves should be linked.
in hoc foro dolorem ipsum amamus, consectimur, adipisci volumus.
_[shapeonthewall]_
Jr. Propeller Head
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:01 am
Location: Scotland

Re: Topics and folders not linked when dragged into TOC Edit

Post by _[shapeonthewall]_ »

I feel terrible that I forgot to reply to this!

The answer was that folders won't be linked nor the items in them - but you can set the view in the Contents panel to show a second pane which lists the files in whatever folder you select in the left-hand pane. And this is what you need to do if you want to select all the files in a folder and drag them onto the TOC - and they'll be linked. Bingo!
Flare 2023 r2 bound to Azure DevOps TFS
Post Reply