Adobe Using RoboHelp (2015 Release) Robo Help 2015 Operation Manual Ug En

User Manual: adobe RoboHelp - 2015 - Operation Manual Free User Guide for Adobe RoboHelp Software, Manual

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Using RoboHelp (2015
release)

September 30, 2016

Contents

Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Basic workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Create a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Author the content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Import files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Develop the navigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Customize the output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Generate, test, and distribute the Help package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Activation and registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Install the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Help with installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
License activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Adobe Product Improvement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Help and support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Adobe Community Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Accessing RoboHelp help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Services, downloads, and extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Adobe Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Adobe downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Adobe Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Adobe forums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Adobe TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
RoboHelp sample projects and output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
RoboHelp Developer Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Previous RoboHelp Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What’s new in RoboHelp (release 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Output searchability enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

i

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Publishing enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . .
PhoneGap integration for Mobile app support
User interface enhancements . . . . . . . . . .
About RoboHelp Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tracking and reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic project merging . . . . . . . . . . .
Support for languages other than English . . .
Integration with SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . .
SharePoint version matrix . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 9
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. 11
. 12
. 12
. 12
. 13
. 14

Exploring the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Workspace overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Quick Access Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
RoboHelp Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tabbed document pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Working with the RoboHelp tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Working with pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
View a pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Arrange pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Types of pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Starter pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Project Manager pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Output Setup pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Snippets pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Styles And Formatting pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
User Defined Variables pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Error List pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Output View pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Toolbox pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Resource Manager pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
External content search pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
RoboHelp Server pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Create and save an environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Load an environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Restore the default environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Delete an environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Create or remove keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Create keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Remove or reset keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Configure general settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Set the default language and other preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Enable or disable confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Enable, disable, or reset notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

ii

Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Project basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
About projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Help project components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Files in a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Main project file (XPJ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Folder files (FPJ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Single-source layout files (SSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Auxiliary project files (APJ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Other types of files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
About output types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
End-user viewer requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Create and manage projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Create a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Create a project by importing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Create a project using FrameMaker or Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Create a project using a DITA map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Save projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Disable auto-save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Opening a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Open a project when starting RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Open a project after starting RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Upgrading a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pin a project to the list of recently opened projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Change project settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Set options on the Stop List pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Set options on the Phrases pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Set options on the “Always Ignore” Words pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Set options on the LNG File pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Set options on the Synonyms pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Rename a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Viewing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Define chapter layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Drag folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Manage files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
List topics by title or filename . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Using the To Do list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Edit the list of recently opened projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Add files to the Baggage folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Remove files from the Baggage folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Map file types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Remove topics from projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Manage folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Create folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Project Manager folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

iii

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Rename folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Move folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Remove custom folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
File and folder icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Authoring content in multiple languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Support for multiple languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Translation workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Compare content in different languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Select a different language for translating a project file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Create a project with a different language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Customizing text for localization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp and FlashHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
WebHelp only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Edit the Labels file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Change the default project language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Language support for associated dictionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Index localized text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Universal character sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Support for Unicode text encoding standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Set up input languages on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Upgrade localized projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Minor customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Major customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Import PDF files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Create a project by importing a PDF file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Create new topics based on styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Import PDF files into a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Importing and linking Word and FrameMaker documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Importing and linking Microsoft Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Steps to import a Word document into RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Steps to link a Word document from RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Linking versus importing Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Optimizing Word documents for online output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Linking options for Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Link and import Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Create a project by importing a Word document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Link a Word document to a RoboHelp project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Import a Word document into a RoboHelp project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Convert headers and footers in Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Converting Word styles to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Select CSS for style mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Automap styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

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Convert Word paragraph styles to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Convert Word character styles to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
List mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Create custom HTML tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Convert Word table styles to RoboHelp table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Convert Word references to hyperlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Create RoboHelp styles from inline formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Pagination and topic naming in converted Word files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Set pagination for online Help topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Convert context-sensitive Help markers in Word to map IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Define the topic name pattern for generated topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Synchronizing linked Word documents with RoboHelp projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Word document synchronization status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Generate topics from linked Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Update topics generated from linked Word documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Preserve changes to a topic during an update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Delete a generated topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Regenerate a deleted topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Edit a linked Word document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Delete a linked Word document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Restore a link to a missing or renamed Word document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Word conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Export conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Import conversion settings to a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Word document components converted to RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Importing FrameMaker documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Optimizing for online output before conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Preparing FrameMaker documents for conversion to Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Importing FrameMaker documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Create a RoboHelp project by importing FrameMaker books or documents . . . . . . . . . . 90
Import a FrameMaker book into a new RoboHelp project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Import FrameMaker documents into an existing RoboHelp project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
FrameMaker document components converted to RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Conversion basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Convert a FrameMaker TOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Import FrameMaker index entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Import glossary definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Apply conditions from a Ditaval file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Converting FrameMaker formats to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Select a FrameMaker template for conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Select the CSS for style mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Content reference to: Automap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Upgrading from RoboHelp 7 to RoboHelp 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Hierarchical structure in a FrameMaker 9 book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Convert FrameMaker cross-reference formats to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Content reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

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Conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Setting pagination and topic names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Pagination basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Topic name basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Set pagination and topic names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Convert context-sensitive Help markers from FrameMaker documents . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Apply FrameMaker conditional text build expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Converting FrameMaker content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Convert FrameMaker paragraph formats to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Convert FrameMaker character formats to RoboHelp styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Exclude a FrameMaker paragraph format from Help topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Custom HTML tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Autonumber style mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
List-mapping scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Convert FrameMaker table formats to RoboHelp table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Image conversion settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Preserve converted images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Create alternate text for images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Import a DITA map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Import XML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Select XML Import Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Advanced XML Import Options dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
About the XML Handler Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Import Microsoft HTML Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Import WinHelp projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Import WinHelp Project settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
What’s This Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
External topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Bullets/Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
WinHelp folder import options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Folder for HTML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Folders for images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
File options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
WinHelp formatting import options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
WinHelp general import options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Navigation pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Default pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
HLP and HPJ files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
HTML projects from WinHelp: Frequently asked questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Will WinHelp macros work in the HTML project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Can HTML topics open in custom windows as in WinHelp? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Can I use tabs in HTML topics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

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How can I add spaces to position text in HTML topics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Tables convert into HTML topics, but the columns do not resize properly and a horizontal
scroll bar appears. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
How can I fix incorrectly formatted bullet lists? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
My WinHelp topics use manually numbered lists with {SEQ} fields. What happens to these
fields? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
What happens to nonscrolling regions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
The background in the Design Editor is gray, but in the preview window is white. How can
I make the background always white? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
When I click a hyperlink, an error says the system cannot open the site or find the path.
What does this mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
After I create the HTML project, is it ready to distribute? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Will context-sensitive topics transfer into an HTML project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Import a WinHelp HLP file into an HTML project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
HTML limitations with HLP files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Tips for creating HTML projects with HLP files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Import a WinHelp HPJ file into an HTML project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Tips for creating HTML projects with HPJ files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Adding projects to version control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
About version control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Apply version control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Access version control options in pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Version control FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
How does version control work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
How can multiple authors use version control? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Can single-user projects use version control? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Are multiuser checkouts OK? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Where can I set version control options for RoboHelp? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Will I need my version control program outside RoboHelp? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Should I check out the project file (XPJ) to edit the project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Are items added to the project also added to version control? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Are items removed from the project removed from version control? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Where are the latest changes made by the team? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
How can I add output files to version control? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Add a RoboHelp project to version control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
File checkin/checkout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Version control with Microsoft SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Configure RoboHelp settings for SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Configure SharePoint document library settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Add a project to a SharePoint document library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Merging Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
About merged Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Create a master project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Publish child projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

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View merged Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Remove merged child projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Customize merged Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro, or FlashHelp Pro projects . . . . 140
FAQs about merging projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Master projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
WebHelp projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
HTML Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Adobe AIR projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Export project reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Print reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Send reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Generate and customize reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Broken links report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Conditional Build Tag report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
See Also report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Index report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Duplicate Map IDs report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
External Topics report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Glossary report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Images report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Map IDs report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Project Status report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Snippets report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Style Sheets report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Table Of Contents report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Topic Properties report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Topic References report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Topics By Priority report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Unreferenced Topics report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Unused files report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Unused index keywords report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Used Files report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Missing topics report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Variables report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
URL Properties dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Delete Old Project dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Move File Into Project dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Help to HTML style options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
HTML Help Advanced Settings tri-pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Navigation pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

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HTML Help Advanced Settings TOC tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Working with topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Create, save, and open topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Create a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Save topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Save a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Enable or disable Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Rename topic files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Open topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Support for multiple document interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Author in XHTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Convert XHTML to HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Validate XHTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Import and copy topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Import topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Copy topics into a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
View topics and design elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Preview topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Define a conditional build expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
View design elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Create a master page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Create a master page from a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Formatting master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Edit a master page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Change the CSS associated with a master page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Insert a placeholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Format and edit placeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Importing master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Applying master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Apply a master page to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Apply a master page to multiple topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Adding headers and footers for printed documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Manage topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Rename a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Update topic references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Add underscores to file names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Change topic properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Change topic properties on the Index tab (WebHelp Pro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Changing master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Find a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Locate topics or images in Project manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Assign a default topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
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Track topic status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
View and manage topic details in the Topics List pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Work with the Tag list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Check spelling and find and replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Check spelling in the TOC, index, see also list, or glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Specify spelling options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Main Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Special Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Auto-correct spelling options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
View Ignore Words list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Check spelling in topics or projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Spelling check options for topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Spelling check options for projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Customize a dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Use the thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Find and replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Set Find and Replace options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Viewing Find results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
W3C compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
General pane for Oracle projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Editing and formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
RoboHelp editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
RoboHelp Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
RoboHelp HTML Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Open RoboHelp HTML Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Undo a change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
View line numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Add keyword expansions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Change code color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Third-party HTML editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Using RoboHelp with other HTML editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Add an HTML editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Remove or rename an HTML editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Auto-select an HTML editor or set a default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Specify an editor for new topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Character formatting and fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Apply or remove character formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Apply color to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Define advanced font options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Change character spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Change font size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Create a font set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Apply a font set to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Change font sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
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Remove font sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Insert symbols and special characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Insert a non-breaking space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Format paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Align paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Indent paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Indent text lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Change margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Change the unit of measure for the ruler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Define a language for a paragraph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Apply text wrapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Adjust line spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Add line breaks to paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Borders, backgrounds, color, and sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Add or edit borders and backgrounds in topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Add borders to images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Remove borders or backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Add or delete horizontal lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Add a horizontal line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Delete a horizontal line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Modify colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Remove colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Add sound to topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
About tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Workflow for creating a table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Insert tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Insert a basic table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Insert a custom table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Inserting tables within tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Copy and paste tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Edit tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Insert table rows or columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Edit table properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Set autofit table properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Edit cell properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Edit spacing within cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Merge or split table cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Indent lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Apply bullet styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Specify an inline bullet style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Create a bullet style for a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Match bullet color to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

xi

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Match color using an inline style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Match color using a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Remove bullets and numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Apply a numbering format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Add a paragraph within a list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Restart or continue numbering or lettering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Headers, footers, and page breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Headers and footers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Create or edit headers and footers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Remove headers and footers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Insert page breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Text boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Insert text boxes in topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Insert a text box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Insert a positioned text box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Layer positioned text boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Change text box properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Remove text boxes from a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
User-defined variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Create a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Create a variable set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Edit a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Format a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Insert a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
View properties of a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Delete a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Rename a user-defined variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Single-source with snippets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Create and manage snippets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Insert a snippet in a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Insert a snippet in a drop-down text editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Applying conditional build tags to a snippet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Inserting variables in snippets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Convert a snippet to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Delete a snippet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
META tags default editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Styles and style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Style types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Media rules and attributes in styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Define media-specific styles in a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Add a media rule in topic styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Link media-specific CSSs to a topic and add media attributes in HTML . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Syntax of the link tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

xii

Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Map styles in Word/FrameMaker content to media-specific styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
View content in media-specific styles in Design view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Delete a media-specific style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Media queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Manage media queries for screen profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Manage style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Link a style sheet to topics or master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Unlink a style sheet from topics or master pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Create a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Create a style sheet and topic simultaneously . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Export a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Create styles for style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Create a style in the Styles dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Create a style using the Styles And Formatting pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Create a style using the Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Global table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Apply table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Create and manage table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Create table styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Apply conditional build tags to tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
List styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
About list styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Create HTML lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Create multilevel lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Create an autonumbering style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Create a sequencing prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Edit a sequencing prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Delete a custom sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
HTML styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Create styles based on Div, Hyperlink, and Image styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Edit Div styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Edit Hyperlink styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Use Pseudo classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Use Twisty images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Use Block-style hyperlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Edit Image styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Apply styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Edit styles in CSS files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Edit a style using the Styles dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Edit a style using the Styles And Formatting pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Edit styles in an HTML Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Delete styles from style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Use color and images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Change text and link colors in a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

xiii

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Add or edit borders or backgrounds in style sheets .
Inline styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Apply or edit inline styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Update inline styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remove inline styles from text . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reset styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example (Reset a table style) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clear formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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232
233
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234
234
235

TOCs, indexes, glossaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
TOC basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
About TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Create TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Print TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Create TOC books and pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Create TOC books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Create TOC books and pages with targeted links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Create TOC books from pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Create TOC pages by dragging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Create TOC books and pages with user-defined variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Edit TOC books and pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Rename TOC books and pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Reorder TOC books and pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Remove TOC books or pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Change properties for TOC books or pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Manage TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Manage TOCs with reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Identify and fix broken TOC links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Multiple TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
About multiple TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Move books and pages to TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Create multiple TOCs for a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Merge TOCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Create browse sequences from a table of contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Index basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
About indexes and keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Topic keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Index file keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Specify keyword types for a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Print indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Add and link index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Add index keywords using the toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Add index keywords based on a topic title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Add index keywords using topic properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
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Add index keywords by selecting topic text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Copy index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Select an index keyword destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Create index keywords with user-defined variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Cross-reference index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Edit index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Move and sort index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Rename keywords for a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Rename keywords for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Change the capitalization of a keyword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Remove index keywords from the Index pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Remove index keywords from topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Manage indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Manage indexes with reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Identify and fix broken references for keyword topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Remove topic references from keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Remove unused index keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Apply conditional build tags to an index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Automatic indexing with the Smart Index wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Create an index automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Specify keywords to ignore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Specify common words to ignore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Specify custom phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Look up synonyms for indexing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Multiple indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Create multiple indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Merge indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
TOCs and indexes in Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Assign custom TOC icons (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Create binary contents files (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Create binary indexes (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Customize a TOC (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Customize an index (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Add TOC controls (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Add index controls (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Link keywords and TOC items to custom windows and frames (HTML Help) . . . . . . . 262
Glossaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Create glossary terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Import glossary terms and definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Test and print glossaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Test the glossary in the output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Print a glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Remove terms from the glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Change glossary definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Create multiple glossaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Merge glossaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

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Glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
About expanding glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Add expanding glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Update expanding glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Test expanding glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Unmarking expanding glossary hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Unmark hotspots using the Glossary Hotspot wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Unmark hotspots in Design view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Linking, navigation, and search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Navigation basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Navigation options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
About breadcrumbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Add breadcrumbs to topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Create text links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Use Design Editor to create text links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Drag to create links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Link to a pop-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Exclude pop-ups from full-text searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Create bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Create links to bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Rename bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Locate bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Remove bookmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Link images and multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Add links to multimedia clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Add links from images and multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
External links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Link to external topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Link to external files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Link to WinHelp topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Link to e-mail addresses, FTP sites, newsgroups, and web addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Link View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Navigate in the Link View pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Change the appearance of links in the Link View pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Change icon sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Set Link View scroll features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Set options in the Link View pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Link maintenance and repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Update and remove links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Manage broken links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Fix broken links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Identify and update topic references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Identify topic references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
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Update topic references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Identify and update external topic references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
View and test hyperlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
View hyperlinks and identify browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Test links in a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Link controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
About link controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Types of link controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Keyword link properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
For HTML Help projects: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Add Related Topics controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Related Topics wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
For HTML Help projects using See Also or Keyword Link controls: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Create, assign, and add See Also keywords and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Create and assign See Also keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
See Also pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Set See Also Keywords in the See Also wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Set keywords in a remote CHM file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Set See Also keywords in a remote CHM file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Add See Also controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Change, reuse, or remove link controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Work with text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Create text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Edit text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Remove text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Test text-only pop-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Test before generating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Test after generating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Create or edit browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Create browse sequences automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Create browse sequences manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Remove a topic from a browse sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Rename or remove a browse sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
View and test browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Identify topics associated with browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Test browse sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
View sequences for a single topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Test browse sequences in a browser or view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Identify the browse sequences a topic is assigned to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
RoboHelp output search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
RoboHelp search basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Add search metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Optimize content for search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Configure search experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

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External content search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Set up and manage external content search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Enable external content search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Multimedia and special effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Image basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Image file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Locate images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Copy an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
View an image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Add an image to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Add a RoboScreenCapture image to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Remove an image from a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Edit an image in RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Edit an image with RoboScreenCapture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Image maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Create an image map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Change an image map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Adobe Captivate demos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Create an Adobe Captivate demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Insert an Adobe Captivate demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Import an Adobe Captivate Demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Edit an Adobe Captivate demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Add multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Change multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Remove multimedia from topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Dynamic HTML and special effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
DHTML basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Add DHTML effects to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Apply DHTML effects to multiple paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Update DHTML effects in a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Change or remove DHTML effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Dynamic hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
About DHTML hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Add DHTML hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Remove hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Change formatting of DHTML hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Triggers and targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
About triggers and targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Assign a trigger to text or images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Connect triggers to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Connect triggers to images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Removing triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Marquees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

xviii

Add marquees . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set or change marquee properties
Delete marquees . . . . . . . . . .
HTML comments in topics . . . . .
Insert an HTML comment . . . .
View an HTML comment . . . . .
Iframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert an iframe . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit an iframe . . . . . . . . . . . .

