Bloated .chm; can't exclude topics/images

[phriend_o_phlair]

Hello - I've read a few of the threads regarding my problem, but the fixes suggested have not helped me. In short, I have a project (Installation Guide) with a unique TOC, Skin, and Target. I have checked the box next to the Do not use "Content" folder in the output option, and I have checked the box to Exclude content not linked directly or indirectly from the target.

I've also moved all the assets for this little target into it's own folder in the Content tree, AND I've scanned each and every asset in this project for links to other files. Aside from the fact that the .css is shared between all of my topics/targets, I can't see anywhere that a link is leading either directly or indirectly to assets outside of the installation guide itself.

An additional tidbit is that the .chm output does not include the entire project's files. It ends up being about one third the size of the main project.

Any ideas!? I'm on 8.1.2. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Msquared]

Can I clarify your issue? Are you saying that your CHM output includes some items that are in your project, but not referenced directly or indirectly from the TOC. However, there are other items that are not referenced from the TOC which are correctly excluded?

And when you say "assets" in your original text, do you mean topics, or images, or things like stylesheets, etc? Or any/all of those?

If it is the case that some items but not others are being included unexpectedly, can you see any pattern for what is included unexpectedly, and what is correctly excluded? For example, items in a specific folder, or of a specific type, or relating to a specific area of your content?

[phriend_o_phlair]

Hi Msquared! Thanks for advising. Responses inline in red:

Can I clarify your issue? Are you saying that your CHM output includes some items that are in your project, but not referenced directly or indirectly from the TOC.
Yes.
However, there are other items that are not referenced from the TOC which are correctly excluded?
Yes, exactly!
And when you say "assets" in your original text, do you mean topics, or images, or things like stylesheets, etc?
Htm topics and images.
Or any/all of those?
Htm topics and images. CSS is shared across the entire project.
If it is the case that some items but not others are being included unexpectedly, can you see any pattern for what is included unexpectedly, and what is correctly excluded?
Great suggestion, but I've already tried this. I've even looked at the full text of the build progress window (I forget what it's called at the moment) to try and pinpoint where things get off-kilter. No luck with this approach yet.
For example, items in a specific folder, or of a specific type, or relating to a specific area of your content?
No luck trying this approach.

Any ideas?

[whunter]

Do you have an alias file associated with the target? I'm not 100% sure but I think if the file is referenced in the alias file then that is enough to include it in the output.

[phriend_o_phlair]

Boy, I wish that were it!! Great suggestion, but there's no alias file associated with this target.

[phriend_o_phlair]

I looked again at the Build Progress window, and here's the very beginning of the build log, right before all the .htm topics are processed and generated. Does this mean anything to ya'll?:

Getting the latest version of all files in the project...
Querying source control server. This could take several minutes.
All files are up to date.
Removing previously generated content...
Checking if auto-sync of any import file is needed...
Loading skin info...
Gathering Glossary information...
Gathering Auto-index information...
Loading Master TOC...
Processing Master TOC...
Collecting linked (merged) help system info...
Collecting source files...
Processing source files...
Processing CSS: default.css...
Processing CSS: SPSelectMain.css...
Generating output files...

[Msquared]

What about a relationship table? Do you have one of those in your project? If a topic is referenced there, that topic will be included in the output whether or not it is in the TOC, unless the reference in the relationship table is explicitly conditionalized out of that particular build.

If not, what about a Browse Sequence? I don't have one of those in my project, so I'm not sure in detail how it works, but that could reference topics you don't want included.

A glossary could also have references to topics you don't want included. That's another possibility.

[jasonsmith]

Hi there

this is a problem associated with the chm format (there are several posts on the subject, as you have already found). We had a similar problem and the only fix we found was to conditionalize all the files used to build the target and import them into a separate project using a .flimp file set to pull out only the files of interest.

[phriend_o_phlair]

What about a relationship table? Do you have one of those in your project? If a topic is referenced there, that topic will be included in the output whether or not it is in the TOC, unless the reference in the relationship table is explicitly conditionalized out of that particular build.

If not, what about a Browse Sequence? I don't have one of those in my project, so I'm not sure in detail how it works, but that could reference topics you don't want included.

A glossary could also have references to topics you don't want included. That's another possibility.

Hi Msquared - Thanks for your thoughts. We have no browse sequence, relationship table, or glossary. I really appreciate your replies. I'm sure that someone will find them on the forum here soon, and end up having their problem solved!! I think that you and jasonsmith have hit upon what we will have to do: conditionalize everything.

[phriend_o_phlair]

Hi there

this is a problem associated with the chm format (there are several posts on the subject, as you have already found). We had a similar problem and the only fix we found was to conditionalize all the files used to build the target and import them into a separate project using a .flimp file set to pull out only the files of interest.

Yep. I think this is what we'll be doing. Thanks a heap, man!