Our Help projects were created in a Help authoring application called HelpStudio.
Has anyone got any experience with importing topics from HS projects?
So far, I have managed to import html files to Flare, but when I attempted to open one and clicked Yes to have it converted to XML, for every .html file I receive the message:
Failed to run command 'Open'.
Exception:
Html Parser: Invalid namespace declaration, Line 2, position 23.
The file was saved to
C:\...
That file contains the line (all the exported files, of course):
<html xmlns:innovasys="" xmlns:MSHelp="http://msdn.microsoft.com/mshelp" xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
As one can see, it does not contain a Web site address in the first xmlns declaration, but is that enough to make Flare spit the dummy?
Secondly, what can I do about it?
I appreciate any help and / or experiences you may be able to share, thank you.
Importing Help project from HelpStudio
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jivana
- Propeller Head
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Importing Help project from HelpStudio
Stefan Tober
Flare 9 on Win 7
Flare 9 on Win 7
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RamonS
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Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
You could use a text editing tool that can do find & replace in multiple files. I'd just remove the line entirely, but recommend you try that with one file first.
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
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KevinDAmery
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Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
Yes, I think the empty namespace declaration is the problem, as that is not valid XHTML. Flare requires the topic code to be valid in order to work with it. If you remove the innovasys namespace declaration, it should work.
RamonS's suggestion of how to go about it should be good, although I wouldn't remove the line entirely. Instead I would do
Find:
<html xmlns:innovasys="" xmlns:MSHelp="http://msdn.microsoft.com/mshelp" xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
Replace:
<html xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
That should make it the same as a standard Flare topic. You can use Flare to perform the find and replace: just tell the find and replace tool to seach "Whole Project" instead of "Current Topic" and to search in source code and you're off to the races. (But as RamonS says, try one topic first to be safe - once you've confirmed that worked, do the whole project.)
RamonS's suggestion of how to go about it should be good, although I wouldn't remove the line entirely. Instead I would do
Find:
<html xmlns:innovasys="" xmlns:MSHelp="http://msdn.microsoft.com/mshelp" xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
Replace:
<html xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd">
That should make it the same as a standard Flare topic. You can use Flare to perform the find and replace: just tell the find and replace tool to seach "Whole Project" instead of "Current Topic" and to search in source code and you're off to the races. (But as RamonS says, try one topic first to be safe - once you've confirmed that worked, do the whole project.)
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
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RamonS
- Senior Propellus Maximus
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- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:29 am
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Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
Yea, do what Kevin suggested, because my proposal would have taken the html start tag out, which not a good idea.
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
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jivana
- Propeller Head
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:02 pm
- Location: Byron Shire, NSW, Australia
Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
Thanks for the prompt help, I'll try that.
Stefan Tober
Flare 9 on Win 7
Flare 9 on Win 7
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derek_warren
- Propeller Head
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Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
I'd love to see MC impliment a xml comment extraction function in Flare. It's probably not a huge market, but every tech writer tasked with writing an SDK will be more compelled to go the MC route if they can seemlessly import xml comments.
Innovasys has some great features and functionalities, but from personal experience now, I can tell you that they encourage Document X customers (this is the tool that does the actual extraction) to also purchase their HelpStudio to enjoy "the full functionality" of the Innovasys solution. And while I can export from DocX to a CHM file and then import it to Flare, the results for paritcularly the auto-generated/xml comments portion is broken.
Why not make the world's best HAT and single-sourcing tool capable of documenting source code comments, too? I know you guys would do an awesome job of it.
Innovasys has some great features and functionalities, but from personal experience now, I can tell you that they encourage Document X customers (this is the tool that does the actual extraction) to also purchase their HelpStudio to enjoy "the full functionality" of the Innovasys solution. And while I can export from DocX to a CHM file and then import it to Flare, the results for paritcularly the auto-generated/xml comments portion is broken.
Why not make the world's best HAT and single-sourcing tool capable of documenting source code comments, too? I know you guys would do an awesome job of it.
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Nita Beck
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Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
Sounds like a good suggestion, Derek. Anything that can streamline getting stuff into Flare is welcome. But "we guys" on the forums are other users like yourself, not MadCap developers (although they do sometimes visit the forums).
The best way to make a request for a feature enhancement is to complete MadCap's form at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx.
The best way to make a request for a feature enhancement is to complete MadCap's form at https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx.
Nita
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
RETIRED, but still fond of all the Flare friends I've made. See you around now and then!
Re: Importing Help project from HelpStudio
YES PLEASE.derek_warren wrote:I'd love to see MC impliment a xml comment extraction function in Flare. It's probably not a huge market, but every tech writer tasked with writing an SDK will be more compelled to go the MC route if they can seemlessly import xml comments.
Innovasys has some great features and functionalities, but from personal experience now, I can tell you that they encourage Document X customers (this is the tool that does the actual extraction) to also purchase their HelpStudio to enjoy "the full functionality" of the Innovasys solution. And while I can export from DocX to a CHM file and then import it to Flare, the results for paritcularly the auto-generated/xml comments portion is broken.
Why not make the world's best HAT and single-sourcing tool capable of documenting source code comments, too? I know you guys would do an awesome job of it.
I've submitted this as an enhancement request before, and encourage everyone who would use such a feature to do the same.- Laura