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316
316
317
317
317
317
317
318
318

Conditional text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Conditional text basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Customize printed output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Target custom content to specific audiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Deliver versions of an application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Design and test conditional text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Workflow to implement conditional text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Managing links to excluded topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Conditional build tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Create a conditional build tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Apply conditional build tags to content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Verifying tags applied to topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Apply conditional build tags to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Apply conditional build tags to multiple topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Apply conditional build tags to topic content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Apply multiple conditional tags to topic content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Apply conditional build tags to a folder, index, or TOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Apply conditional build tags to placeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Preview conditional text areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Hide and view conditional text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Remove conditional build tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Rename conditional build tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Conditional build tag expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Define conditional build tag expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Advanced conditional build tag expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Context-sensitive Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
About context-sensitive Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Author and developer roles in creating context-sensitive Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Map files and map IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
About map numbers, map files, and map IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Managing map files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Create a map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Import a map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

xix

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Export a map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Lock or unlock a map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Remove an obsolete map file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Remove an unused map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Managing map IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Create a map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Edit a map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Reassign a map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Auto-generate a map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Assign a map ID to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Unassign a map ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Dynamic editing of context-sensitive topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Usage scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Map an application dialog box with a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Information for developers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Program Help for Visual Basic applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
RH_ShowHelp syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Airplane Help for Visual Basic applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Program Help for Visual C++ applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Prevent RoboHelp_CSH.cpp from using precompiled headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Function calls from Visual C++ applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Call a context-sensitive Help function for AIR Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Call a context-sensitive function for Responsive/Multiscreen HTML5 Help, WebHelp,
FlashHelp, or FlashHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Call a context-sensitive function for HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Overriding the default MFC Help Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Airplane Help for C++ applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Program Help for Java applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Function calls from Java applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Call a context-sensitive function for Multiscreen/Responsive HTML5, WebHelp, FlashHelp, or FlashHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Program Help for web pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Program Help for web pages (WebHelp/Pro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Function calls from web pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp or FlashHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Program Help for .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
.NET basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Make a Help call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Locate the RoboHelp Server with .NET samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Specify the URL (WebHelp Pro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Web services provided in RoboHelp Server with .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Steps without using support files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
WebHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

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WebHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Programming HTML Help in applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Context-sensitive HTML Help function call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Troubleshoot window-level Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Create context-sensitive JavaHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Create context-sensitive Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
What’s This? Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
About the What's This? Help Composer tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
What's This? Help and Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Use What's This? Help Composer for context-sensitive Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Create What's This? Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Import What's This? Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Open What's This? Help projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Remove What's This? Help from a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Test What's This? Help with BugHunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Test HTML Help API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Troubleshoot What's This? Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Maintaining text-only topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Working with text-only topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Create text-only topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Edit text-only topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Test text-only topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Remove text-only topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Remove text-only topic files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Testing context-sensitive Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Test with the Context-Sensitive Help tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Test with BugHunter for HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Start and close BugHunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Interpret BugHunter data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Customize the BugHunter pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
View map numbers in hex format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Test in the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Context-sensitive Help terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Create Help for iOS and Android apps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Capabilities delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Broad steps to implement mobile Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Available API functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
iOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Android . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Sample app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

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Context-sensitive help for filtered dynamic content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
BugHunter tab of the Options dialog box (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Display options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Example (single line) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Example (multiple lines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Color options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Generating output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Single sourcing basics and more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
About single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Layout types in RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Specify the primary layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Create and edit single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Create or duplicate single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Edit single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Rename a single-source layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Remove single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
About excluding unreferenced topics from output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Generate dynamic content output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Tag content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Create a dynamic content filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Use a dynamic content filter in the output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Test the dynamic content filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Generate dynamic user-centric content (DUCC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Generate native (ASPX) or HTML output for Microsoft SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Publish native (ASPX) Multiscreen output to Microsoft SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Publish HTML output to Microsoft SharePoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Work with layout types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Responsive HTML5 layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Supported browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Online/offline behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Configuring Responsive HTML5 prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
HTML5 output generation workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Recommendations for authoring HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Multiscreen layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Supported browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Online/offline behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Configuring Multiscreen HTML5 prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
HTML5 output generation workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Recommendations for authoring HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
eBook layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
WebHelp layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
About WebHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Add or remove search highlights in WebHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Creating Section 508-compliant WebHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
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WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
About WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Convert desktop Help to WebHelp Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Microsoft HTML Help layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
About Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Generating Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Link TOC books or pages to custom windows (Microsoft HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Extract CHM files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Rename CHM files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Find HTML Help files and components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Replace CHM files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Register or unregister CHM files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
JavaHelp layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
About JavaHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Generate JavaHelp output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Merge JavaHelp projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
JavaHelp limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Oracle Help layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
About Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Update topic IDs for Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Set the topic window for Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Oracle Help remote views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Oracle Help limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
XML layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Adobe AIR layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Configure the Adobe AIR layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Create a self-signed digital certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Signing an intermediate AIR Help application with AIR Developer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Generate, view, and publish output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Output generation basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Tips for optimal project generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Generate Responsive HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Generate Mobile App output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Upload your mobile app to the app store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Generate EPUB and Kindle Book output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
EPUB resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Generate eBook output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Best practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Generate EPUB 2.0.1 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Prepare for generating the EPUB 2.0.1 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Run script to generate EPUB 2.0.1 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
Generate WebHelp output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Generate WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Generate Microsoft HTML Help output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475

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Generate Oracle Help output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Generate JavaHelp output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Generate XML output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Generate EclipseHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Batch-generate output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Customize the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
View output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
View Multiscreen HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
View WebHelp, FlashHelp, WebHelp Pro, and FlashHelp Pro output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
View compiled Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Help Viewer Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Publish output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Generate and publish output from the command prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Open the application from the command prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Generate layouts from the command prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Publish layouts from the command prompt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Command prompt options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Hosting updates for AIR Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
Create and host an update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
Post an update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Distribute the project output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Distribute Multiscreen HTML5 output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Output files in the Multiscreen_HTML5 folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Output files in the Screen Profile folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Output files in the whxdata folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Subfolders in the template folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Distribute eBook output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Distribute WebHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Output files in the WebHelp folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Output files in the Whgdata subfolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Output files in the Whdata subfolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
Output files in the Whxdata subfolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Distribute FlashHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Distribute FlashHelp with an application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Publish FlashHelp to a disc, server, or desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Output files for FlashHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Distribute Microsoft HTML Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Register ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Distribute JavaHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Output files for JavaHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
Distribute Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Output files for Oracle Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Distribute XML output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Distribute Adobe AIR output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510
Configure FlashPlayerTrust to run local browser-based Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

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Moderator password and configuration file path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Configuration file attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
URL formats for Windows, Mac, and Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
About modifying the status of new comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Printed documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
About printed documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Organize and customize content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Map project styles to Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Types of Word documents to create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Printed document structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Conversion of online features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Page setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Body page settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
Additional settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Organize and customize document content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Prepare for printed documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Printed document organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Styles and formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Conditional text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Single-source layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Mapping styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Mapped styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Unmapped styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Style naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Styles that RoboHelp adds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Duplicate styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Map styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Export style maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Import style maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Generate PDFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Generate a PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Generate a PDF with setup options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Generate printed documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Add headers and footers to printed documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Specify default printer options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
Skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
About skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Edit skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Tips: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Add skins to the gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Import skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Export skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Delete skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Preview skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Compile skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533

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ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Create custom skins for Adobe AIR projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Fine-tune the palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Modify font properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Customize icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Create custom skins for WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
Customize FlashHelp skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Customize or create a skin with Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Modify the skin without Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Select and preview WebHelp or FlashHelp skins from the Skin gallery . . . . . . . . . . . 539
FlashHelp vertical-style skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Create or edit windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541
HTML options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
Adding HTML buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Edit windows for JavaHelp and Oracle viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Options for JavaHelp viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Options for Oracle viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Assign a default window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Remove a window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Screen profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Add a screen profile to a Multiscreen HTML5 SSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Modify a screen profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Add a screen profile to the project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Delete a screen profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Map styles for screen profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Use device pixel ratio for screen size and resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Screen layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Create a screen layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Manage screen layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Preview a screen layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Editing a screen layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Add a screen layout page (SLP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Screen layout page components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Placeholder properties and attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Guidelines for screen layout design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559
Edit a screen layout page (SLP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
Customize the default Topic page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Review and collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Review in Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display the Review toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enable the Track Changes mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configure review settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDF review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create a PDF for review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

562
562
562
562
563
563
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ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

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Embed SWFs in review PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
Add comments to SWFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
Import comments from PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
About PDF comments imported in Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
Import of comments added to SWFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Import of comments added to placeholders, snippets, and headers and footers . . . . . . . 567
Managing Shared resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Add a shared location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Add a category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Sharing resources between users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Show/Hide contents in the Resource Manager pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
Manage shared files and folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
Manage linked resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
Manage linked resource notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Configure Resource Manager settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Specify application-level Resource Manager settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574
Specify project-level Resource Manager settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574
Configure version control application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Manage comments and changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Review Pane pod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Filter comments and changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Group comments and changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Reply or set a status to a comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Accept or reject changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Delete comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Review and collaboration in AIR Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Topic rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Commenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Store comments in a shared network folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Store comments on a RoboHelp server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Configure preferences for comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
Add comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Comment moderation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Moderate comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Advanced program features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add design-time controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of HTML Help ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customize ActiveX control properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remove ActiveX control properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customize the calendar control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xxvii

583
583
583
583
584
584
585
585
586
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ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Workflow to create forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Add a form to a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
Set form properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
Form elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
Add and edit text fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589
Add special fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
Add buttons to forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Add image buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Add check boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Add radio buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Add drop-down menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
About frames and framesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Notes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Create framesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Change frames and framesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Change the size of a frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Remove framesets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Link framesets to books or pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Link to topics in frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
HTML Help controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
Reuse HTML Help controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
Add WinHelp topic controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
Add index controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Add table of contents controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Add splash screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Add shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
Add HHCTRL version controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
Add close window controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
Change HTML Help controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Remove HTML Help controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Information types (for HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
About information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Define categories and information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
Assign information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Access information types from the HTML Help viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Edit information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Change categories for information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Remove categories from information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Remove information types (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Remove information types from books and pages (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Remove information types from categories (HTML Help) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
About scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

xxviii

Add a script to an HTML topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
Event support in scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
Predefined events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
Register a function for an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Unregister a function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
About ExtendScript Toolkit support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
Creating scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
Manage script folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
Manage script files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Run scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Twisties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Add or change images in a hotspot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Add or change images of glossary terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Removing Twisties images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Default keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612

xxix

ADOBE ROBOHELP (2015 RELEASE)

Getting started

Getting started
Adobe RoboHelp software is designed for developing Help systems, e-learning content, policies and
procedures, and knowledgebases. Its enhanced editing and layout capabilities enable you to create
professional looking content. With the new Responsive HTML5 and mobile layouts (SSLs), you can
now take your content authored in RoboHelp, FrameMaker, or Microsoft® Word to mobile devices
and tablets. You can create custom fluid layouts to ensure that users can view the output on a wide
range of devices.
With the Responsive HTML5 layout, you can generate output that is suited for different device sizes
and resolutions. For example, you can place the TOC on the right or design a page for displaying
search results. In the multiscreen paradigm, desktop is another screen with a specific width and
height.
You can also publish Responsive HTML5 output to RoboHelp Server 10 to enable tracking of review
comments from multiple users and reporting them for analysis.
Worldwide, Adobe RoboHelp is a leader of online Help authoring tools through innovation. New
features create a more productive experience for technical communicators and their audiences.
For latest information about Adobe RoboHelp, visit www.adobe.com/go/learn_robohelp_product_en
Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read about the basic workflow
and the many resources available to you. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates,
user communities, seminars, tutorials, RSS feeds, and much more.

Basic workflow
Indicative infographic: RoboHelp input and output formats

1

Getting started

1

Create a project
Every Help system has at least one project. The basic element of the project is the topic.

Author the content.
Create topics. You can add multimedia now, or later when you customize the output. Work with the
application developer to start planning which topics to also use for context-sensitive Help.
Context-sensitive topics appear when the user clicks a Help button in the user interface or presses F1.

Import files.
You can import HTML files, Microsoft Word files (.doc, .docx, .docm, .rtf), FrameMaker books and
documents (.book, .bk, .fm, .frm, .mif), XML files (.xml), and Adobe PDF files (.pdf).

Develop the navigation.
Based on the hierarchy, or organization scheme, of the content, create links among topics and to
external content if necessary. You can also link text or images to other content. Create a table of
contents that reflects the content hierarchy, and include an index that users can browse. You can also
create browse sequences, paths a user can follow through Help topics. For example, if a user must read
several related topics to understand a feature completely, you can link them in a browse sequence.

Customize the output.
You can apply layouts (which determine behavior and appearance) and formatting. You can also use
conditional text to show or hide content, depending on user interest, application being used, skill
level, and other factors. Add multimedia to make your Help more compelling and richer.

Generate, test, and distribute the Help package.
Generate the output so you can view the Help and check links, formatting, and so on. Test every
output you intend to distribute, including printed documentation.

Activation and registration
To review complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® RoboHelp® software, see www.adobe.com/support/robohelp.

2

Getting started
If your computer is not connected to the Internet, you can check the ReadMe file on the installation
disc.

Install the software
1)

Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.

2)

Insert the installation disc into your CD drive, and follow the onscreen instructions.

NOTE: If the computer on which you are installing RoboHelp does not have the latest version of PDF

Add On, you can install the latest version while installing RoboHelp. You can also install the ExtendScript toolkit. RoboHelp uses this toolkit to provide scripting capabilities. For more information about
ExtendScript, see About ExtendScript Toolkit support.
For more information, see the ReadMe file on the installation disc.

Help with installation
For Help with installation issues, see the Up and running section on the RoboHelp hub page.

License activation
During the installation process, your Adobe software contacts an Adobe server to complete the
license activation process. No personal data is transmitted. For more information on product activation, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/activation.

Adobe Product Improvement Program
After you have used your Adobe software a certain number of times, a dialog box appears, asking
whether you want to participate in Adobe Product Improvement Program.
If you choose to participate, data about your use of Adobe software is sent to Adobe. No personal
information is recorded or sent. The Adobe Product Improvement Program only collects information about the features and tools that you use in the software and how often you use them.
You can opt in to or opt out of the program at any time:
•

To participate, choose File > Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click Yes,
Participate.

•

To stop participating, choose File > Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click
No, Thank You.

Adobe provides more information about the Adobe Product Improvement Program in a frequently
asked questions (FAQ) list on the Adobewebsite.

3

Getting started

1

Register
Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and
other services.
NOTE: Register only once for RoboHelp.

1)

To register, follow the onscreen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after
you install the software.

Help and support
Adobe Community Help
Adobe Community Help is an integrated environment on Adobe.com that gives you access to
community-generated content moderated by Adobe and industry experts. Think of Community
Help as collections of related items rather than books. Adobe continually curates and adds to these
collections.
Bookmark the RoboHelp Help hub page to find the best content on the web about RoboHelp,
including these resources:
•

Videos, tutorials, tips and techniques, blogs, articles, and examples for designers and developers.

•

Complete online Help, which is updated regularly.

•

All other content on Adobe.com, including knowledgebase articles, downloads and updates,
Adobe Developer Connection, and more.

Accessing RoboHelp help
Accessing help using a web browser
RoboHelp help is available on-line at the following location RoboHelpHelp. You can view the help
using a web browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) independent of the product.
This means, you do not need to open RoboHelp to access the online help using a web browser.
The online help includes a search functionality that you use to search for help in the RoboHelp documentation or across adobe.com.
The online help also includes a PDF that you can download and view when you are offline.
For more information on the offline Help, see Offline Help.

4

Getting started
Accessing help from within RoboHelp
When you are working in RoboHelp, press F1 to launch the help in a context-sensitive Help viewer.
•

If you are online and you launch help from within RoboHelp, the product launches the online
help within the Help viewer. This viewer launches as an independent window. If you are
working in a multi-screen environment, you can keep RoboHelp on one screen and drag the
viewer to the other screen.
Since the viewer is context-sensitive, you can go to a help topic corresponding to your context
in the application.
For example, if you are in the multi-channel publishing pod, press F1 to go to the corresponding help content for this feature.
NOTE: You can use the search functionality in the Help viewer to search for topics within Robo-

Help help. To search for help within RoboHelp and across adobe.com, go to the online help using
a web browser.
•

If you are offline, the context-sensitive Help launches a Microsoft Help (CHM) viewer. The
offline viewer provides you the same in-product, context-sensitive functionality that you experience using the online Help viewer.
IMPORTANT:The offline Help CHM file is delivered with each new patch that Adobe provides. If

RoboHelp Help is updated between patches, follow the instructions in this knowledgebase article
to download and install the updated Help file.

Services, downloads, and extras
You can enhance your product by integrating various services, plug-ins, and extensions in your
product. You can also download samples and other assets and see various resources to get your work
done.
Adobe Exchange
Visit the Adobe Exchange at www.adobe.com/go/exchange to download samples as well as plug-ins
and extensions from Adobe and third-party developers. The plug-ins and extensions can help you
automate tasks, customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.
Adobe downloads
Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, trials, and other useful software.

5

Getting started

1

Adobe Labs
Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new
and emerging technologies and products from Adobe. At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources
such as these:
•

Prerelease software and technologies

•

Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning

•

Early versions of product and technical documentation

•

Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with
like-minded users

Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers
quickly become productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early
feedback. The Adobe development teams use this feedback to create software that meets the needs
and expectations of the community.
Adobe forums
To reach out to experts in the Adobe RoboHelp community, visit www.adobe.com/go/learn_robohelp_forum_en. If you comment on a Help page, the comment is automatically posted on the forum.
The experts and other users can respond to your comment.
Adobe TV
Visit Adobe TV at http://tv.adobe.com to view instructional and inspirational videos. The Technical
Communications channel features videos relevant for technical communicators. The videos on the
RoboHelp channel help you get started.
RoboHelp sample projects and output
Visit the RoboHelp resources page and download sample projects created with RoboHelp and other
resources, such as workspaces and applications configured for implementing context-sensitive Help.
RoboHelp Developer Center
Visit RoboHelp Developer Center for articles written by internal and external RoboHelp users on
various user-requested topics.
Previous RoboHelp Help
Download the documentation of older versions of RoboHelp from the RoboHelp Help hub page.

6

Getting started

What’s new in RoboHelp (release 2015)
Output searchability enhancements
Dynamic Content Filters
Create dynamic filters in your Responsive HTML5 output to empower your users to find the
relevant content faster.
Leverage RoboHelp’s existing conditional tags and expressions to create filters that allows your
end users to dynamically filter the Responsive HTML5 output. The feature also enables you to
easily single-source your content by applying tags and expressions on the appropriate content.
For more information, see Generate dynamic content output
DUCC enhancements
Use the new dynamic content filters to create enhanced DUCC output that generates only one
set of HTML5 files regardless of the number of expressions used. Easily migrate your current
DUCC outputs to new, more efficient ones based on dynamic content filters.
For more information, see Generate dynamic user-centric content (DUCC)
Dynamic Content Filter support in context-sensitive Help
Application developers can use context-sensitive Help calls to invoke the precise topics using
filters.
The as an application developer, you simply need to identify the content filter that displays the
context-specific content. Then use the Help URL with the relevant arguments in the
content-sensitive Help call in RoboHelp.
For more information, see Context-sensitive help for filtered dynamic content
Debug dynamic content filters
Now see how filtered content will look for different combinations of filters by easily testing
dynamic content using the Tagged Output view. The view also clearly displays the tags in the
output at the locations where they are applied in the content.
For more information, see Test the dynamic content filter

Publishing enhancements
New Responsive HTML5 layouts
Now use the highly customizable Responsive HTML5 layouts to deliver an amazing content
consumption experience. Configure search, and show context and breadcrumbs in the results.
Easily show or hide widgets, such as glossary and TOC. Convert the layout to right-to-left
languages just by changing one property.
7

Getting started

1

Provide users personalized experiences by customizing the function bar, side bar, TOC, and
dynamic content filter for different devices: desktop, mobile, and tablet. You can also
customize the media queries for mobile and tablet devices.
RoboHelp Server 10 support for Responsive HTML5 output
Publish Responsive HTML5 output to RoboHelp Server 10 to enable end users to access
content on a multitude of devices, including mobile devices. Your content is rendered seamlessly on all screen sizes. With the support for dynamic content filters in HTML5, your end
users can easily access personalized content.
Enhanced search results in HTML5 layouts
Provide better context about search results to end users by showing more details. Configure the
search results to appear on the sidebar or topic panes, and show breadcrumbs and topic
descriptions. By default, the first few sentences of the topic are shown as description of the
search results. Now you can easily customize the description to provide more relevant details
in the search results.
For more information, see Generate Responsive HTML5 output
Out-of-the-box support for social widgets
Generate Responsive HTML5 and mobile output that is easily shareable on Facebook and
Twitter with out-of-the-box support for social widgets provided in the new HTML5 layout.
Embed custom fonts in EPUB output
Embed custom fonts in your EPUB output and ensure that your users see high-quality typography exactly as you intended, whether or not they have the font installed on their device.
This feature is especially useful if you are using fonts that may not be readily available to your
end users.
For more information, see Generate eBook output
Optimized HTML5 output
Now experience loading time reduction by about 50%, file size savings of about 20KB per topic,
and smoother transitions between pages with faster, more Responsive HTML5 output.
Maintain TOC state in Responsive HTML5 output
Work more conveniently by maintaining the TOC state in the Responsive HTML5 output.
Expand and collapse the chapters and topics in a book while still maintaining the state of the
structure. Also, expand and collapse the chapters and topics across multiple books.

