Issues with dropdown text in HTML.

[Boone]

I'm using dropdown text in my Flare V7 HTML Help and have come across the following issues:
1. The "Find in this Topic" feature does not find text that exists in dropdown unless the text is expanded.
2. Using the Search tab to find a keyword does not find it if it exists in dropdown unless the text is expanded.
3. Returning to a hyperlink in dropdown text does not return to the expanded text. It returns to the area of the topic containing the dropdown, but since the dropdown is closed - you can't see where the hyperlink was.

Much as I like using dropdown text, these issues are making it much less appealing. My users have been complaining about this.

Does anyone know how to get around these issues?

[crdmerge]

This might be an HTML Help issue, because in my WebHelp, the dropdown opens in "Search All" and in "Find in this topic". Sorry, but I can't seem to find anything in the help about this issue, either.


Good luck,
Leon

[i-tietz]

If you mean the "quicksearch" in the Webhelp toolbar or topic toolbar: in HTML Help the behaviour is that dropdowns, togglers and expanding texts are open and the found strings are highlighted.
The search in the search pane finds the strings in the file but doesn't open dropdowns & co.

Edit: (22.11.2011)
The quicksearch function only finds whole words, not parts of words ... could that be the reason?

[i-tietz]

3. Returning to a hyperlink in dropdown text does not return to the expanded text. It returns to the area of the topic containing the dropdown, but since the dropdown is closed - you can't see where the hyperlink was.

If the link takes you to another topic then the behaviour is correct. Going back via the back button takes you back to the topic. But the dropdown only opens if you jump to a bookmark inside teh dropdownbody.

You could implement that though - with javascript (js) ... (this is becoming my standard answer - I know )
Outline:
You insert the js into the masterpage.
The js rewrites all the links in the topic when its loaded (event "onload"): It adds a bookmark (let's call it bmatlink) to the topic right beside the link (let's say it jumps to topicB.htm) and rewrites the link itself to a javascript link so that when someone clicks on the link
1. the current topic URL is replaced by the topic URL including the bookmark beside the link, means: topicA.htm is changed into topicA.htm#bmatlink
2. the topic called topicB.htm is called.
This should result in: If you are in topicB.htm and use the back button, it takes you back to topicA.htm#bmatlink. This bookmark is inside a dropdown, so the jump backwards should take you to the link in the open dropdown.