Handling X-refs with multiple projects and output types

[CJWyckoff]

We have three separate but related projects. One of the output types is Webhelp: for that output we output all the projects in one Webhelp build using global linking. We also output two of the projects as separate CHM files; and one of the projects is split up and output as separate manuals (controlled by topic level condition tags, manual-specific targets, and manual-specific TOCs).

In our experience, you can't cross-reference a topic in one project from another project, even in the globally-linked WebHelp output. (You get a "can't find/can't display page" error.) Also, when producing a PDF, if the topic is not in the .fltoc file used by the target, you can't successfully cross-reference to the topic. However, that same xref works in the WebHelp output, because all projects and topics are included there.

To avoid displaying broken links we are employing the following rules and crossreference usage:

----Do not cross-reference a specific topic in another project. Instead, use this format:
For more information about [subject matter], see [Other Project Documentation Name].

----To cross reference another manual in the same project, tag the topic name cross reference with the XrefOtherManual condition (as bold below). In the target, exclude or include this condition based on the nature of the output.
So for the WebHelp site, the cross-reference would have this format:
For more information about [subject matter], see [topic name as live link] in [TOC/Manual section ].
For the PDF or CHM, the link would be excluded:
For more information about [subject matter], see [Manual Name as separate book].

(The type of manual name text (book or TOC section) is controlled by two output related conditions.)

Questions: Is anyone else able to cross-reference across projects successfully?
For a PDF output, is the determining factor that the topic be included in the TOC and (not be excluded by conditions) if you want to link to it?

If anyone else has come up with any sure-fire cross-reference scheme for multi-project/multi-manual referencing, we'd be interested to hear about it.

[alaltenburg]

If you could just clarify for me a few things
1.) What do you want the final out to look like at the cross-reference? do you want to be able to click on a word and have a new topic pop up, or do you want it to say "see figure in another chapter"?
2.) Are you testing within the preview or after a full build? If you link to another chapter, the preview feature within Flare will not recognize the link until after the build.
3.) Is the chapter you are working on and the chapter you want to cross reference within the same folder?

I want to make sure I know exactly what you are doing so I can help you find your answer

Andrea

[CJWyckoff]

Thanks for your questions.

1. Final output text varies depending on output type (print or screen) , but ideally, clicking on a word would open the xref'd topic.
The cross-reference will look like this for Print (PDF, mostly):

• For more information, see "Topic A" on page 42.

and like this for Screen (Webhelp, CHM):

• For more information, see "Topic A".

2. Testing after a full build.

3. Even within a "manual", the topics may not be within the same Contents Explorer folder. (Is this the kind of folder you meant?)

[alaltenburg]

Have you tried opening up .chm output file you are linking to, right click in the topic, click properties, then copy the Address mk:@MSITStore:... into an External Hyperlink (instead of cross reference option)?

The third question is asking if the .chm files are kept in the same folder after a build. The links will only work if they are sharing a folder.

HTH,
Andrea