8

Getting started

PhoneGap integration for Mobile app support
Mobile app output support
Ensure wider distribution and consumption of content with a simplified mobile app generation workflow and native integration with Adobe PhoneGap Build. Easily publish and then
distribute your content as an installable app on major mobile platforms, including iOS,
Android, and Windows.
Also use the generated QR code or PhoneGap URL to share your apps with your users.
For more information, see Generate Mobile App output

User interface enhancements
Easy to use Ribbon Interface
Work more productively with a modern, workflow-centric, ribbon user interface. The new
interface is designed to help you quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task.
RoboHelp commands are organized into logical related groups and put together under separate tabs. Each tab relates to a type of RoboHelp activity, such as editing, reviewing, or output
generation.
For more information, see Workspace overview
Find and replace enhancements
Work faster with bidirectional and multiline searches in the TOC, files, and index pods. Set the
search scope to the current project or window, a specific folder, or all open files. Zip through
search results in Design mode, and easily edit topics by double-clicking them.
Search and replace text in an HTML editor, an index, and a table of contents.
For more information, see Find and replace
Named conditional build expressions
Easily manage a large number of conditional expressions in a project by giving them descriptive, easy-to-remember names. Eliminate the hassle of having to decipher the logic each time
you need to use expressions.
The enhanced dialog box allows you to easily create new named expressions, and rename and
delete existing expressions.
For more information, see Conditional build tag expressions
Enhanced conditional indicators
Maintain readability of content even when multiple tags are applied, using enhanced conditional tags indicators. With the new overline, easily find the tags that have been applied and
where the conditions change within a topic. Besides content in topics and snippets, RoboHelp

9

Getting started

1

also applies the same overline conditional indicators on Project Manager objects, such as topics
or items in a TOC.
For more information, see Apply conditional build tags to topic content
Remember project state
Enjoy the convenience of having projects opened in exactly the same state in which they were
closed. No need to remember which topics and pods were opened last; RoboHelp automatically restores them.
You also have the option to switch off this behavior if you do not want RoboHelp to remember
the project state.
For more information, see Set the default language and other preferences
Adobe Captivate support
Easily integrate HTML5 and SWF content created with the latest release of Adobe Captivate
into your RoboHelp files. Enhance your Help content with show-me demos, how-to movies,
and interactive quizzes.
Colored and grayscale icons
Now choose to use colored or grayscale icons in the new RoboHelp user interface.
For more information, see Workspace overview
Out-of-the-box themes
Choose from four out-of-the-box color themes to customize the look of the new ribbon user
interface.
For more information, see Workspace overview
Auto-hide ribbons
Maximize the document viewing area using auto-hide ribbons. The ribbon toolbar stays
hidden while you are working, but appears as soon as you click on a tab. And then disappears
when you’re done with working on the commands in the tab.
For more information, see Workspace overview
Quick Access Toolbar customization
Work faster than ever by keeping your most frequently used operations at your fingertips.
Customize the Quick Access toolbar with any operation supported in the main toolbar. In the
Customize dialog box, easily add the commands that you need and remove the ones that you
don’t often work with.
For more information, see Workspace overview
Find topics and images in Project Manager
Easily find where topics and images within topics are located in Project Manager.
10

Getting started
For more information, see Locate topics or images in Project manager
Easy update of CSS styles
Change the formatting of a paragraph in a topic or snippet and the use the Update Style
command to change the formatting of all similar paragraph across the entire project.
For more information, see Update inline styles

About RoboHelp Server
Adobe RoboHelp Server is a server-based Help solution that provides real-time end-user feedback
on your Help and knowledgebase. RoboHelp Server gathers and logs data about what questions
users ask while searching content and how users navigate through topics. Results are displayed in an
easy-to-view graphical format for quick interpretation. Your Help system resides on a server (for
example, Adobe Help Resource Center), and you can make instant updates to your Help system
content.
RoboHelp Server contains the back-end processes, database functionality, and JDBC connections
necessary to integrate it. RoboHelp Server works with the authoring tool, so authors can edit content,
set master project options, maintain windows, and view reports.
RoboHelp Server interaction with different components

NOTE: With RoboHelp Server, you can install your database server on a separate machine or use any

of the existing database servers.

11

Getting started

1

Tracking and reporting
Adobe RoboHelp Server provides end users with the ability to find information when they have
questions. Users can view content using any standard browser and operating system. Any number
of users can access the published documents.NOTE: You can define the maximum number of database
connections for Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server database management systems through the
maxload property in the robohelp_server.properties file.
RoboHelp Server tracks the following types of data:
•

Where users request assistance: Identifies the location where users make repeated requests for
specific information.

•

How users search: Searches that users perform repeatedly. This data can be mined to move
frequently searched information to a more prominent position in the content for easier access.
You can also use this information to find information gaps and to improve heading titles for
more intuitive navigation.

•

How users navigate online content: Tracks how users seek information in online content and
how frequently they access particular information such as headings and articles. This information is available at a topic level.

•

RoboHelp Server tracks the entire operating system and browser details. You can use this
information to improve the content quality for browsers preferred by users.

Automatic project merging
Concurrently work on multiple projects and merge them into a single project at run time.
While building an online information system, authors can develop and publish their content
according to their own schedules. RoboHelp Server provides automatic project merging, so authors
can work on different parts of a project at the same time, and publish them to the same server. When
end users view the content, they see one seamless online information system. Do not worry about
sharing source or depending on a single author or project—all separate projects are merged when
users access the content. Users can navigate across all the projects using the Index, Contents, and
Search buttons.
By default, projects are added to the Table of Contents in the order they are published to the server.
You can customize this order in the Projects page of the Web Admin interface. When you merge
projects, each project file in the authoring tool remains intact, but the keywords from the indexes
and glossary terms are combined at run time, or when end users access the system from the server.

Support for languages other than English
The runtime interface (including Table of Contents, index, glossary, and search) can be automatically localized, and authors can publish projects written in various languages to the same server.
RoboHelp Server supports localization for French, German and Japanese languages. You can change
12

Getting started
the display text on the user interface of the online system to another language, including text on the
Contents, Index, and Search buttons.
In addition, end users can perform a full-text search of online content in their native language. This
flexibility allows authors to develop content in languages other than English and take advantage of
server-based online information systems.

Integration with SharePoint
RoboHelp versions 10 and above provide native integration with Microsoft SharePoint. This integration allows for an end-to-end workflow using SharePoint as the content repository. It also allows
for the sharing RoboHelp assets across projects and users. You can then use the SharePoint workspace as a repository for your RoboHelp generated PDF reviews and finally publish the RoboHelp
content to the SharePoint server.
Use SharePoint as content repository for RoboHelp content:
RoboHelp supports version control with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and above natively. This
means that you do not need to install any third-party plugins. Add your RoboHelp projects to
SharePoint repository. You can then check-in and check-out files, and perform other version
control operations from within RoboHelp. For details, see Version control with Microsoft
SharePoint.
Publish Multiscreen and Responsive HTML5 content to SharePoint natively for both desktop
and mobile access:
Publish RoboHelp content directly to a SharePoint site from within RoboHelp and in accordance with Microsoft security and compatibility recommendations. RoboHelp supports
publishing the Multiscreen HTML5 and Responsive HTML5 output to SharePoint in its native
format (ASPX), ensuring a problem-free display of output in SharePoint. When you view the
published output, the topics appear in the SharePoint chrome as a single continuous HTML
page. For details on publishing to SharePoint, see the details on the SharePoint tabs in the
respective dialog documentation for:
•

Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output

•

Generate Responsive HTML5 output

Link SharePoint assets across RoboHelp projects and users:
You can link SharePoint assets (such as images, multimedia files, captivate videos, CSS files
etc.) across multiple RoboHelp projects and authors. Live linking in RoboHelp Resource
Manager is integrated with SharePoint. This implies that when an asset is modified by one
author, the change is reflected in all the topics and in all the RoboHelp projects that use (link)
that asset. For details on how to add a SharePoint location, see Add a shared location.

13

Getting started

1

Host RoboHelp content on SharePoint workspace for PDF review:
Select the RoboHelp topics that you want to send for review. Host this PDF for review in the
SharePoint workspace, and send the link to reviewers. Your reviewers can provide review
comments using the free PDF reader, without having to install or learn any additional software
products. You can then import all the comments from stored on the SharePoint workspace to
the RoboHelp project in one click. For details, see PDF review.

SharePoint version matrix
The following matrix details the RoboHelp - SharePoint version support.

RoboHel
p Version

14

Version control

Publish

Resource sharing

Review

11

SharePoint 2010 +

Native support: SharePoint
2010 +
Via SharePoint mapped
drive: SharePoint 2007

SharePoint 2007, 2010
+

SharePoint 2007, 2010
+
Adobe Acrobat X +

10

SharePoint 2010

Native support: SharePoint
2010
Via SharePoint mapped
drive: SharePoint 2007

SharePoint 2007, 2010

SharePoint 2007, 2010
Adobe Acrobat X +

Exploring the workspace

Exploring the workspace
Workspace overview
You work in RoboHelp using various elements, such as pods, panes, bars, and windows. Any
arrangement of these elements is called a workspace. The RoboHelp workspace includes pods,
panes, and customizable tabs. Customize the Quick Access Toolbar to include your most frequently
used commands. You can also customize keyboard shortcuts.
RoboHelp workspace

A.
Quick Access Toolbar
B.
Tabs
C.
Tabbed Document pane
D.
Design and HTML view panes
E.
Document area selectors F.Workspace switcher
15

Exploring the workspace

2

G, H, I.
Clubbed pods

Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar in the upper right corner contains the most frequently used commands.
The right-most drop-down contains the following options:
More Commands
In the Customize dialog:
Customize the RoboHelp keyboard shortcuts
Change the RoboHelp theme: light or dark; colored or grayscale icons
Add or remove commands to the Quick Access Toolbar.
Show Below the Ribbon
Display the Quick Access Toolbar above (default) or below the ribbons.
Minimize the Ribbon
Show (default) or hide the RoboHelp ribbon.

RoboHelp Tabs
The RoboHelp tabs, such as Project, Edit, Output, and Review, provide you quick access to all the
available RoboHelp commands. For more details, see Working with the RoboHelp tabs.

Tabbed document pane
The topic window or the Tabbed Document pane displays the topic(s) that you are editing
currently. Select File > Options > Allow Editing Of Multiple Topics to edit multiple topics concurrently. You can paste objects and selections across multiple topics. You can select horizontal or
vertical tiling of topics.
The Design and HTML buttons in the topic window let you switch between Design Editor and
HTML Editor.
When multiple topics are open, click the down arrow button in the upper-right corner of the Tabbed
Document pane to display the list of open topics and navigate to any topic.
Take advantage of fixed buttons in the Tabbed document pane to open and close topics quickly.
Right-click a tab to find options to save the active topic, close the active topic, close all topics, close
all but the active topic, and create horizontal or vertical tab groups.
16

Exploring the workspace

Pods
Various pods, such as Project Manager, Output Setup, Resource Manager, and Single Source
Layouts, help you complete the different steps to create the project and generate the required output.
Select Project > Open > Pods to show or hide pods that you require.
NOTE: You can also access the list of pods in the Edit tabs.

From the context-sensitive menu of the title bar of a pod, access options such as Dockable, Floating,
and Tabbed Document to arrange pods in various ways. The menu also includes options to hide and
close the pod.

Working with the RoboHelp tabs
The RoboHelp commands included in logical groups and put together in the various tabs. Each tab
contains commands of related functionality. Also, the tabs are groups based on the tasks performed
by a user at any point of time. For example, the Edit tab includes commands specific to editing RoboHelp content. The Output tab includes command related to generating output.
Some common commands are included in different tabs. For example, the Pods drop-down list is
available in the Project and Edit tabs. Also, some tabs are contextual only appear in the related
context. For example the Table tab only appears when you are working in a table.
The RoboHelp interface includes the following tabs:

Tab

Description

File

Contains options such as open, close, rename and list recent projects. This tab also provides links to
several help and community resources and options to customize RoboHelp preferences.

Project

Includes commands associated with a project. You manage, create, import, edit, and delete project
level components such as topics, snippets, tags, and variables. You can save the currently unsaved
changes across the project.

Edit

Allows you to perform authoring tasks such as creating and editing stylesheets. While authoring the
contents of a topic, snippet, or master page, you can choose the commands in this tab such as Bold,
Italic, font, and align. You can also apply tags to content.

Insert

You use the commands to insert various types of objects at various points in your project. These
objects include tables, images, Captivate content, and snippets.

Review

When setting up or importing the comments from a PDF shared review, you can use the commands
in this tab. This tab also includes commands that allow you to track changes, accept and reject
changes in a document review.

17

Exploring the workspace

Tab

2

Description

Collaborate

Includes commands that allows you to share project resources across users. You can also set up and
use version control.

Output

The options in this tab allow you to create, setup, generate, and view RoboHelp outputs.

Tools

You can create and view reports. RoboHelp ships with a number of scripts that you can use to
perform certain commands. Select and execute scripts from the Scripts list in this tab.

Table

Provides access to table specific commands such as merge, split, borders and shading.
Note: This tab is context sensitive and only displays when the insertion point is within in table.

Positioning

Allows you to position and size a Positioned text box.
Note: This tab is context-sensitive and only displays when a positioned text box is selected. To insert
a positioned text box, go to the Insert tab and choose Positioned text box.

Working with pods
Pods are workflow panes that you can float or dock anywhere in the application window. They
provide quick access to logically grouped features from one location. For example, you can select and
generate various layouts from the Single Source Layouts pod.
RoboHelp provides access to your most frequently used pods and projects, with flexible options. You
can move a pod anywhere on the screen or to a different monitor. Use the auto-hide feature of pods
to show or hide them on the desktop.

View a pod
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Project > Open > Pods > [pod name].

•

Select Project > Open > Pods > [pod name].

Arrange pods

18

•

Click the title bar of a pod and drag-and-drop it on the required part of the screen.

•

Change the display of the pod.
a)

Do one of the following:

•

Click the down arrow button in the upper-right corner of a pod.

•

Right-click in the titlebar of the pod.

Exploring the workspace
b)

Select one of the following options:

Dockable
Docks the pod if it’s in the Tabbed Document state or in the Floating state
Close
Closes the pod
Floating
Floats the pod if it’s in the Tabbed Document state or in the docked state
Auto Hide
Pins or unpins the pod if it’s not in the Tabbed Document state.
Tabbed Document
Opens the pod in a new tab in the topic window.

Types of pods
Starter pod
The Starter pod provides links to common commands and product information.
Recent Projects
Open recently used projects (up to ten recent projects are listed) and other projects.
Create New
Select the Help type you want to generate.
Import
Import a Help project, such as an HTML Help project, Word document, and all other available
types.
Resources
Access forums, developer centers, knowledgebase articles, complete online Help, videos, and
other online content.
Access a stream of latest learning resources featured in the Starter pod. If you find the stream
distracting, you can hide it by deselecting the Show Learning Resources On Starter Page option in
general settings.

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Exploring the workspace

2

Project Manager pod
The Project Manager pod contains various folders where you create and delete project files, or edit
their properties. It also has folders for various key project components, such as the table of contents,
the index, and the glossary.
TIP:If the project has many topics, collapse the Project Files folder first to view the other folders.

RELATED LINKS:
Project Manager folders

Output Setup pod
The Output Setup pod contains the following folders:
Windows
Containers for output. Custom windows for projects are stored in this folder. Modify window
properties by double-clicking a window icon.
Master Pages
Use master pages to reuse information and create a standard appearance across topics.
Skins
Use skins with WebHelp or FlashHelp projects to change the appearance of the Help system.
You can match the appearance of a company website or add interest and style to the output.
Use skins to customize colors, buttons, text, fonts, icons, backgrounds, multimedia (FlashHelp
projects), images for TOC icons and navigation buttons, and more.
Screen Profiles
Container for screen profiles used in Multiscreen HTML5 output.
Screen Layouts
Container for screen layouts used in Multiscreen HTML5 output.
Context-Sensitive Help
Container for the Map Files folder and the What’s This Help Files folder.
•

Use the Map Files folder to access map files and perform most window-level
context-sensitive Help tasks.

•

Use the What's This Help Files folder for field-level context-sensitive Help in HTML
Help projects.

RELATED LINKS:
Windows
Master pages

20

Exploring the workspace
Skins
Screen profiles
Screen layouts
About context-sensitiveHelp
Map files andmapIDs

Snippets pod
Add custom HTML code snippets to a project for insertion later into desired topics. When you
modify a code snippet shared by different topics, the changes are reflected in all the associated topics.
Snippets are stored in a Snippet library as separate files with the .hts extension. In the Snippets pod,
you can organize them in categories, expanding or collapsing the categories for easy viewing. The
category names appear in a sorted order in the Snippets pod and in the Insert dialog box. You can
drag snippets to desired locations in a topic. You can also select snippets and then copy, duplicate,
or delete them. Select the Preview option from the context menu to preview a snippet.
RELATED LINKS:
Single-source with snippets

Styles And Formatting pod
Use the Styles And Formatting pod to apply styles quickly. Select a style in the pod and apply it to
the selected text in the topic. You can create and edit a style directly from the pod. Right-click the
name of a style to rename, delete, or preview that style.
NOTE: Select Project > Open > Pods > Style and Formatting, to view the Styles And Formatting pod.

You must open a topic to view the Styles And Formatting pod.
RELATED LINKS:
Create a style using theStyles And Formatting pod

User Defined Variables pod
From the User Defined Variables pod, you can accomplish these tasks:
•

Create, edit, or delete variables.

•

Create, edit, or delete variable sets.

•

Provide and modify runtime values uniquely for different variable sets while generating the
output.

•

Format variable values.

RELATED LINKS:
User-defined variables

21

Exploring the workspace

2

Error List pod
The Error List pod shows buttons for errors, warnings, and messages that are displayed when you
try to validate a topic or a master page. You can click these buttons to display the relevant information in the Error list. The caption of buttons shows the number of errors, warnings, and messages.
You can click all of these buttons to display the relevant information.
Output View pod
The Output View pod displays important errors, warnings, and messages that RoboHelp captures
while importing content or generating project output. You can use the Quick Access Toolbar and
the right-click options to save, copy, select, or clear the log.
Toolbox pod
The Toolbox pod provides shortcut icons to access various tools that come with RoboHelp. You can
also add tools.
Graphics Locator, HTML Help Studio, and Resize are some of the default tools.
Resource Manager pod
Resource Manager stores all the common resources to use across projects and allows for quick access
and management of common resource files.
Shared Locations
Specify the various shared folders that store resource files to use across projects. While a shared
location can contain files of any type, Resource Manager displays only those that match
defined file types (Add/Edit Categories).
Categories
Specify categories to organize resources according to file types. For example, you can add a
category called Video and associate .flv, .swf, and .avi file types with it.
File Types
List the extensions associated with a category. For example, for the Images category, list all the
file types that you want Resource Manager to consider as images.
Linked Resources
Manage linked resources (resources used in the project with links to the original versions in
the shared locations). Synchronize the original version and the copy, remove links to stop automatic tracking of updates, or replace links to point to another resource of the same file type.
RELATED LINKS:

22

Exploring the workspace
Managing Shared resources

External content search pod
The External Content Search pod lets you specify URLs for content available outside the Help system
(for example, in blogs) and map them to terms that users are likely to search for. By curating relevant
content in this way, you can optimize the search experience for users and provide easy access to
user-generated content.
RELATED LINKS:
External content search

RoboHelp Server pod
The RoboHelp Server pod enables you to connect to RoboHelp Server. You can configure the setup
for the server by selecting Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro, or FlashHelp Pro as the primary
layout.
You can enter http://://server
and connect to it to publish your projects.
NOTE: By default, RoboHelp Server uses the http protocol. To specify that the https protocol should be

used, enter https://://server.

Environments
A RoboHelp environment refers to the arrangement of various workspace components, such as pods,
in the main application window. By saving the current workspace as a named environment, you can
restore that workspace even if you move or close a pod. The names of saved environments appear in
the Workspace menu on the right of the menu bar.

Create and save an environment
You can create multiple environments for a project. Only one environment is loaded at a time.
1)

Arrange pods.

2)

Click the down arrow button in the workspace switcher and select Save Environment.

3)

Type a filename, including the .rhs extension.

4)

Specify a location for the environment. The default location is C:\Documents and
Settings\[user name]\My Documents\My RoboHelp Projects.

NOTE: You can exchange an RHS file with other authors.

23

Exploring the workspace

2

Load an environment
1)

Click the down arrow button in the workspace switcher and select Load Environment.

2)

Browse to an RHS file and select it.

3)

Click Open.

NOTE:The last environment you used before closing RoboHelp is used the next time you open RoboHelp.

Restore the default environment
1)

Click the down arrow button in the workspace switcher and select Default Environment.

Delete an environment
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Delete the RHS file from the location where it was stored.

•

Click Start > Run. In the Open box, type regedit and click OK. Locate the MRUENVFile[n] variable in HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Adobe > RoboHelp > 11.00 >
Common and delete the string assigned to the variable.

Create or remove keyboard shortcuts
Create keyboard shortcuts

24

1)

Click the drop-down arrow on the right of the Quick Access Toolbar and choose More
Commands.

2)

In the General tab of the Customize dialog, check Show Keyboard Tips to display the keyboard
shortcut if you press the Alt key, hold it down for a couple of seconds and then release the key.

3)

Click Customize Keyboard Shortcuts.

4)

In the Category drop-down, choose a tab category.

5)

Choose a command from the Commands list and then place the insertion point inside the
Press new shortcut key box.

6)

Use the keyboard to choose a shortcut key combination and click Assign.

Exploring the workspace

Remove or reset keyboard shortcuts
1)

Click the drop-down arrow on the right of the Quick Access Toolbar and choose More
Commands.

2)

Click Customize Keyboard Shortcuts.

3)

Do one of the following:

4)

•

To remove a keyboard shortcut, select the category and command for the shortcut to
remove. Select the shortcut in Key Assignments, and click Remove.

•

To restore all shortcuts to their default settings, click Reset All.

Click Export to export you Keyboard shortcuts to a .csv format.
You can then share shortcuts file.

Configure general settings
1)

Select File > Options. Click General and set the following options to configure options for
using the program and working with project files.

Set the default language and other preferences
Default Language for New Projects
Allows you to change the default language for every project that is created using the RoboHelp
application.
Use Underscores In File Names
Saves topic filenames with underscores between words (for example, My_Help_Topic.htm).
For HTML Help projects, topic filenames require underscores rather than spaces. This
convention enables the book or page to synchronize with the topic content displayed at the
right side of the viewer.
Automatically Check For Updates
The program checks for updates when you quit the program. You can also enable this option
by selecting File > Help > Check For Updates.
Allow Editing Of Multiple Topics
Opens topics in different tabs in Design Editor and allows editing. Deselect this option to work
in single-topic mode.

25

Exploring the workspace

2

Clear Project Cache (.cpd File) Before Opening Any Project
Controls whether the old .cpd file will be deleted each time while opening a
project and a new .cpd will be created from the project files.
Remember Project State
Check this option to ensure that RoboHelp remembers the location of the opened files and
pods. The next time you open RoboHelp, the project will open in the same state. Uncheck this
option to prevent RoboHelp from remembering the current state.
Auto-Compile Outdated Files
When you view or publish your project, the program automatically generates your primary
layout when the output files are out of date. If this option is disabled, the program prompts you
to generate the primary layout if the output files are out of date.
Auto-display Output View
Shows the Output View at the bottom of the program window when a project is generating.
Convert RoboHelp-edited Topics To HTML
Converts XHTML topics created or edited in RoboHelp into HTML in the output. Topics
created or edited with third-party editors are not converted.
Show Learning Resources On Starter Page
Show or hide the area in which a stream of learning resources, such as webinars, video tutorials,
and whitepapers, is displayed on the Starter page.

Enable or disable confirmation
Prompt when a file is saved
The A File Is Saved option is disabled by default. Changes to the current topic are saved when
you open another topic or close the project without saving. You can disable this setting here if
necessary. For example, if you change a topic and want to restore the content, you can temporarily disable the automatic save.
Prompt when auto-generated topics from linked documents are modified
Allows you to enable or disable the message displayed when you modify a topic generated from
the contents of a linked Word or FrameMaker document.

Enable, disable, or reset notifications
By default, notifications are enabled. Some notifications include an option (Don’t Ask Me Again) to
suppress their display.

26

Exploring the workspace
•

To enable or disable all notifications, deselect or select File > Options > General > Do Not Show
Notifications.

•

To restore all notifications to their default settings, click Reset All.

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Projects

3

Projects
Project basics
About projects
Projects contain the source files that become the final Help system. Help authors work with the
project files, and Help users view the output. For CHM output, the project contains the content you
create and the properties you set up, such as what the output window looks like. The developer determines the window for WebHelp and FlashHelp output formats, or leaves them to run in your
browser window. Create folders in the Project Manager to organize topics and structure the Help
system.
Projects are collections of files. The project file (XPJ file) contains information about the content and
properties of the project. Whenever you change the project, this file (and any other affected file) is
updated automatically. Project files consist of the following:
Content
Project files contain topics with content and information about the location of topics, images,
index, TOC, and other files.
Properties
Projects contain setting information, such as project title, language, and windows. When you
first create a project, the basic (default) settings are used. Modify these settings according to
your design needs.
Navigation
Projects include a table of contents, index, and full-text search.
You can view the elements that make up a project in several places, including the Project
Manager, Single-Source Layouts pod, and Project Settings dialog box. You can also generate
various reports (Tools > Reports) that identify project status, duplicate topics, files distributed
with Help, and so on.

Help project components
Help systems are made up of different components that vary according to the Help format you
deliver.

28

Projects
Projects
RoboHelp HTML creates a main project file (with the extension .xpj) that contains the information about your topics, images, and other files. (Open this file to open a project.) Project files
also contain the settings that affect the appearance and functionality of a Help system.
Topics
The basic unit of a Help system is the topic. Topics communicate the message of the Help
system, mainly through text and images. You decide the content, format, and organization of
your topics.
Table of contents
If a table of contents is included, users see a Contents tab or button when they open the Help
system. The table of contents presents a hierarchical outline of what the Help project contains.
Users can browse and select topics to view from the Contents tab.
Indexes
If an index is included, users see an Index tab or button when they open the Help system. The
index displays a multilevel list of topics and keywords or phrases that you’ve specified.
Full-text search
Full-text search allows users to find specific words and phrases that occur in the content.
Links and navigation
Users navigate a Help system by clicking links. You design the strategy that connects your
topics together. The most common links are from one topic to another. Links can also go to
topics in different Help systems, different output formats, and even to a website or an application.
Styles
You format topics using styles. Styles are named formats that you design and apply to control
the layout and appearance of text.
Image and multimedia files
Images and multimedia files enhance Help by adding graphics, sound, video, animation, and
more.
Windows
Windows are the frames that display topics. In certain output formats, you can customize the
appearance and attributes of windows. You can also design new windows to suit your content.
You can open multiple windows and from the Windows dialog box, select a window and click
Activate to bring it to focus. Click Save to save the displayed window in focus. Using the
Windows feature, you can rename the project title to display in the output.

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Projects

3

Compilers
The Help compiler isn’t part of the final Help file, but you sometimes need a compiler to create
the Help file. For example, in Microsoft HTML Help projects, the compiler aggregates the
source files and other project components. The compiler then creates one Help system file that
you distribute to end users. (WebHelp and FlashHelp projects are not compiled.)
Viewers and browsers
Users access the Help system from within a viewer or browser.

Files in a project
Main project file (XPJ)
The project file (.xpj) is XML-based. You can open project files with the .mpj extension, the format
for older versions of RoboHelp, but they convert to XPJ files.
Folder files (FPJ)
Each project folder has an FPJ file that lists the folder contents. RoboHelp displays only those
subfolders and topics that are listed in the FPJ file of a folder.
All the subfolders have their respective FPJ files. The name of an FPJ file except the FPJ file for the
project folder is same as that of the folder.
The name of the FPJ file for the project folder is root.fpj. The root.fpj file is modified if you add,
delete, or rename a topic or subfolder inside the respective folder. The root.fpj file is also modified if
the order of topics or subfolders is changed in Project Manager.
Single-source layout files (SSL)
A single-source layout file (SSL) is used for each single-source layout. An SSL file stores the properties of the respective single-source layout and is modified when you edit the properties. An SSL file
does not get modified on generating, viewing, or publishing a single-source layout.
Auxiliary project files (APJ)
The following components have corresponding APJ files, which get modified when you edit the
components:

30

•

Baggage files

•

Colors

•

Conditional build tags

Projects
•

Font sets

•

Information types

•

Map files

•

Pop-up note topics

•

See Also keywords

•

Skins (when adding or removing skins only)

•

Single-source layouts (when adding or removing single-source layouts only)

•

Topic keywords

•

Topic templates (when adding or removing single-source layouts only)

•

Windows

Other types of files
When you modify the following components, the respective file gets modified:
•

Browse sequences (BRS)

•

Topics (HTM)

•

TOC (HHC)

•

Index (HHK)

•

Glossary (GLO)

•

Image and multimedia files (filename extension varies)

•

Style sheets (CSS)

About output types
RoboHelp can generate the following output types. These types have common basic characteristics
but different features and viewing and platform requirements.
WebHelp
Adobe WebHelp format works with virtually any combination of browser and platform for
web-based or desktop applications, online Help, and online books. WebHelp also provides
customizable navigation panes and quick downloads.
WebHelp Pro
WebHelp Pro is used for web-based applications, with features available only in server-based
Help. WebHelp Pro provides feedback on the use of your Help system. Authors can work on
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Projects

3
separate projects and publish anytime, and projects are merged on the server at run time.
RoboHelp Server is required to generate WebHelp Pro.

FlashHelp
Adobe FlashHelp® uses Adobe Flash® to provide an interactive navigation pane, customizable
navigation controls, Flash animation, streaming video, audio, and graphics. Users need Flash
Player.
FlashHelp Pro
FlashHelp Pro is used for web-based applications, with features available only in server-based
Help. Authors can work on separate projects and publish anytime, and projects are merged on
the server at run time. RoboHelp Server is required to generate FlashHelp Pro.
Multiscreen HTML5
Multiscreen HTML5 output lets you deliver a reading experience that is optimized for specific
types of devices. You can add and configure different screen profiles for different sets of devices
and generate Multiscreen HTML5 output for these screen profiles. When users visit the
landing page for the Multiscreen HTML5 output on their devices, they are automatically redirected to content optimized for their device.
Responsive HTML5
Using Responsive HTML5, you can create a single output that is optimized for all your screens.
Responsive HTML5 automatically adjusts to the screen a user is accessing it from and also
adjusts to dynamic screen size changes, such as a flip of orientation or resizing of the browser.
You can also publish Responsive HTML5 output to RoboHelp Server 10.
eBook
The eBook layout helps you generate output in EPUB 3 and Kindle Book (MOBI) formats.
Microsoft HTML Help
Microsoft HTML Help is used as application and stand-alone Help for Windows 98 and later,
using Internet Explorer 4.x or later, and provides unique features.NOTE: Due to Microsoft security changes, Microsoft HTML Help is now used where the Help has to be run on the users' PC; it
cannot be installed on a server without registry changes. WebHelp and FlashHelp are used where
the Help is to be run from a server. WebHelp and FlashHelp can be run locally, but it is not
recommended.
XML
XML output exports to Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, used to structure, store,
and send information. XML files use style sheets, as well as handler files. Handler files determine how RoboHelp imports or generates the XML files, associated style sheets, and related
components.

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Projects
JavaHelp
JavaHelp, from Sun Microsystems™, works with Java applications and is a delivery system, not
an authoring tool. JavaHelp features (TOC, index, searches, controls, global search and replace,
pop-ups) are created automatically, along with HTML features (links, Related Topics buttons,
and image files).
Oracle Help
Oracle Help for Java™ is used with applications written in any language. Oracle Help and the
ICE 5 browser provide TOC, index, full-text searches, pop-ups, context sensitivity, and
customizable windows, through the Oracle Help viewer.
Printed documentation
RoboHelp enhanced printed documentation provides control over structure, content, and
appearance of printed documents. You can organize the content as needed, format using CSS
or Word template styles, and produce formatted and structured Word documents or PDF files.
Adobe AIR
The Adobe AIR output type allows you to generate Help in Adobe AIR format. Generate your
content in the cross-platform Adobe AIR Help format that brings a host of enhancements,
such as these:
•

Easy navigability through breadcrumbs, and more

•

New templates and skins

•

A rich branding experience, and the ability to insert corporate logos and an About box in
Help

•

Rich commenting and auto-updates

•

Browser-based Help, with both offline and online content.

•

Ability to add and access RSS feeds

•

Enhanced search

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Projects

3

End-user viewer requirements

End-user
system

Responsive
HTML5

Microsoft
HTML Help

WebHelp/Pro

EPUB

PDF

Windows® XP
SP4 or later,
Windows
Vista,
Windows 7

Web browser

N/A

Web browser

Built-in
viewer

eBook viewer

PDF viewer.
Example:
Adobe
Acrobat,
Adobe
Acrobat
Reader

Mac OS,
Linux®

Web browser

N/A

Web browser

Not available

eBook viewer

PDF viewer.
Example:
Adobe
Acrobat,
Adobe
Acrobat
Reader

iOS, Android
(devices)

Web browser

Native
mobile
app

N/A

N/A

eBook viewer

PDF viewer.
Example:
Adobe
Acrobat,
Adobe
Acrobat
Reader

End-user system

34

Mobile
App

Multiscreen HTML5

JavaHelp*

Oracle Help

AIR Help

Windows® XP SP4 or
later, Windows Vista,
Windows 7

Web browser

JavaHelp
viewer

Oracle Help viewer

AIR Help
Runtime

Mac OS, Linux®

Web browser

JavaHelp
viewer

Not available

AIR Help
Runtime

iOS, Android (devices)

Web browser

N/A

N/A

N/A

Projects

Create and manage projects
Create a project
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select File > New Project.

•

In the Starter pod, click More under Create New.

2)

On the New pane in the New Project dialog box, double-click a project type. You can change
the project type after your project is created.

Blank Project
Customize and publish a project in any output. You can modify the window settings for
WebHelp, FlashHelp, and HTML Help outputs.
Application Help
Create a Help system that you can install locally. The Application Help project has sample
topics with notes on how you can customize and modify the information. For example, you can
create a Help system to document information about a company product.NOTE: By default, the
Application Help does not use master pages or snippets but you can always add them.
e-Handbook
Create a project for an electronic handbook, such as an employee handbook for a company.
The e-Handbook project template provides the relevant folders and topics for you to place
company-specific information.
e-Learning
Integrate and organize Captivate demos into a project. Using the layout and recommendations
provided, you can create computer-based and web-based training.
Knowledge Base
Create a knowledgebase that has an interface similar to a wiki page. The knowledgebase project
template contains master pages that you can customize. You can also create self-updating
pages.
Web Application Help
Create a Help system that you can publish on a server. The Web Application Help project has
sample topics with notes on creating online Help for a software application.
Department Guidelines
Create a Help system to outline guidelines for a department in a company. For example, you
can create Help for a human resources department, outlining guidelines on recruitment and
selection, flexible working hours, and so on.
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Projects

3

Disaster Recovery Plan
Create a Help system with samples on how to write a disaster recovery plan.
Online Manual
Create an online manual for a company product or software application.
Policies And Procedures
Create a handbook or a document listing policies and procedures specific to an organization.
Custom
Customize a Help project template.
3)

4)

Specify options in the New Project Wizard dialog box:
•

RoboHelp stores the project title in a field called Project Title. You can insert the field in
topic contents, snippets, master pages, and screen layouts.

•

Leave Language as English or select another language to localize the project. Spell
checking, indexing with the Smart Index Wizard, and parts of the user interface are localized.

•

If you select Save As Default, the selected language is used for all new projects.

Click Finish.

The first topic opens in the Design Editor on the right. On the left, the Project Manager opens. The
first topic is selected in the HTML Files (Topics) folder.

Create a project by importing documents
1)

Do one of the following:

•

From the Starter pod, select a new project type from the Import list.

•

Select File > New Project. Click the Import tab and select a new project type.

2)

Follow the prompts. The new project opens in RoboHelp.

Create a project using FrameMaker or Word documents
You can create new projects by importing FrameMaker or Word documents. While importing, you
can map the styles of these documents to styles in RoboHelp.

36

1)

Select File > New Project and click Import.

2)

Select FrameMaker or Word documents and click OK.

Projects
3)

Select from .book, .mif, .fm, .bk, and .frm files for FrameMaker and .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .docm
files for Word. You can import multiple FrameMaker or Word documents at the same time.
You can import .book and .bk files one at a time.
NOTE: For any FrameMaker format other than MIF, FrameMaker 8 or later is required. If the

correct version is not installed, you cannot import the file.
4)

Enter the project title, filename, and location of the project.

5)

Click Finish.
A new project wizard prompts you to select options to map the TOC, index, or glossary.

6)

Select the required options, and click Next.

7)

Click Edit.

8)

Select styles to map to the RoboHelp styles.
For information about different conversion options for FrameMaker documents, see Conversion basics.
For information about different conversion options for Word documents, see Converting
Word styles to RoboHelp styles.

9)

Click OK.
NOTE: If you click Cancel in the wizard, no files are imported and the empty project remains open.

10) Click Finish.
Create a project using a DITA map file
IMPORTANT:For expert users only.

Before you import a DITA map file, Java JDK and the DITA Open Toolkit must be installed and
running properly. Experience with DITA and the DITA Open Toolkit is also required.
1)

Select File > New Project.

2)

Click the Import tab.

3)

Select DITA Map File.

4)

Click OK.

5)

Enter the following information in the New Project wizard:

DITA Map File To Import
Specify path to a valid DITA map file that you want to import and create a project. Click the
Browse button to select the file.

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3

Location Of The Project
Specify path to the location of the new project.
6)

Click Next.

7)

Specify the input required on the Open DITA Toolkit Processing Options dialog box.

8)

Click Finish.

RELATED LINKS:
Converting Word styles to RoboHelp styles
Add a RoboHelp project to version control

Save projects
Save frequently while you work.
•

To save individual files, click Save in the Quick Access Toolbar.

•

To save all files, click Save in the Quick Access Toolbar.

Disable auto-save
By default, RoboHelp saves changes when you close the project. If you prefer, you can disable the
auto-save feature.
1)

From the Tools menu, select Options.

2)

Click the General tab.

3)

Under Options, deselect Save Without Prompt.

Opening a project
Open a project when starting RoboHelp
1)

From the Starter pod listing recently opened projects, click the project name. If you don’t see
the project you want, click Open.
You can use the following controls to locate the project you want to open:

My Places bar
Find documents by using the shortcuts to the left of the Folder and Files list.
Desktop
The Desktop folder lists all folders on your desktop.
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Projects
My Computer
The My Computer folder lists the hard drives configured on your computer.
My RoboHelp Projects
The My RoboHelp Projects folder is the default working folder where RoboHelp stores all projects. This folder is placed in the My Documents folder when Adobe RoboHelp is installed.
When you start Adobe RoboHelp, projects stored in the My RoboHelp Projects folder are automatically listed in the Starter pod under the Recent Projects list. All RoboHelp projects use the
.xpj filename extension.
Look in list
By default, this list displays the My RoboHelp Projects folder. Alternatively, if you have
accessed other folders, the last folder you accessed, is selected in this list. This list includes the
My Computer, My Network Places, and My Documents folders under the Desktop folder.
Go To Last Folder Visited icon
Displays the last folder you accessed. Click the arrowhead to view a list of the most recent
folders you visited. This icon is disabled if you do not access a folder in the dialog box.
Up one level icon
Enables you to move to the parent folder of the current folder displayed in the Look in list.
Delete icon
Enables you to delete a selected folder or file. The deleted folder or file is sent to the Recycle Bin.
Create New Folder icon
Enables you to create a folder under the parent folder selected in the Look in list.
View Menu icon
The arrowhead enables you to choose the view in which the folder and file list must be
displayed. You can view the folders and files as thumbnails, tiles, icons, a simple list, or a list
with details of the folders or files.
Tools icon
Enables you to delete or rename a folder or file, add a folder or file to the My Places bar, or map
a hard drive to a computer or folder on your network. You can also view properties of a folder
or file.
File Name box
so on.)

Enables you to specify the name of the file to access (to open, to import, and

Files Of Type menu
Enables you to select the type of files to list in the folder and file list.

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3

Open a project after starting RoboHelp
1)

Select File > Open Project > Local or Network Path.
The Open Project dialog box appears.
NOTE: You can also select the last ten projects opened from the bottom of the File menu.

2)

Select RoboHelp HTML Help Project (.xpj) from the Files Of Type menu.

3)

Locate the project file, and double-click it.

Upgrading a project
If you open a project created in a previous version of RoboHelp, you are asked whether to convert it
before opening it.
IMPORTANT:Make a copy of your project before converting it into the new format.

RELATED LINKS:
RoboHelp output search

Pin a project to the list of recently opened projects
By default, the list of recent projects that appears in the Starter pod and in the File menu displays up
to the last ten projects opened. Pin a recently opened project so that it always appears in the recent
projects’ list. The list displays the pinned projects and recently used projects up to the number of
projects set in the Max Projects field.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

On the Recent Projects tab, select a project from the Recently Opened Projects list.

3)

Click Pin. Click OK.
NOTE: Click Unpin to remove a pinned project from the recent projects’ list.

Change project settings
1)

Choose Project > File > Project Settings.

2)

On the general tab, change settings as needed:

Project Title
Enter a project title. This title appears in the window bar of the output.
Primary Output/Layout
Select a primary layout.

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Projects
Language
Select the default project language.
Advanced
Click to create or edit lists for localization. Set options in each pane.
To Do List
Click Manage to manage the To Do list for your project. For more information, see Using the
To Do list.
Index
Select an option for saving keywords:
•

Index File (HHK) saves new index keywords in the project index file (HHK).

•

Topics saves new index keywords in individual topic files (HTM).

•

Binary Index uses a binary index in Microsoft HTML Help projects.

Set options on the Stop List pane
Use the Stop List tab to modify words contained in the Stop List file ProjectName.stp. A Stop List
contains common words (for example, “a” or “the”) that the search ignores for an accurate result.
Edit
Select a word, click Edit. Type the new name. Press Enter. Right-click the word to display a
drop-down box with the Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Select All options.
Reset To Default
Removes the new entries and restores the default list.
New
Adds a word. Click New. Type the word. Press Enter.
Delete
Deletes a selected word.
NOTE:In Microsoft HTML Help projects, the stop list file can’t be larger than 512 K. If the file is

larger, words at the end of the file are not included in the CHM file.
Set options on the Phrases pane
Modify words in the Phrases file ProjectName.phr. This tab contains a phrase list the Smart Index
Wizard includes in keyword searches. For example, make project settings one phrase, not two words.
You can add, rename, and delete words.
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3

Edit
Select a word, click Edit. Type the new name. Press Enter. Right-click the word to display a
drop-down box with the Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Select All options.
Reset To Default
Removes the new entries and restores the default list.
New
Click New. Type the new word. Press Enter.
Set options on the “Always Ignore” Words pane
Modify words in the Always Ignore Words file ProjectName.ign. This list contains “noise” words
such “as,” “the,” or “a.” The Smart Index wizard uses the list to keep the noise words out of the index.
Edit
Select a word, click Edit. Type the new name. Press Enter. Right-click the word to display a
drop-down box with the Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Select All options.
Reset To Default
Removes the new entries and restores the default list.
New
Click New. Type the new word. Press Enter.
Set options on the LNG File pane
Change text elements in the user interface for Multiscreen HTML5, WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro, AIR Help, printed documentation, or HTML Help output.
See the complete list of available changes you can make in the LNG file tab.
When you edit the LNG file, your changes supersede settings made in Project Settings in other locations.
1)

Select an element, and click either of the following:

Edit
Modify LNG file text for each user interface element listed. In Edit mode, you can also
right-click on the edited line to undo the edits, cut, copy, paste, delete, or select all.NOTE: You
can change the string to show expanding or collapsing topic TOCs in settings for master pages.
For more information, see Master pages.
Reset To Default
Erases the new entries and restores the default list.
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Projects
NOTE: For quick access to these options, you can select Edit > LNG File.

Set options on the Synonyms pane
Define words as synonyms. For example, you can define “find” and “locate” as synonyms for
“search.” In the generated output, when a user searches for “search,” results for “find” and “locate”
are also displayed.
Reset To Default
Removes the new entries and restores the default list.
Edit
Select a word, click Edit. Type the new name. Press Enter. Right-click the word to display a
drop-down box with the Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Select All options.
New
Click to add a new word in the Synonym table and specify a synonym for it.
Delete
Click to delete the Word and its synonyms.
RELATED LINKS:
Upgrade localized projects
View output

Rename a project
When you rename a project, the main project file (.xpj) and all other project files are renamed.NOTE:
The TOC, index, and glossary files are not renamed.
When you rename a project, the project closes and reopens. Any changes made since last saving are
saved. NOTE: You cannot rename projects under version control.
1)

Open the project.

2)

Select File > Rename Project.

3)

In the Project Name box, enter the new project name (do not enter a filename extension).

4)

Click OK. To make the changes take effect, the program closes and then reopens the project.

NOTE:If you are creating Microsoft HTML Help, the name of the compiled HTML Help file (CHM file)
is based on the project filename. If you change the project name, the name of the CHM file changes as
well. You can rename the CHM file to restore the old name.

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3

Viewing projects
Help systems are displayed in a browser or viewer, depending on the output type, the application
platform, and the platforms of your end users. Help systems are displayed in a main window. Users
can view topics in the right pane and navigate with tabs, buttons, and ribbons in the left pane and
along the top.
View your project often to test links and make sure that styles appear properly. View each
single-source in the viewer required for the specified output type.
RELATED LINKS:
Create TOCs

Define chapter layout
You can define a chapter layout for a project to order topics and folders logically in the Project
Manager pod. RoboHelp uses this chapter layout to auto-create a TOC.
Notes:
•

If you rename a folder or a topic, the topics and folders retain their order.

•

If you delete a topic or a folder, the remaining topics retain their order.

•

If you add a new topic or a folder, it is added at the top inside the parent folder.

•

If you drop a topic or a folder on a non-topic/folder item (such as CSS, image, or baggage), it
moves to the last position inside the parent folder of the target.

•

When you upgrade a project from an older version of RoboHelp, all the topics appear
randomly. You can customize the order of topics later.

•

You can right-click a folder or topic in the Project Manager pod and select Explore to open the
topic or the folder in Windows Explorer.

Drag folders
•

Drag a topic or a folder above or below another topic or folder. For linked documents, you can
drag only above the linked documents.

RELATED LINKS:
Pin a project to the list of recently opened projects

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Projects

Manage files
List topics by title or filename
1)

In the Project Manager pod, open the Project Files folder.

2)

Select Project > View > Display Topics > By Topic Title or By File Name.

Using the To Do list
The To Do list helps you track project tasks. You can customize the list by adding, deleting, or modifying the existing To Do tasks.NOTE: To Do settings are retained when you upgrade a project from an
older version of RoboHelp to a newer version.
You can generate a report on the customized To Do list.
Edit items on the To Do list
1)

Select Project > File > Project Settings.

2)

Click the General tab.

3)

Click Manage.

4)

Do either of the following:
•

To add a task to the list, click Add. Type the name of the task item.

•

To edit or remove a task, select the task and click Edit or Delete.

NOTE: From the Project Settings dialog box, you cannot see the Ran Smart Index item in the default To

Do list. This precaution ensures that you do not delete this item by mistake. By default, RoboHelp sets
the option Ran Smart Index for all the topics on which you run the Smart Index wizard.
Update the To Do list for a topic
1)

Right-click a topic in the Project Manager pod and select Properties. Click the Status tab.

2)

Select or deselect items on the To Do list.

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3

Generate a status report
You can generate a Project Status report to view the number of topics using the To Do list.
1)

Select Tools > Reports > Project Status.

Edit the list of recently opened projects
Recently opened projects are listed in the RoboHelp Starter pod.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the Recent Projects tab.
•

To change the number of files listed, specify a number in the Max Projects box.

•

To remove a file from the list, select it and click Remove.

RELATED LINKS:
Broken links report

Add files to the Baggage folder
RoboHelp sometimes doesn’t automatically add references to external elements to the Baggage Files
folder. If needed, add files to the Baggage Files folder so the external elements appear correctly in the
output:
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.
The Pods drop-down list is also available in the Edit and Review ribbons.

2)

Right-click the Baggage Files folder. Select New > Baggage File.
NOTE: If the Baggage Files folder isn’t listed, click the Toggle Project Manager View button

3)

4)

.

Double-click the source file for any of the following:
•

Bitmaps and icons used with HTML Help controls

•

Image files used in style sheets, topic backgrounds, and scripts

•

The JavaScript file that supports Dynamic HTML effects, such as pop-ups and
drop-down hotspots

Click Yes.
NOTE: You can create a link to a baggage file by pressing the SHFT key while dragging and drop-

ping it into a topic.

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Remove files from the Baggage folder
To remove a file from the Baggage folder:
1)

Select the file and click Delete.

Map file types
Map file types to associate them with the applications used for editing them.
Associate a file extension with an application
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click File Association tab.

3)

For associated programs, click Add.

4)

Enter a filename extension.

5)

Select an editor to edit documents with the specified filename extension.
When you select a program, its location appears in the Edit With box. The programs appear
alphabetically.NOTE: Only those programs appear in the list whose registry entry is set to
“NoOpenWith.”

6)

Select a program to view the file.
You can also browse to a program not listed in the program list.

Add an HTML editor mapping
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click File Association tab.

3)

For HTML editors, click Add.

4)

Select from the recommended or other programs registered to edit or view .html or .htm
files.NOTE: When you select a program, its name and location appear in the Name and Location
box. You can also browse for a program that does not appear in the program list.

5)

Click OK. The selected program appears in the list of HTML editors.NOTE: To change the
HTML editor, browse and select a new program.

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Remove topics from projects
Before you remove files, back up all project files and view and print reports if your project is not
under version control. To avoid broken links, don’t remove files in Windows Explorer or version
control software.
1)

Select one or more files:

•

To remove a topic, use the Project Manager pod.

•

To remove multiple topics, use the Topic List pod.

2)

Press Delete. If prompted, do NOT remove references to removed topics.
NOTE: You can choose to remove the references, but if you do that, you do not get to review the

effect of the removal in other topics. Electing NOT to remove the references, forces the links to
display in Broken Links, from which you can review each topic to see if any editing is required.
RELATED LINKS:
Unused files report
Define chapter layout

Manage folders
Create folders
The Project Manager contains default folders for project organization. You can create folders and
subfolders only in these folders: HTML Files (Topics), Images, Multimedia, Style Sheets, and
Baggage Files.
NOTE: Do not use Windows Explorer to create subfolders to add, move, or rename files. RoboHelp does

not recognize these changes.
1)

Select the Project Files folder in the Project Manager pod.NOTE: If the Project Files folder isn’t
listed, click the Toggle Project Manager View button .

2)

Right-click the folder, and select New > Folder.

3)

Enter a name for the folder. Avoid special characters and spaces.

4)

Press Enter.

•

Move files and folders in Project Manager by dragging.

•

You can drag topics from the Topic List into multiple folders in the Project Manager.

Tips:

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Project Manager folders
In the Project Manager pod, you edit, delete, and create project files. Two views are available in
Project Manager. Both views include a set of commonly used options for authoring. One view
displays all the project files gathered together in a single folder called Project Files; the other view
groups the project files into various virtual folders based on file type. Click the Toggle Project
Manager View button or , to change views.
The Project Manager view that displays project files in various virtual folders contains the following
folders:
HTML Files (Topics)
Stores the topics of a project. Files are sorted alpha numerically (A-Z, 0-9). You can add folders
within this folder. You can use the structure to generate a TOC automatically and create
browse sequences.
Images
Images used in your project are stored in this folder. Image maps and their associated links
(hotspots) are also listed. You can drag an image from this folder into the Design Editor to add
images to topics. You can also rename images in this folder by selecting the image and pressing
F2.
Multimedia
All sound and video files used in your project are saved in this folder. Adobe Captivate demos
(SWF files) are also stored here. You can drag sound or video files into the Design Editor to
add multimedia to topics. You can also find out where the files are referenced in your project.
Style sheets
Style sheets control the formatting of topics. When you change a style sheet, all topics associated with it are updated. The RoboHelp default style sheets (CSS files) and any others you add
to your project are stored in this folder. Edit a style sheet by double-clicking its icon.
Baggage Files
Certain files are automatically added to the Baggage Files folder in the Project Manager to
display the following correctly in the generated project:
•

Bitmap and icon files used with HTML Help controls

•

Image files used in topic backgrounds and scripts

•

The JavaScript file (ehlpdhtm.js) that supports Dynamic HTML effects such as related topics
pop-ups, smart pop-ups, and drop-down hotspots.

•

The support file for skins and the navigation pane in browser-based outputs (TOC, index, glossary, and full-text search.
You can drag files from the Baggage Files folder into topics to create links to the files.

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Broken Links
Stores links to files that are not present in the project. To restore or remove a broken link,
double-click it.
URLs
Stores links to web addresses, FTP sites, newsgroups, e-mail addresses, and HTML topics in
external CHM files. From this folder, you can add a URL to an index. You can drag a URL into
the Design Editor.
Table Of Contents
Stores the default TOC and all other TOCs created in the project.
Index
Stores the default index and all other indexes created in the project.
Glossary
Stores the default glossary and all other glossaries created in the project.
See Also
Double-click the See Also folder to display the See Also pod. You can add the See Also
keywords in the See Also pod.
Rename folders
Use the Project Manager to rename folders.
1)

Select the Project Files folder in the Project Manager pod.

2)

Right-click the folder. Select Rename.

3)

Type the new name. Don’t include special characters, and avoid spaces, especially for WebHelp
and FlashHelp.

4)

Press Enter.

Move folders
Use the Project Manager pod to move folders.

50

1)

Select Project Files in the Project Manager pod.

2)

Drag the subfolder to its new location.

Projects
Remove custom folders
Before you remove the folder, move any items in it that you want to keep.
1)

Select the custom folder in the Project Manager pod.

2)

Choose Project > Delete.

File and folder icons
The Project Manager icons indicate the components and files included in your project.
NOTE:Icons with a red check mark indicate that the file is checked out (applicable only to topics under

version control).

Icon

Description
Closed folders. Closed folders that contain files display a plus sign. Click the plus sign to show
the folder contents. Right-click for more options.
Open folders. Open folders display a minus sign with the contents shown below. Click the minus
sign to collapse the folder.

,

Toggle view. Click to switch between a simplified view with fewer folders or one showing all
folders.
Show/hide files. Click to select the files you want to show in the Project Manager.
Empty folders. Empty folders display no signs.
HTML files (Topics). Double-click page icons to open a Design editor. Right-click for more
options.
HTML topics with bookmarks. Topics with bookmarks have a plus sign. Click the plus sign to
show all bookmarks.
Missing files. A red X indicates files that the program cannot locate. These files are not in the
project path. Either they have been deleted, or they are saved in a different folder of the project.
Bookmarks. Bookmarks appear alphabetically below their respective topics. Double-click to
open a topic. Drag bookmarks into topics in Design Editor to create links.
Framesets. Double-click to open a dialog box for changing frame attributes.
URLs, web addresses, FTP sites, newsgroups, e-mail addresses, or HTML topics in external
CHM files. Double-click to open a dialog box for adding keywords to a link. Drag URLs into
topics open in Design Editor to create links.
Images (GIF, JPEG, and JPG formats). Double-click to preview the image, identify topics that use
it, and view file information. Drag images into topics in Design Editor to add them.

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Icon

Description
Image maps. Images with clickable links or hotspots. Click the plus sign to display links.
Double-click to preview the image, identify topics that use it, and view file information. Drag the
image maps into topics in Design editor to add them.
Image map links (hotspots). Double-click to identify topics that use image maps.
Sound files (AU, MID, RMI, and WAV formats). Double-click to identify topics that use them
and view file information. Drag sound files into topics in Design Editor to add them.
Video files (AVI and MOV formats). Double-click to identify topics that use them and view file
information. Drag video files into topics in Design Editor to add them.
Adobe Captivate files (SWF files). Double-click to identify topics that use them and view file
information. Drag Adobe Captivate files into topics in Design Editor to add them.
Custom windows. Double-click to modify window properties.
Style sheets (CSS). Double-click to modify styles.
Text-only files For What's This? Help (.TXT format). Double-click to create or modify text-only
topics files.
Map Files For Context-Sensitive Help (.HH) Includes imported map files or automatically
generated files.
All map IDs. Links map IDs to HTML topics for context-sensitive Help. Double-click to work
with map IDs and map files.
Table of contents folder. Shows the default and other table of contents in the project.
Table of contents folder. Expand to view the table of contents listed.
Table of contents. Double-click to open the selected table of contents pane.
Index folder. Shows the default and other indexes (if any) listed.
Index folder. Expand to view the indexes listed.
Index. Double-click to open the selected index pane.
Glossary folder. Shows the default and other glossaries (if any) listed.
Glossary folder. Expand to view the glossaries listed.
Glossary. Double-click to open the selected glossary pane.
See also. Double-click to open the See Also pane and add to See also keywords.

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Icon

Description
Baggage files (BMP, ICO, XML, JS, other image files). Files such as bitmaps and icons used with
HTML Help controls, including custom buttons for link controls and startup screens. If your
project includes Dynamic HTML, the file EHLPDHTMJS is included in your Baggage Files
folder. Other image files are included as well, such as topic backgrounds and scripts.

TIP:You can map filename extensions to applications. For example, map GIF files to Adobe Photoshop®.

When you right-click a GIF file from the Images folder and select Edit, the file opens in Photoshop.
RELATED LINKS:
Define a language for a paragraph

Authoring content in multiple languages
You can change the language of an existing project or a new project. The language affects the window
text, as well as the dictionary for the spell checker and the automatic indexing (Smart Index Wizard)
customized settings.
You can also customize the display text, such as the text in browse sequence buttons, previous and
next buttons, show/hide buttons, some messages, and more. The text can be anything you specify.
For example, the default text “Search” on the Search tab can be changed to “Find” in the language of
your choice.
When delivering the project to translators, always provide the source files and not the output files.
NOTE:In HTML Help systems, the end user’s operating system must be in the same language as the one

used in your project. Otherwise, the end user’s operating system overrides the language specified in your
project. The dictionary and index sorting are not affected in the end user’s system.

Support for multiple languages
RoboHelp provides multiple language support at the paragraph, topic, and project level. You can set
the language at the paragraph level and topic level through the RoboHelp user interface. Language
defined at the paragraph level takes precedence over language defined at a topic level. Language set
at the topic level takes precedence over language defined at a project level. Language defined at the
project level can never take precedence over language defined at paragraph level. You can think of
the prioritized language as the effective language. Effective language is used in spelling checks, in a
dictionary or a thesaurus, in generating a smart index, and in preparing a full-text search.
The project language is defined at the project level. You can apply different language settings using
Project > Project Settings.
You define the topic language using the Topic Properties dialog box.

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You define the paragraph language using the Paragraph dialog box. Select any paragraph in the
Design view and choose Paragraph from the context menu.
RoboHelp supports the following languages:

Languages

54

Spell Check

User Dictionary

Thesaurus

Auto correct

Arabic

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Danish (Denmark)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

German (Germany)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

English (US)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

English (UK)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Spanish (Spain)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

French (France)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Hebrew

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Italian (Italy)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Dutch (The Netherlands)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Norwegian Bokmâl (Norway)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Norwegian Nynorsk (Norway)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Portuguese (Brazil)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Swedish (Sweden)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Croatian (Croatia)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Portuguese (Portugal)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

French (Canada)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Finnish (Finland)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Catalan (Spain)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Russian (Russia)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Bulgarian (Bulgaria)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Czech (Czech Republic)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Projects

Languages

Spell Check

User Dictionary

Thesaurus

Auto correct

Polish (Poland)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Romanian (Romania)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Hungarian (Hungary)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Greek (Greece)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Turkish (Turkey)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Estonian (Estonia)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Latvian (Latvia)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Lithuanian (Lithuania)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Slovenian (Slovenia)

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

German (Switzerland)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Japanese (Japan)

No

No

No

No

Korean (Korea)

No

No

No

No

Traditional Chinese (Taiwan)

No

No

No

No

Simplified Chinese (China)

No

No

No

No

Thai (Thailand)

No

No

No

No

Vietnamese (Vietnam)

No

No

No

No

RELATED LINKS:
Create a topic
Create and edit single-source layouts

Translation workflows
You can create content for multiple languages in a single RoboHelp HTML project by translating the
English content in the same project. You can then create tables of contents, indexes, glossaries, and
conditional build tags in the project for the desired languages. Finally, you can apply conditional
build tags to content authored in the various languages, and generate conditional output.

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Follow the steps in this workflow, which uses translation from English to French and Japanese as an
example:
1)

Apply French language project settings by selecting French Language.

2)

Open an English topic, create a topic for the French language, and translate the content,
including the topic title from English to French. (Do not translate topic filenames.)

3)

Create French tables of contents, indexes, and glossaries.

4)

Create a conditional build tag, such as FrenchContent.

5)

Apply the FrenchContent conditional build tag to French content and topics.

6)

Generate output for the French language.

7)

Apply Japanese language project settings by selecting the Japanese Language.

8)

Open an English topic, create a topic for the Japanese language, and translate the content from
English to Japanese.

9)

Create Japanese tables of contents, indexes, and glossaries.

10) Create a conditional build tag called JapaneseContent.
11) Apply the JapaneseContent conditional build tag to the Japanese content.
12) Generate output for the Japanese language.NOTE: To view the Japanese output, you must change
your PC’s language to Japanese.NOTE: To translate a WebHelp project, first make a copy of the
project, open that copy in RoboHelp and author in your desired language.
Compare content in different languages
1)

Open topics created in different languages.

2)

In Design Editor, position the topics side by side: Drag a topic tab slightly down or to the right,
and release the mouse when the page icon appears. Choose New Horizontal Tab Group or
New Vertical Tab Group.

Select a different language for translating a project file
1)

Select Output > Stop Words.

2)

In the Advanced Settings for Localization dialog box, use the following tabs:

Stop List
Click New to add words that must be ignored during a text search.

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Phrases
Click New to add a phrase for the Smart Index Wizard to include when searching topic content
for keywords.
Labels
Click Edit to modify the text for each user interface element listed.
"Always Ignore" Words
Click New to add a word or phrase that the Smart Index Wizard ignores when generating the
index.
Synonyms
Click New to add a synonym for a word. This option enables you to search for words and their
synonyms. The results are always returned for the searched words.

Create a project with a different language
1)

Select File > New Project.

2)

In the New tab, double-click Project Type. The New Project Wizard appears.
NOTE:To create a JavaHelp or Oracle Help project, first create a Microsoft HTML Help project,

and then add a new layout to that project.
3)

Enter project information.

4)

From the Language menu, select the language. Click Save As Default to keep the language as
the default.

5)

Click Finish.

The first topic opens in the Design Editor. Generate and view your project to view the results.
RELATED LINKS:
Importing and linking Microsoft Word documents

Customizing text for localization
You can customize certain text in the user interface for WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro, and HTML Help outputs. Here is what you can change for each format:
WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp and FlashHelp Pro
•

With a skin Customize text in the Skin Editor. If you do not change the default text (such as
“Contents” for the Contents button), the text is automatically translated using the project
language setting.). If you customize text in a skin, the skin text overrides any customizations
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you make in the LNG file. For FlashHelp, the Flash developer uses the Skin Development Kit
to customize the text.

WebHelp only
•

Without a skin Edit the language file. You can localize browse sequence button text; text on
the Glossary tab, Previous button, and Next button; certain messages; and the Contents, Index,
and Search tabs. For example, you can change the text on the Search tab from “Search” to
“Find.”

HTML Help
You can customize browse sequence button text and all text on the Glossary tab. Change window
titles in the Windows Properties dialog box.

Edit the Labels file
1)

Create or open a project.

2)

Select Output > Labels.

3)

Select the interface text. Click Edit.

4)

Type the edits. Press Enter.

Notes:
•

If RoboHHRE.LNG is already in your user's Windows folder, it overrides the file in the
Baggage Files folder.

•

If you do not include the RoboHHRE.LNG file, or omit some values, your project defaults to
the English values shown in the example.

•

If you are using a skin, the default text is translated to the default language. If you customized
the text in a skin, the skin text overrides customizations in the LNG file.

Change the default project language

58

1)

Open the project.

2)

Select Project > Project Settings.

3)

Click the General tab and select the language.

4)

Click OK.

Projects
5)

Generate and view your project.

Notes:
•

If you use a skin, the default text uses the language setting of the project. Customized skin text
overrides text settings in the LNG file.

•

Localize window captions in the Windows Properties dialog (not applicable to WebHelp projects).

Language support for associated dictionaries
If your project contains content authored for multiple languages, define RoboHelp language settings
in the project, topic, and paragraph separately. The effective language is used for dictionary or
thesaurus association and for spell checking. For example, suppose you set the project language to
UK English and the paragraph language to French for several paragraphs. The French spelling
checker is activated for French paragraphs while the UK English spelling checker is used for the rest
of the content.
NOTE:Updated language settings for each language are stored at a common location in the project

folder. You can access the language settings information in the Projects\ !Language! folder.

Index localized text
Use the Smart Index wizard to index your localized project. You can assign keywords for each topic
based on the topic content. The index is generated based on language and search criteria you define
in the Smart Index wizard. The Smart Index Wizard suggests keywords based on topic content.
1)

Select a language for a new or existing project.

2)

Follow the steps for automatically creating your index.

Universal character sets
RoboHelp enables you to create content in multiple languages. However, authoring content in a
multilingual environment can be challenging when the languages span multiple Microsoft Windows
code pages. Support for the Unicode character encoding standard in RoboHelp overcomes many of
these challenges.
Without Unicode, operating systems use a code-page-based environment, in which each language
script has its own table of characters. Content based on the code page of one operating system
seldom translates correctly on an operating system that uses another code page. For example,
suppose you are running the English version of the Microsoft Windows® XP/Vista operating system
with the German code page. Then suppose you open a plain text file created in the Japanese version

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of Windows XP/Vista. In this case, the code points of the Japanese code page are mapped to unexpected or nonexistent characters in the Western script. The resulting text is unintelligible.
Support for Unicode text encoding standards
RoboHelp HTML supports Unicode text encoding. You can create a topic in multiple languages,
regardless of the language used by the operating system running RoboHelp.
You can perform the following tasks related to Unicode:
•

Author documents containing multilingual paragraphs and words. For example, you can have
a set of Greek characters followed by Russian characters, and then by French text in the same
paragraph.

•

Use the relevant language spelling checker to check Unicode content.

•

Create, open, or edit Unicode-encoded HTML and text files (UTF-8 and UTF-16 encoded
files).

•

Enter Unicode characters in input forms and dialog boxes.

•

Generate TOC, index, and glossary by using Unicode strings.

•

Convert and import text of non-Unicode encoded file types (HTML, XML, MIGF, and so on).

•

Publish content to a non-English server by adding multibyte characters in the complete path
name.

•

Create, open, or edit Unicode-encoded HTM files (UTF-8 and UTF-16 encoded files).

•

Provide Unicode-encoded input and view Unicode content in fields, dialog boxes, wizards, and
forms.

Set up input languages on Windows
Before you start typing non-English text or Unicode characters in the HTML files, ensure that RoboHelp HTML 8 is running on a UTF-8 locale. Configure the regional language or locale settings on
your computer to add additional languages for keyboard input, across operating systems.
Use the Windows® XP regional and language settings to add additional languages for keyboard
input. These languages and speech settings appear in the Language bar on the desktop. After you
select a language from the bar and a localized keyboard, you can start typing the required text in the
document. Microsoft® defines the keyboard layouts.

60

1)

Open the Control Panel and double-click the Regional And Language Options icon. The
Regional And Language Options dialog box appears.

2)

Click the Languages tab.

3)

Click the Details button. The Text Services And Input Languages dialog box appears.

Projects
4)

In the Settings tab, click the Add button.

5)

Select a language from the Input Language list.

6)

Click OK. The selected language is included in the Installed Services list.

7)

Select the desired language in the Default Input Language list.

8)

Click Apply and click OK to save the settings and close the Text Services And Input Languages
dialog box.

9)

Click the Regional Options tab, and choose the language you selected in the Default Input
Language list.

10) Click Apply and click OK to save the settings and close the Regional And Language Options
dialog box. The Language bar appears on the desktop of your computer.
11) Open RoboHelp, and type the content. The text appears in the selected language.
You can change the language in the Default Input Language list and the Regional Options tab. The
language selected in the Language bar is updated automatically to reflect your new choice.

Upgrade localized projects
Product-level customization is moved to [install_folder]\Language in RoboHelp. For example,
English is renamed as en_US and en_UK, and French is renamed as fr_FR.
The project-level customization is moved to[project folder]\!Language!\[language folder].
Minor customizations
1)

Open Notepad.

2)

Open the file to modify. These files reside in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp
[version]\RoboHTML\!Language!\en_US.

3)

Open the project. Do the following:
•

Edit the LNG file.

•

Edit the custom word lists.

Major customizations
1)

Open Notepad.

2)

Open the old file in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp
[version]\RoboHTML\Language.

3)

Open the new file in a separate window in Project folder\Language.
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Projects
4)

3
Copy the customizations from the old file to the new file. See the table for filenames.

File description

Pre-7 filenames

7 Filenames

Phrase list

Phrases.wlf

ProjectName.phr

Always Ignore list

AlwaysIgn.wlf

ProjectName.ign

Stop list

*.stp

ProjectName.stp

Language file

*.lng

ProjectName.lng

NOTE: The above procedure is NOT the recommended way. The recommended way is described
in Change project settings

Import PDF files
You can convert an Adobe PDF file (version 1.4 or later) into a single topic or multiple topics for a
new or existing project.
•

You cannot import SWFs, PDF portfolios, and encrypted PDF files (files that require a password).

•

If the PDF contains 3D images, save the PDF in version 5 to import the images.

•

TOCs or index field codes convert to PDF.

•

Adobe Reader® or Adobe Acrobat® is not required to import PDF files.

•

Sometimes fonts in PDF files do not convert correctly when imported into HTML.

Create a project by importing a PDF file
NOTE:You cannot import encrypted PDF files (files that require a password).

62

1)

Select File > New Project.

2)

Click the Import tab. Select PDF Document and click OK.

3)

Click the browse button to select one or more PDF files from a single folder. Click Open, and
then click Next.

4)

Enter the project information. Click Next.

5)

Select options in the Conversion Options dialog box.

Projects
Topic
Select how to split the PDF into topics.
Create New Topic(s) Based On Style(s)
Activates the Next button. Click to select styles.
Create A Single Topic
Creates one topic from the entire PDF.
Create A Topic For Each PDF Page
Choose additional options.
Convert As HTML
Creates a topic for each PDF page.
Convert As Image
Renders each PDF page as a separate image.
Convert As Absolutely Positioned HTML (Advanced)
Creates a topic for each PDF page. Positioning the content can require advanced HTML and
subsequent editing can be difficult. Use this option if the other options don’t produce the
results you want. This option is not recommended for printed documentation.
Image (JPG/GIF/PNG)
Select the format for images converted from the PDF. To exclude images, select None.
Page Range
By default, all PDF pages are converted. Alternatively, enter the page numbers on which to start
and end.
Create new topics based on styles
Styles are converted based on the following:
•

The most common style becomes the Normal style, which cannot be used to split topics.

•

The remaining styles are ranked from largest point size to smallest. Style ranking also considers
boldness (highest precedence), italics, and normal (lowest precedence).

•

Styles are ordered and numbered using “Heading 1” for the dominant heading style and
“PdfParaStyle01” through “PdfParaStyleX” for all other styles. Rename these styles using this
dialog.

Create New Topics Based On
Lists the styles used in the PDF document.

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NOTE: RoboHelp splits the documents into topics using the specified styles. The style text is
included by default in the filename of the topic file created. Any non-ASCII characters in
the topic file names are automatically converted to ASCII characters.

Description
Displays a description of the selected style.
Paragraph Preview
Displays a preview of the selected style.
Rename Style
Renames the selected style in your project.
Finish
Completes the import process.
Back
Returns to the Conversion Options dialog box.

Import PDF files into a project
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click Project Files.

2)

Select the file to import into.

3)

Select Project > Import

4)

Select one or more PDF files. Click Open.

5)

Select options in the Conversion Options dialog box.

6)

If Create New Topic(s) Based On Style(s) was selected, click Next to select styles.

7)

Click Finish.

> PDF Document.

Importing and linking Word and FrameMaker documents
You can import Microsoft Word and Adobe FrameMaker documents to your RoboHelp projects.
RELATED LINKS:
Importing FrameMaker documents
Custom HTML tags

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Importing and linking Microsoft Word documents
In RoboHelp, you can import or link Microsoft Word documents (files with .docx, .docm, .doc, or
.rtf extensions after the filename). You can create new projects by importing or linking Word documents. Or, you can use the Word documents as source files for an existing RoboHelp project. You
can use this workflow to integrate content created by different authors in Word.
The settings for importing and linking Word documents are applied at the project level. For this
reason, you have consistent settings for all documents that you import or link to RoboHelp projects.
You can also export the conversion settings that you define and reuse them across multiple projects.
Defining a set of standard settings for conversion ensures consistency across projects. See Word
conversion settings.

Steps to import a Word document into RoboHelp
1)

Locate your Word document.

2)

Optimize the Word document for import. See Optimizing Word documents for online output.

3)

Read through the differences between linking and importing the Word document. See Linking
versus importing Word documents.

4)

Open RoboHelp, and either create a project or use an existing project to import the Word
document.

5)

Import the Word document. See Import a Word document into a RoboHelp project.

6)

Export your conversion settings and reuse it when you import another Word document. See
Export conversion settings.

Steps to link a Word document from RoboHelp
1)

Locate your Word document.

2)

Optimize the Word document for linking. See Optimizing Word documents for online output.

3)

Read through the differences between linking and importing the Word document. See Linking
versus importing Word documents.

4)

Read through the options for linking Word documents. See Linking options for Word documents.

5)

Open RoboHelp, and either create a project or use an existing project to link the Word document.

6)

Link the Word document. See Link a Word document to a RoboHelp project.

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7)

Synchronize your linked Word document with RoboHelp when you edit your Word document. See Synchronizing linked Word documents with RoboHelp projects.

8)

Export your conversion settings and reuse it when you link another Word document. See
Export conversion settings.

Linking versus importing Word documents
You have two options for integrating content from Word documents into RoboHelp projects:
linking and importing. The following table lists the differences between the two methods:

Option

66

Linking

Importing

Remarks

Ability to update
generated topics

Yes. You can update the
generated topics whenever
the source document or
your RoboHelp project
settings change.

No. When you import a
Word document into a
RoboHelp project,
RoboHelp copies the
contents of the Word
document into RoboHelp
project. RoboHelp
generates topics based on
conversion settings. If the
source document changes,
delete the generated topics
and reimport the Word
document.

Use the link option when
the source Word
document can change.
Typically, if multiple
projects share the Word
document, you link the
Word document.
If, however, you are
bringing in content as a
one-time activity, you can
use the import option.

Ability to automatically
update TOC, index, and
glossary changes from the
source document

Yes. When you link a
document, separate TOC,
index, and glossary files
are created and associated
with the linked Word
document. When the
linked Word document is
updated, the linked TOC,
index, and glossary files
are also updated.

No. When you import a
Word document, the
generated TOC is
appended and index and
glossary are merged into
the selected TOC, index,
and glossary file.

Use the link option if you
want to automatically
update the TOC, index,
and glossary whenever
these components are
updated in the Word
document.

Ability to regenerate
deleted topics

Yes. You can delete a topic
that is generated from an
imported Word
document, and then
regenerate the same topic
when you update the
Word document.

No. Import the source
document again to
generate the deleted topic.

Use the linking option
when you share the source
document across multiple
projects.

Projects

Option

Linking

Importing

Remarks

Ability to preserve changes
in generated topics

Yes. You can mark topics
generated from a linked
Word document to ensure
that the marked topics are
not updated when the
linked document is
updated. In this way, you
can preserve any changes
you made in RoboHelp.

No. When you re-import a
Word document, all topics
previously generated from
the imported document
are recreated, overwriting
any changes you made in
RoboHelp.

Use the link option if you
need to retain updates
made to both the linked
Word document and the
generated topics.

Ability to change the
filenames and topic titles
of generated files from
Project Manager

No. When you link a
Word document, you
cannot change the
filenames or topic titles of
generated files from
Project Manager.

Yes. When you import a
Word document, you can
change the filenames or
topic titles of generated
files.

Use the import option if
you want to customize the
filenames and topic titles
from Project Manager.

Optimizing Word documents for online output
If you are importing Word documents that have been published in printed or online format,
consider the following before linking or importing them into RoboHelp projects.
Heading hierarchies
Determine the best mapping of Word heading styles to RoboHelp styles so that you can achieve
automatic pagination (splitting the document into topics) based on heading styles. If your
document does not employ hierarchical heading styles, apply them before conversion. For
example, you can apply Heading 1 style to standalone articles in your Word document. Then
map this style to a similar RoboHelp style and define pagination to create an HTML topic for
each Heading 1 style. See Pagination and topic naming in converted Word files.
Inline styles and style overrides
You can convert inline styles to CSS styles in RoboHelp. However, converting inline styles to
CSS styles can lead to numerous styles that share the same formatting. See Converting Word
styles to RoboHelp styles.
Header and footer information
RoboHelp can convert headers and footers. However, to ensure consistency across your topics,
you can define a master page that contains the required header and footer information. By
using master pages, you can also suppress page numbers in headers and footers. Convert
headers and footers in Word documents.
Chapter versus topic
In printed documentation, the chapter is the logical and physical unit for grouping content. In
online Help, the organizational unit is the topic, and users see topics one at a time. Although
you can group the content into folders that expand when the user navigates the table of
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contents, only one topic appears on the screen at a time. Try to provide comprehensive information without adding redundancy by grouping related topics. See Pagination and topic
naming in converted Word files.

TOCs
As you import Word documents, you can also import the Word TOC into the RoboHelp TOC.
You can define the topic hierarchy and represent that hierarchy in the RoboHelp TOC. See
Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary.
Context sensitivity
In online Help formats, you can link specific topics to dialog boxes and other elements that
users encounter in the application workflow. You can assign map IDs to topics in RoboHelp.
However, you can also assign context-sensitive Help markers in Word documents using
custom footnote entries. RoboHelp reads these footnote entries and assigns the map IDs to the
generated topics. Ensure that topics in the source Word document are not overly fragmented.
A topic must contain sufficient information to make sense as a standalone unit.
For example, if a short task doesn’t make sense without some introductory conceptual information, don’t display that task as a standalone topic. To avoid overly fragmented content,
assign context-sensitive Help markers to topics at a higher level. In this way, the generated
Help topic can contain the concept, the task, and any relevant graphics. See Convert
context-sensitive Help markers in Word to map IDs.

Linking options for Word documents
For linking Word documents to a RoboHelp project, you can specify one of the following options in
the Import tab of project settings (Project > Project Settings):
Create A Reference
You create a reference to an external Word document. In this case, the source Word document
is not copied into the RoboHelp project folder. It remains outside the project. You can edit and
update the Word document independently in Word. Later, in RoboHelp, you can update the
topics generated from the linked document.
Use the linking by reference option to bring in content that is shared across multiple projects.
Because only a single copy of the document exists, any change in the source document is
reflected in all projects to which this document is linked.
Create A Copy And Link
You create a copy of the source document and link to the RoboHelp project. In this case, a copy
of the source document is copied into the RoboHelp project and is visible in the Project
Manager pod. You can edit and update the Word copy without affecting the source document.
You update the topics generated from the copied Word document whenever you edit the document.
Use the Create A Copy And Link option to maintain the Word document in RoboHelp, and
restrict access to the source document and allow editing only in the copy available in the Robo68

Projects
Help project. For example, if you want to bring in content from a static Word document, link
the document by copying it to the RoboHelp project.NOTE: This option is available only when
you link Word documents. When you import a Word document, RoboHelp does not keep any
link to the source Word document.

Link and import Word documents
•

Create a RoboHelp project by linking to or importing a Word document. You can import
DOCX, DOC, DOCM, or RTF files.

•

Link or import Word documents into a RoboHelp project.

•

(For linked documents)Update the generated topics whenever any of the conversion settings or
the source documents changes.

HTML files are not created until you define the conversion settings and generate the Help topics.
The source Word documents are unaffected by linking and subsequent editing. RoboHelp creates a
copy of the linked or imported Word documents before applying the conversion settings.
Create a project by importing a Word document
You can create a RoboHelp project by importing a Word document. To import Word files, you must
have Microsoft Word installed on your computer. NOTE: DOCX and DOCM formats are not
supported by versions earlier than Microsoft Word 2007. See Microsoft Word Help for more information.
1)

In the Starter pod, click Word Document under Import.

2)

Select Word Documents from the Files Of Type pop-up menu, select the Word document, and
click Open.

3)

Enter relevant details in the New Project wizard and click Finish.

Link a Word document to a RoboHelp project
1)

Create a project in RoboHelp.

2)

Select Project > Link > Word File.

3)

Click Browse to select one or more Word documents and click Open.
NOTE: To import multiple documents with separate TOCs, select them in the order they should

appear in the master TOC.
4)

Right-click the linked file in Project Manager, and select Properties.

5)

In the Word Document Settings dialog box, do the following:

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•

To generate a TOC from the source document, select the Convert Table of Contents
option, and specify a filename.

•

To generate an index from the source document, select the Convert Index option, and
specify a filename.

•

To generate a glossary from the source document, select the Convert Glossary option,
and specify a filename.
NOTE: You can define the paragraph styles for a glossary term and definition in the project
settings. See Convert Word paragraph styles to RoboHelp styles.

NOTE: RoboHelp associates the generated TOC, index, and glossary files with the source Word

document. So when the source document is updated, the TOC, index, and glossary files are also
updated.
6)

Click OK.

Import a Word document into a RoboHelp project
1)

Create a project in RoboHelp.

2)

Select Project > Import

3)

Click Browse to select one or more Word documents and click Open.

> Word Document.

NOTE: To import multiple documents with separate TOCs, select them in the order they should

appear in the master TOC.
4)

In the dialog box, set conversion options for the TOC, index, and glossary, and click Next.
For information about various conversion options, see Importing a Word TOC, index, and
glossary.

5)

(Optional) To edit the conversion settings, click Edit.

6)

Check the Import Max checkbox and specify the number of different headers footers to be
imported from the MS Word document.
NOTE: New master pages will be created with the headers and footers from the imported MS Word
document.

7)

Modify conversion settings according to your requirements, and click OK.
For information about converting headers and footers, see Convert headers and footers in
Word documents
For information about converting paragraph, character, and other styles, see Converting Word
styles to RoboHelp styles.

8)

70

Click Finish.

Projects
Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary
When you import a Word document into a RoboHelp project, you can also import the table of
contents (TOC). Import the TOC into the RoboHelp project to retain, in Help, the navigation structure you defined in your Word document. If you import a Word-generated TOC, the first heading
becomes a book. Lower-level headings become pages (unless a book exists at a lower level).
To import multiple documents with separate TOCs, select the Word documents in the Open dialog
box in the order that they should appear in the master TOC. The converted TOC is based on the
{TOC} field codes of the Word document. Ensure that:
•

Headings for main books have lower-level headings.

•

Headings for sub-books appear under main headings and have lower-level headings.

•

Headings for pages do not have lower-level headings.

For example, suppose you import a document with more styles than the TOC contains: The document contains heading levels 1 through 3, but the TOC contains only heading 1 and 2 entries. To
ensure that heading 3 styles appear in the TOC, either include heading 3 in the Word TOC or
auto-create the TOC in RoboHelp.
Import a Word TOC
1)

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.

2)

In the Content Settings dialog box, select Convert Table Of Contents.

3)

Select one of the following options:

Add To Existing TOC
Appends the TOC entries to any existing RoboHelp TOC present in the project. Select an
existing RoboHelp TOC from the list.
Create New Associated TOC
Enter a name for a new associated TOC that is added to the RoboHelp project.
Import Word index entries
RoboHelp creates an index based on the index markers in the document you are importing.
1)

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.

2)

Select Convert Index in the Content Settings dialog box, and select one of the following
options:

Add To Existing Index
Add the Word index entries to the existing RoboHelp index of the project.
Create New Associated Index
Enter a name for a new associated index that is added to the RoboHelp project.
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Add To Topic
Add the Word index entries to individual topics in which they appear.
Import Word glossary entries
RoboHelp creates a glossary from the Word document you are importing, based on the paragraph
styles defined for the glossary terms and definitions in project settings.
NOTE: RoboHelp creates a glossary entry by finding a term and a definition in the specified styles in the
Word document. Consecutive instances of term styles or definition styles are rejected.

1)

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.

2)

Select Convert Glossary in the Content Settings dialog box, and select one of the following
options:

Add To Existing Glossary
Add the Word glossary entries to the existing RoboHelp glossary of the project.
Create New Associated Glossary
Enter a name for a new associated glossary that is added to the RoboHelp project.

Convert headers and footers in Word documents
You can convert the header and footer text in your Word documents to headers and footers in the
generated HTML topics. NOTE: Don’t use this procedure if your projects have topics natively created
in RoboHelp and imported or linked from other sources as well. Instead, use the master page feature in
RoboHelp. Using master pages, you can define consistent layouts and consistent headers and footers.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings

.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select Other Settings and then do the following:

•

To convert the header and footer in Word documents, select Convert Header and Footer.

Converting Word styles to RoboHelp styles
You can select the cascading style sheet (CSS) that RoboHelp uses to map Word styles to RoboHelp
styles. RoboHelp saves all the style conversion settings in this CSS file. By default, RoboHelp uses the
RHStyleMapping.css file for your project.
You can also use a custom CSS for your project. You can later edit the styles either in RoboHelp or
in an external CSS editing application, such as Adobe Dreamweaver®. You can define how the Word
styles convert to RoboHelp styles at the project level. All Word style definitions in the Word document appear in the mapping dialog box, irrespective of whether they are used in the document.

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Select CSS for style mapping
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import > Word Document.

•

Select Project > Link > Word File.

•

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, do one of the following:

•

Select the CSS file from the CSS For Style Mapping menu. RoboHelp lists CSS files in the root
folder of your project, from which you can select a CSS file.

•

Select Browse CSS from the CSS For Style Mapping menu, and select the CSS file that you want
to use. Use this option to specify a custom CSS for your project. When you select this option,
RoboHelp copies the selected CSS file into the root folder of your project, and uses the selected
CSS for style mapping.

NOTE: You can edit the CSS file you want to use for style mapping. The Edit With option lets you select

an editor from a predefined list, which includes RoboHelp CSS Editor and other registered CSS editors.
Automap styles
RoboHelp provides a quick option to map paragraph, character, and table styles in the Word files to
the corresponding styles in the CSS selected for style mapping. The style names in the Word files and
the CSS should be same for automap to work.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

Click the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box.
Do one of the following:
•

Select the CSS file from the CSS For Style Mapping menu.

•

Click Add next to the CSS for Style Mapping pop-up menu, and select a CSS file.
Use this option to specify a custom CSS for the project. When you select this option,
RoboHelp copies the selected CSS file into the root folder of the project, and uses the
selected CSS for style mapping.

3)

To edit conversion settings for Word documents, click Edit.

4)

In the Paragraph tab, select Automap Paragraph Styles.

5)

In the Character tab, select Automap Character Styles.

6)

In the Table tab, select Automap Table Styles.

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Convert Word paragraph styles to RoboHelp styles
By default, RoboHelp converts all Word styles to CSS, thus retaining the appearance and behavior
of the Word styles in the RoboHelp project. If you want to ensure consistency of your online Help
projects, you can map the Word styles to RoboHelp styles and edit them.
If the style names in the style sheet selected for style mapping match RoboHelp style names, follow
the steps described in Automap styles.
To manually map the styles, follow these steps:
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select the Word style from the Paragraph group.

4)

From the RoboHelp Style pop-up menu, select the RoboHelp style that you want to map to the
Word style. To retain the appearance of Word text in your online Help format, select [Source].

5)

Select the properties for the selected Word style. To edit the selected RoboHelp style, click Edit
Style.

> Word Document.
.
.

To mark a style for glossary
•

Select Glossary Definition Style to mark the style to consider for the glossary definition.

•

Select Glossary Term to mark the style to consider for the glossary term.
NOTE: Follow Glossary Definition Style with Glossary Term Style for a complete a Glossary

Term Definition pair. RoboHelp uses the terms marked with the selected styles, to create a
Glossary.
•

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To set up pagination: Select Pagination (Split into topics based on this style) to create a
Help topic at each occurrence of the selected Word paragraph style. For example, if you
select Heading 1 and Pagination (Split into topics based on this style), RoboHelp starts a
new topic at every instance of Heading 1. For more information on Pagination, see Set
pagination for online Help topics

Projects
•

Using a user-defined HTML tag: Select or enter a user-defined HTML tag for the
selected paragraph style.
For example:
A paragraph with styleParaStyleOne is imported in RoboHelp as 
 Paragraph Text 
.
Specifying this string as Pre for the style ParaStyleOne causes RoboHelp to import the
paragraphs with the style ParaStyleOne as 
 Paragraph Text 
.

Convert Word character styles to RoboHelp styles
You can map the Word character formats to character styles in RoboHelp. You can also edit the
styles in RoboHelp.
If the style names in the style sheet selected for style mapping match RoboHelp style names, follow
the steps described in Automap styles.
To manually map the styles, follow these steps:
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select the Character group.

4)

Select the Word character style from the left pane of the Conversion Settings dialog box.

5)

Select the RoboHelp character style from the pop-up menu. Optionally, you can do the
following:

> Word Document.
.
.

•

To import the Word character style, select [Source] from the pop-up menu.

•

To edit the character style in RoboHelp, click Edit Style.

List mapping
You can map Word lists to RoboHelp lists (multilevel lists) or HTML lists (basic ordered and unordered lists) in RoboHelp. If you have defined lists as paragraph styles in RoboHelp, you can map
these list styles in RoboHelp. If you do not select a style mapping option for a list, it is converted to
text without list properties.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.
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3

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

.

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select the Other Settings group.

4)

Do one of the following:

•

To convert the Word list styles to RoboHelp lists, select RoboHelp List from the Convert Word
List To pop-up menu.

•

To convert the Word list styles to HTML lists, select HTML List from the Convert Word List
To pop-up menu.

.

Create custom HTML tags
You can define or apply a custom HTML tag instead of the standard 
 tag for paragraph styles in
the HTML output for the formats that you import from a Word document. You can define separate
HTML tags for each format in the Word document.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select a Word paragraph style, and then select User
Defined HTML Tag option.

4)

Type the name of the custom HTML tag or select an existing tag to use instead of the default
HTML tag.

> Word Document.
.
.

Convert Word table styles to RoboHelp table styles
You can map Word table styles to RoboHelp table styles. Alternatively, you can import the table
styles as inline formatting from the Word document. Optionally, you can edit the converted table
styles in RoboHelp.
If the style names in the style sheet selected for style mapping match RoboHelp style names, follow
the steps described in Automap styles.
To manually map the styles, follow these steps:

76

1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.

Projects
•

Select Project > Link > Word File

.

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

Select the Word table style from the left pane of the Conversion Settings dialog box.

4)

Select the RoboHelp table style from the pop-up menu. Optionally, to edit the table style in
RoboHelp, click Edit Style.

.

Convert Word references to hyperlinks
RoboHelp can convert the cross-references in the Word documents. These references appear as
hyperlinks in the generated Help topics.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Import tab, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings group, select Other Settings, and then select Convert References To
Hyperlinks.

> Word Document.
.
.

Create RoboHelp styles from inline formatting
Even though it’s best to avoid inline formatting in your Word documents, and apply defined paragraph and character styles, you can link and import Word documents to RoboHelp. You can also
create RoboHelp styles from inline formatting in your Word documents. Such styles are added to the
project CSS.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings

.

2)

In the Import tab, click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select Other Settings and then select Auto-Create CSS
Styles From Inline Formatting.

Pagination and topic naming in converted Word files
In addition to splitting the document into topics and defining topic naming settings, you can do the
following:

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Convert header and footer
Header and footer text in your word documents is converted and used in the Help topics. See
Convert headers and footers in Word documents.
Convert TOC and index entries
TOC and index entries in the Word document are converted in your RoboHelp project. See
Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary.
Map Word list styles to RoboHelp styles
You can convert the list styles in Word to either RoboHelp list styles or HTML list styles. See
List mapping.
Automatically create CSS styles from inline formatting
See Create RoboHelp styles from inline formatting.
Set pagination for online Help topics
When you import a Word document, you define how the contents of the Word file appear as topics
in RoboHelp. For example, suppose your Word file contains ten topics. If each topic contains
subtopics, definition lists, tasks, and tables, you can have each topic appear as a separate HTML file.
If each of these topic headings is in Heading 1 style, you can have each Heading 1 topic created as a
separate HTML topic. If, however, you set the pagination at Heading 2, separate HTML files are
created for each Heading 2 topic.
You can select multiple paragraph styles for pagination. For example, selecting Heading 1 and
Heading 2 for pagination, causes RoboHelp to start a new topic at every instance of Heading 1 as well
as Heading 2.
NOTE: Pagination is based on the Word paragraph styles and not on RoboHelp styles. The text of the

Word paragraph style is included by default in the filename of the HTML topic file created. Any
non-ASCII characters in the topic file name are automatically converted to ASCII characters.
Even though you can set pagination for any Word paragraph style, the topic generated must contain
relevant, complete information for the reader. For example, if you set pagination for Heading 3, you
run the risk of creating topics with only task-level instructions. In this case, the required contextual
information required to complete the task is isolated in another Heading 3 level topic. To avoid such
disjointed, incomplete topics, set the pagination at a higher level.

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1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

Click Edit under Word Document.

> Word Document.
.
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3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, in the Paragraph group, select the paragraph style on
which to base pagination.

4)

Select the option marked Pagination (Split into topics based on this style) and click OK.

RoboHelp splits the documents into topics using the specified pagination styles.
Convert context-sensitive Help markers in Word to map IDs
You can convert the context-sensitive Help markers that you insert in your Microsoft Word documents and reuse them as map IDs. You insert the context-sensitive markers using the Custom Footnote option in Word. You insert context-sensitive Help markers using the Insert Footnotes And
Endnotes dialog box in Word. To insert context-sensitive Help markers, enter a custom string such
as TopicAlias and then insert the map ID as the marker text. The custom string must not contain
spaces or any other invalid characters. See Microsoft Word Help for more information about
inserting custom footnote markers.
Sometimes Word documents that you are linking to or importing have context-sensitive Help
markers. If so, you can incorporate them in the map ID header file that you generate. In the project
header file, add the map IDs that you assigned to topics in your Word documents. The context-sensitive marker string is a project-wide parameter. Ensure that all Word documents that you link to or
import contain the same string as the context-sensitive marker text.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

Click Edit under Word Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, in the Other Settings group, enter the context-sensitive
Help marker string and click OK.

> Word Document.
.
.

Define the topic name pattern for generated topics
When you set heading styles for pagination, the heading text is included by default in the filename
of the topic file created in RoboHelp. For example, suppose you define Heading 2 for pagination. If
the Word document has two Heading 2 topics, “Introduction” and “Beyond basics,” the topics are
created as files named introduction.htm and beyond_basics.htm. The result is intuitively named
HTML files that indicate the topic title. In addition to this default scheme, you can define more
naming conventions. If, however, the Help system uses sequentially numbered files, such as helptopic001.html, helptopic002.html, and so on, you can define the pattern to support that convention.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Import

> Word Document.

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3

•

Select Project > Link > Word File

.

•

Select Project > Project Settings

2)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select Other Settings.

3)

In the Other Settings tab, set the topic name pattern.

.

Topics are named according to the selected pattern. You can select one of the following or
create a topic name pattern.

Default
<$filename_no_ext>-<$parate
xt>

Uses the topic title text as the topic filename.
The name of the converted HTML topic contains the following:

•

The name of the Word source file without its extension

•

Hyphen as the separator

•

Paragraph text used to demarcate HTML topics

For example, a Word file named “Chapter.doc” with “1-Introduction” as
paragraph text is converted to an HTML topic named “Chapter-1-Introduction.”
<$filename_no_ext>-

The name of the converted HTML topic contains the following:

•

The name of the Word source file without its extension

•

Hyphen as the separator

•

A sequential number

For example, “Chapter.doc” is converted to an HTML topic named “Chapter-1.”
<$paratext_no_num>

The name of the converted HTML topic contains the paragraph text used to
demarcate the HTML topic, without numbering. For example, paragraph text
“1.Introduction” is converted to an HTML topic named “Introduction.”.

<$paratext>

The name of the converted HTML topic contains the paragraph text used to
demarcate the HTML topic. For example, paragraph text “Introduction” is
converted into an HTML topic named “Introduction.”

Synchronizing linked Word documents with RoboHelp projects
After you import or link Word documents to your RoboHelp project, you generate Help topics based
on the project settings. When you import a Word document into a RoboHelp project, the topics are
generated immediately and appear in the Project Manager pod. However, when you link a Word
document to a RoboHelp project, the topics are not generated until you explicitly generate them.
Because RoboHelp maintains a live link with the linked Word document, you can update a linked
Word document if the source document or conversion settings in the RoboHelp project change.

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Icons of the project files in the Project Manager pod indicate whether the documents are in sync with
the RoboHelp topics.
Update the topics generated from linked Word documents in the following scenarios:
•

Source Word documents changed after you added or linked them to the RoboHelp project.

•

You changed the pagination settings in the RoboHelp project.

•

You changed the styles in the RoboHelp project and want to revert them to as in the
FrameMaker document.

•

You updated the CSS in the RoboHelp project.

If you imported documents into the project, the Project Manager pod does not indicate the synchronization status. If either the Word documents or the conversion settings change, reimport the Word
documents and overwrite the RoboHelp topics already generated. When you update the documents,
RoboHelp updates the converted HTML topics, TOC, index, and glossary.
Word document synchronization status indicators
The following table shows the different status indicators that appear on the Project Manager pod in
RoboHelp for all linked Word documents.

Icon

Description
Source Word document that was linked by reference missing. The source document that you have
linked to the RoboHelp project is moved to another folder, renamed, or deleted. Locate the source
document and link to the new location.
Source Word document that was linked by copy into the project is missing, renamed, or moved to
another folder. Locate the source document and link to the new location.
Source Word document that was linked by reference is out of sync because of changes in the source
document. Update the document.
Source Word document that was linked by copy into the project is out of sync because of changes
in the source document. Update the document.
Source Word document linked by reference is out of sync because of changes in the RoboHelp
conversion settings. Update the document.
Source Word document linked by copy into the project is out of sync because of changes in the
RoboHelp conversion settings. Update the document.
Source Word document linked by reference and generated topics are in sync.
Source Word document linked by copy into the project and generated topics are in sync.

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Generate topics from linked Word documents
Generating Help topics from linked Word documents is a one-time activity. After you generate Help
topics, you can update them whenever the source document or conversion settings change.
1)

Right-click the linked Word document in the Project Manager pod, and select Update >
Generate.

Update topics generated from linked Word documents
RoboHelp does not update linked documents automatically when you link Word documents to a
RoboHelp project. You define the conversion settings, including style mapping and pagination, and
then generate the topics. Select options to update a linked document manually.
1)

From the Project Manager pod, right-click a Word document, select Update, and select one of
the following:

Generate
Generates HTML topics from the linked Word document for the first time. After the topics are
generated, the option changes to Update.
Update
Updates topics generated from the selected Word document. Only the topics that have
changed are updated.
Update All
Updates all topics generated from all linked documents including all Word and FrameMaker
documents. Because all documents are updated, including those that you edited in RoboHelp,
exercise caution when you use the Update All option.
Force Update
Overwrites the current set of topics generated from the selected Word document. Use this
option to force an update of the topics generated from the linked Word document after you
edit the source in Microsoft Word. This option updates all topics including those that haven’t
changed.
Force Update All
Updates all linked documents, including Word and FrameMaker documents, and overwrites
all generated topics.

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Preserve changes to a topic during an update
Normally, when you update a linked document, all topics generated from it are updated, overwriting
any other changes you made in the generated topics. However, you can selectively preserve changes
in generated topics and retain your edits.
1)

Right-click the linked document in the Project Manager pod and select Properties.

2)

In the Word Document Settings dialog box, select File Update Settings tab.

3)

On the left column, select the files in which you want to preserve changes during update and
click OK.

Set alert when editing generated topics
You can set RoboHelp to alert you when you make changes to topics generated from linked documents. When you save the changes to such topics, RoboHelp alerts you that the changes would be
lost when the linked documents are updated.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

In the General tab, select Show Alert On Modification Of Auto Generated Topics From Linked
Documents and click OK.

Mark topic edits for preservation
If you enabled the alerts when saving changes to generated topics, you can mark the topic edits for
preservation during an update. Topics marked for preservation during updates are automatically
added to the list of preserved topics in the File Update Settings dialog box.
1)

Edit a generated topic and save the changes.

2)

In the alert message that appears, select Preserve Modifications To This File and click OK.

Delete a generated topic
When you delete a generated topic, you have two options. You can regenerate the deleted topic when
you update the linked Word document or completely remove the deleted topic from your project.
By default, RoboHelp regenerates the deleted topic when you update the Word document.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, expand the linked Word document to display the topics generated
from it.

2)

Right-click the topic that you want to delete, and select Delete.

3)

Do one of the following:

•

Click OK to delete the topic from the project permanently. The deleted topic is not regenerated
when you update the Word document.

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•

3
Select Generate This File On Next Update and click OK to delete the topic. When you update
the Word document, the deleted topic is generated again.

Regenerate a deleted topic
If you delete a topic generated from a linked Word document, the topic is removed from the project.
However, you can regenerate topics deleted from a linked document.
1)

Right-click the linked Word document in the Project Manager pod and select Properties.

2)

In the Word Document Settings dialog box, select File Update Settings tab.

3)

On the right column, select the deleted files that you want to retrieve and click OK.

4)

Update the Word document.

Edit a linked Word document
You can edit linked Word documents directly in Microsoft Word.
1)

Right-click a document and select Edit.

2)

Edit the Word document in Microsoft Word.

3)

Click Save. The modified Word document now appears in the Project Manager pod with a
different icon. This icon indicates that the source content is now out of sync with the topics
generated from the linked Word document.NOTE: Force an update of the document after you
edit the source in Microsoft Word.

Delete a linked Word document
You can directly delete documents linked by copy from the Project Files folder, and you can delete
the references of the documents linked by reference.
1)

Right-click a document and select Delete.

When you delete a linked file, all its associated documents, such as CSS, images, baggage files, and
multimedia files, are also deleted.
Notes:

84

•

If a referenced file is moved to a different location, its icon changes. You can restore the link to
the Word document by pointing to its new location.

•

Do not rename files generated after linking a Word document.

•

You cannot drag the generated topics outside the parent Microsoft Word document folder to
some other location in the Project Manager pod.

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Restore a link to a missing or renamed Word document
If any of the linked Word documents are moved or renamed, RoboHelp displays a missing link icon
for the linked document in the Project Manager pod. You can restore the link to a moved or renamed
file and have all the topics already generated from the document retained in the project.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the Word document that has the missing link icon.

2)

Select Restore Link To Word File, and browse to select the new location of the missing file.

Word conversion settings
You can create a standard set of conversion settings for importing Word content into RoboHelp
projects and then use these settings consistently across multiple projects.
You define these settings once. For subsequent projects, import these settings to the project. In this
way, you can quickly set up the project environment and publish Word content in several online
formats.
These settings include:
•

Cascading style sheets (CSS) for RoboHelp projects

•

Style mapping between Word styles and RoboHelp styles

•

Style conversion and other settings

Export conversion settings
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

On the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Export.

3)

Specify a name for the RoboHelp Import Settings file (ISF) and click Save.

Import conversion settings to a project
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

On the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Browse.

3)

Select a RoboHelp Import Settings File (ISF). Click Open.

Word document components converted to RoboHelp
RoboHelp converts most of the Word components when you link or import Word documents. The
following tables list the major Word document components and show how they are converted in
RoboHelp.
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Word document
component
TOC

Converted, if selected. See Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary.

Index

Converted, if selected. See Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary.

Glossary

You can create a Glossary in RoboHelp from selected paragraph styles in Word. See
Importing a Word TOC, index, and glossary.

Equations
Equations

Ignored when importing the document into RoboHelp.

Markers
Cross-references,
hypertext, URLs

Cross-references are converted to hypertext links if the Convert References to
hyperlinks option is enabled in RoboHelp when importing a Word document. Else, the
cross-references are imported as plain text. Unresolved cross-references and hypertext
entries appear as text in online Help.
URLs become live hypertext links in the online Help output. See Convert Word
references to hyperlinks.

Context-sensitive Help
markers

Converted into map IDs in RoboHelp. See Convert context-sensitive Help markers in
Word to map IDs.

Formats
Paragraph formats

Converted. You can map Microsoft Word paragraph formats to RoboHelp styles or
import the source formatting. See Convert Word paragraph styles to RoboHelp styles.

Character formats

Converted. You can map Microsoft Word character formats to RoboHelp styles or
import the source formatting. See Convert Word character styles to RoboHelp styles.

Table formats

Converted. You can map Microsoft Word table formats to RoboHelp styles or import
the source formatting. See Convert Word table styles to RoboHelp table styles.

Lists

Converted according to the settings you define. See List mapping.

Page layouts

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Page layout, size, and
Word pagination

Ignored. These elements are not applicable to online Help.

Headers/footers

Converted. See Convert headers and footers in Word documents.

Images
Images

Converted. PNG images are imported as is if the Allow PNG as a graphics format
option is selected in Microsoft Word Web Options. All other images are converted to gif
or jpg.

Drawings

Converted to images.

Importing FrameMaker documents
You can import FrameMaker book, XML files that are part of the book, FM files, or MIF files
authored in FrameMaker into your Robohelp project. This chapter explains the conversion tips and
settings that should be considered while importing Framemaker documents into Robohelp.

Optimizing for online output before conversion
If your authoring process in FrameMaker is optimized for print output, consider the following
before linking or importing FrameMaker documents into RoboHelp projects.
Heading formats
Determine the best mapping of FrameMaker heading formats to RoboHelp styles.
FrameMaker documents define various heading formats specifically for print documentation.
Among these formats are side heads and heading styles that start on a new page. These formats
don’t apply to online formats. You generally map these heading styles to a few standard styles
in the RoboHelp project.
Page layout settings
Often FrameMaker chapter templates specify an even number of pages so that new chapters
begin on a recto (right) page. For online Help, ignore these pagination considerations.
Headers and footers
RoboHelp ignores headers and footers during conversion, including legal text such as “Confidential” and copyright lines. Include such text in the headers and footers in a separate step,
after conversion. Similarly, in RoboHelp, re-create watermark text or images that you used in
the printed documentation. Use the master page feature in RoboHelp to make these changes.

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Navigation
In print, cross-references specify page numbers which are irrelevant in Help. You can map
cross-reference formats in FrameMaker to a format without the chapter and page number.
Converting to online Help removes chapter and section titles in headers and footers. You can
enhance navigability by using breadcrumbs, back and next buttons, and a defined browse
sequence instead.
Redundant content
To provide context in different sections of a printed document, writers generally add redundant information such as brief summaries of concepts covered previously. Because online Help
is a random-access, nonlinear medium, it requires less redundant content. Use cross-references and conditional text options to minimize redundant content in your outputs.
Chapter versus topic
Printed documentation requires you to segregate content into self-contained chapters, which
allow readers to logically and physically separate content. Online Help segregates content at
topic level, accessed one topic at a time. Although you can group the content within chapters
into folders that expand when a user navigates the table of contents, only one topic appears at
a time. In this case, try to provide comprehensive information without adding redundancy by
chunking related topics together.
Context sensitivity
Online Help formats allow you to link specific topics to related content within the application
workflow. Although you can assign map IDs to topics in RoboHelp, you can also assign
context-sensitive Help markers in FrameMaker documents. RoboHelp reads these markers
and assigns the map IDs to the generated topics. Ensure that sufficient information is
contained in the topics that are created from FrameMaker.
For example, a short procedure as a stand-alone topic does not provide the conceptual information for the reader. To avoid creating topics with incomplete information, assign
context-sensitive Help markers to topics at a higher level, so that the generated Help topic
contains the concept, procedure, and any relevant graphics.

Preparing FrameMaker documents for conversion to Help
If the FrameMaker document that you are importing is an unstructured FrameMaker book, you can
define a single FrameMaker template for the conversion. You can then specify this template as the
project template that overrides the formats of individual documents at the RoboHelp project level.
You can also reuse the conversion settings across other projects by exporting the conversion settings.
Carefully examine the FrameMaker templates before importing the documents into RoboHelp, such
as when you use a general-purpose FrameMaker template. If this template contains formats that
aren’t used in the book, omit those formats in the template you use for the conversion.
1)

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Create a FrameMaker template that contains the formats you need in Help. Alternatively,
customize the FrameMaker template. You don’t have to apply the template manually. You can

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set RoboHelp to apply a selected template to FrameMaker files before they are linked or
imported to RoboHelp.
In Structured FrameMaker, the element definition document (EDD) or the DTD used in the
structured FrameMaker template automatically controls formatting. Because structured
FrameMaker enforces a valid structure and format, structured documents do not contain
format overrides.
2)

Apply context-sensitive Help markers to the required topics. See Convert context-sensitive
Help markers from FrameMaker documents.

3)

Enclose graphics, callouts, and graphic or text frames you created with FrameMaker graphic
tools into anchored frames. RoboHelp imports only those FrameMaker graphics that are
enclosed in anchored frames. By default, when you import graphics and multimedia files into
a FrameMaker document, these are placed in anchored frames. On the other hand, if your
FrameMaker document contains graphics that are placed in graphic frames, you should place
these into anchored frames before linking or importing the FrameMaker files into RoboHelp.
NOTE: If the offset for an image in the FrameMaker file is set to a negative value, the image can

be partly hidden in the HTML. Change the value before importing.
4)

To maintain the original quality of images, insert them in FrameMaker documents by reference. RoboHelp copies the referenced images directly from the source if the complete image is
visible inside the anchored frame. Similarly, if the images are large, insert them in the source
document by reference.

5)

Fix any issues in the document such as unresolved cross-references, missing fonts, and irregular numbering issues. See FrameMaker Help for more information.

6)

Set up alternate text or captions for the images and graphics to create accessible online content.
See Create alternate text for images.

7)

Apply conditional text settings in FrameMaker documents. See FrameMaker Help.

8)

Edit the FrameMaker TOC reference pages to have indented hierarchical headings with
different styles. See Convert a FrameMaker TOC.

Importing FrameMaker documents
The RoboHelp workflow for linking or importing FrameMaker documents allows you to do the
following:
•

Create a RoboHelp project by importing a FrameMaker book. You can import BOOK or BK
files.

•

Import FrameMaker documents into a RoboHelp project. You can import FM files, or MIF
files that are authored in FrameMaker. XML files that are part of a FrameMaker book can be
imported.

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Before you import FrameMaker documents, check them in FrameMaker for errors such as unresolved cross-references and format overrides. See Preparing FrameMaker documents for conversion
to Help.
Create a RoboHelp project by importing FrameMaker books or documents
You can create a RoboHelp project by importing FrameMaker books or documents. Importing these
files requires that FrameMaker 8 or later installed is in your computer.
1)

On the RoboHelp Starter page, click More under Import or select File > New Project.

2)

On the Import tab of the New Project dialog box, select FrameMaker Document and click OK.

3)

Select the FrameMaker book or document (BOOK, BK, FM, MIF, FRM) from the Files Of Type
pop-up menu, browse to select the FrameMaker book, and click Open.

NOTE: Use the above procedure to create a new project from scratch and import FrameMaker content
in the new project. However, linking of FrameMaker documents is not allowed in this case.

Import a FrameMaker book into a new RoboHelp project
1)

Create a project in RoboHelp.

2)

Select Project > Import > Document > FrameMaker Document.

3)

Select FrameMaker book (BOOK) from the Files Of Type pop-up menu.

4)

Browse to select the FrameMaker book file and click Open.

If you are importing a FrameMaker document, you can select the components that you want to
import from the Import Wizard that appears. You can select the TOC, index, and glossary, and
specify the conversion settings.
NOTE: Use the above procedure if you already have a project with some content, and wish to import

FrameMaker content. Linking of FrameMaker document is allowed in this case.
Import FrameMaker documents into an existing RoboHelp project

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1)

Select Project > Import > Document > FrameMaker document.

2)

Select the FrameMaker document type that you want to import.

3)

Select the documents and click Open.

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FrameMaker document components converted to RoboHelp
RoboHelp converts most of the FrameMaker components when you link or import FrameMaker
documents. The following tables list the major FrameMaker document components and show how
they are converted in RoboHelp.

FrameMaker files
Book files

Documents contained within the book are converted (FM, XML, MIF, HTM, and
HTML files). XHTML files that are included in the FrameMaker book must be valid
XHTML. Validate the XHTML in FrameMaker itself. All other files in the FrameMaker
book are ignored. Child books, folders, and groups in FrameMaker 9 books are
converted and appear as folders in the RoboHelp projects. See Hierarchical structure in
a FrameMaker 9 book.

TOC

Converted, if selected. See Convert a FrameMaker TOC.

Text insets

Text insets in the FrameMaker documents are considered part of the FrameMaker
document itself and are inserted as text in the RoboHelp topic. Once inserted, the
content cannot be edited as a text inset in FrameMaker but can only be edited as text
within RoboHelp.

Index and glossary

Index and glossary files generated in the FrameMaker book are not converted. Instead,
the index markers and glossary markers in the imported FrameMaker documents are
converted if selected. See Import FrameMaker index entries and Import glossary
definitions.

Variables and
conditional text
Variables

Converted. User-defined variables in FrameMaker are converted as such in RoboHelp
and can be redefined. Apply relevant conditional text tags to suppress variables that
shouldn’t appear in online format. For example, you can suppress the Table
Continuation variable in table headers for tables that break across pages in the
FrameMaker documents.

Conditional tags

Converted as RoboHelp conditional build tags.

Equations

Convert equations to images and insert them in the RoboHelp topics after conversion.

Markers

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Cross-references,
hypertext, URLs

Converted to hypertext links. You can map the cross-reference formats in RoboHelp so
that you can remove the volume, chapter, and page references that are not relevant in
online format. Unresolved cross-references and hypertext entries appear as text in
online Help. URLs become live hypertext links in the online Help output. See Convert
FrameMaker cross-reference formats to RoboHelp styles.

Index and glossary
markers

Converted to an index and glossary when creating project. See Import FrameMaker
index entries and Import glossary definitions.

Topic name markers

Converted if you select this option in the project conversion settings. Use topic name
markers to create topic titles and topic filenames from the marker text. See Setting
pagination and topic names.

Context-sensitive Help
markers

Converted if you select this option in the project conversion settings. Use Context
Sensitive Help Makers in FrameMaker to specify text in FrameMaker document for
generating Context Sensitive Help. See Setting pagination and topic names.

Custom markers

Converted. You can use these markers for delineating topics from FrameMaker source,
or to pass processing instructions to RoboHelp for images and tables.

Formats
Paragraph formats

Converted. You can map FrameMaker paragraph formats to RoboHelp styles or import
the source formatting. See Convert FrameMaker paragraph formats to RoboHelp styles

Character formats

Converted. You can map FrameMaker character formats to RoboHelp styles or import
the source formatting. See Convert FrameMaker character formats to RoboHelp styles.

Table formats

Converted. You can map FrameMaker table formats to RoboHelp styles or import the
source formatting. See Convert FrameMaker table formats to RoboHelp table styles.

Footnote properties and
table footnotes

Converted. Because table title and table footnotes are paragraph formats in
FrameMaker, you specify conversion settings for these paragraph formats separately.

Lists

Converted according to the settings you define. See List-mappingscenarios

Page layouts

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Master pages

FrameMaker master pages are ignored. Master pages are used for layout, borders, and
page numbers in FrameMaker, so they are not applicable to online Help. RoboHelp
provides master page support for breadcrumbs, topic TOCs, and headers and footers
that can be selected when you publish a single source layout.

Reference pages

Ignored. However, you can use the advanced scripting support in RoboHelp to convert
images and graphics placed in the reference pages that are associated with paragraph
formats.

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Page layout, size, and
pagination

Ignored. These elements are not applicable to online Help. See Setting pagination and
topic names.

Headers/footers

Ignored. Headers and footers in FrameMaker usually contain chapter names, chapter
numbers, and page numbers, which are not applicable in online formats. After you
generate topics in RoboHelp, you can create headers and footers in RoboHelp that allow
you to place information at the top and bottom of topics.

Rotated text

Converted to text, such as in table cells. (Rotated text is not supported in HTML).

Images and anchored
frames
Images

Only converted if they are inside anchored frames. If the images are not in anchored
frames, reinsert them after you have imported the FrameMaker files. By default,
FrameMaker places the imported and linked images in anchored frames, so they are
converted. However, images placed in graphic frames are not converted. If images
contained in anchored frames are missing, RoboHelp creates blank images with the
filename in a sequential manner. See Image conversion settings.

Drawings

Drawings created within anchored frames are converted to images. You can define the
image conversion settings. See Image conversion settings.

Anchored frames

Converted to images. See Image conversion settings.

ALT text on images and
anchored frames

Converted. If no ALT text is provided in the FrameMaker document for images
RoboHelp applies the filename of the converted images as the ALT text. See Create
alternate text for images.

Hotspots

Converted to image maps.

Text frames, graphic
frames, and images
inside anchored frames

Anchored frames and their content convert to images. All content within an anchored
frame, including text frames, multiple images, and callouts convert to a single image.
RoboHelp inserts the filename of the created image as the ALT text if no ALT text is
defined for the anchored frame.

Equations

Enclose equations in anchored frames so that they are converted to images when
RoboHelp converts them. See FrameMaker Help.

Structured FrameMaker
components
XML files in book

Converted like FrameMaker documents.

XHTML files in book

Converted like FrameMaker documents.

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Content references

Text or files inserted into FrameMaker documents as content references appear as part
of the topics where they appear. They do not appear as references in the online Help
outputs. See Contentreference.

Conversion basics
Convert a FrameMaker TOC
When you import a FrameMaker book to a RoboHelp project, you can also import the table of
contents (TOC). Import the TOC into the RoboHelp project to retain the navigation structure you
defined in the FrameMaker book.
1)

Select Project > Import > FrameMaker Document. Select the FrameMaker file.

2)

In the Content Settings dialog box, select Convert FrameMaker Table Of Contents, and browse
to select the FrameMaker TOC file.
NOTE: If you are importing a FrameMaker DITA map, RoboHelp uses the TOC that

FrameMaker creates based on the settings in the ditafm_output.ini file. For details about the
ditafm_output.ini file, see FrameMaker Help.
3)

Select one of the following options:

Add To Existing TOC
Appends the TOC entries to any existing RoboHelp TOC in the project. Select an existing
RoboHelp TOC from the list.
Create New Associated TOC
Enter a name for a new associated TOC that is added to the RoboHelp project.
Styles in the FrameMaker TOC determine which TOC items become books, sub-books, or pages.
The most important element in determining the level is the leftmost indent, followed by the font size
and font weight. TOC entries that have indented items under them become books in the RoboHelp
TOC. If all the TOC entries have the same indention, font size, and weight, the TOC in RoboHelp
appears flat.

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•

To make a heading a main book, include indented heading levels beneath that heading, or use
smaller fonts or no bold for the subsumed headings.

•

To make a heading a sub-book, place the heading under a main heading. Then include
indented heading levels beneath the sub-book heading, or use smaller fonts or no bold for the
subsumed headings.

•

To make a heading a page, don’t include any heading levels beneath that heading. Indent the
page heading, or use smaller fonts or no bold.

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Differences between FrameMaker and RoboHelp TOCs
You can either import the FrameMaker TOC or automatically create a TOC in RoboHelp from
generated topics.
•

In FrameMaker, the TOC is generated according to the heading styles that you include in the
TOC. In RoboHelp, the TOC is generated according to the topic titles. If you use topic name
markers in FrameMaker to name the topics when you import FrameMaker documents, filenames in RoboHelp differ from the topic titles.

•

Autocreating a TOC for a FrameMaker 9 (or later) book can create multiple layers of content
because of the folder structure in a FrameMaker 9 (or later) book.

•

In RoboHelp, you can place a TOC placeholder in another TOC, thus allowing you to create
nested TOCs.

Import FrameMaker index entries
RoboHelp creates an index based on the index markers in the document you are importing.
However, the index file generated in the FrameMaker book is not imported into the RoboHelp
project.
1)

Select Project > Import > FrameMaker Document and select the FrameMaker book or document.

2)

Select Convert Index in the Content Settings dialog box, and select one of the following
options:

Add To Existing Index
Add the FrameMaker index entries to the existing RoboHelp index of the project.
Create New Associated Index
Enter a name for a new associated index that is added to the RoboHelp project.
Add To Topic
Add the FrameMaker index entries to individual topics in which they appear.NOTE: RoboHelp
does not have any project-level setting related to index type. Index entries can be present in a
project Index or topic. FrameMaker linking allows you to select the index type from the various
possible options related to indexing. When output is generated from RoboHelp, the index entries
present in the topic and the index entries present in the selected (in SSL layout) index are placed
in the output.

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Import glossary definitions
RoboHelp creates a glossary based on glossary markers in the document you are importing. The text
inside the glossary marker is the glossary term, and the paragraph text that contains the marker is
the definition.
1)

Select Project > Import > FrameMaker Document and select the FrameMaker book or document.

2)

Select Convert Glossary in the Content Settings dialog box, and select one of the following
options:

Add To Existing Glossary
Add the FrameMaker glossary to the RoboHelp glossary of the project. You can select the glossary from the list.
Create New Associated Glossary
Enter a name for a new associated glossary in the RoboHelp project.
Apply conditions from a Ditaval file
While importing a FrameMaker DITA map, you can apply a Ditaval file. RoboHelp processes the
conditions specified in the Ditaval file to filter content for import.
1)

Select Project > Import > FrameMaker Document and select the FrameMaker DITA map.

2)

Select the .ditaval file to apply and click Open.

Converting FrameMaker formats to RoboHelp styles
You can define how the FrameMaker formats are converted to RoboHelp styles at the project level.
All FrameMaker format definitions in the FrameMaker document appear in the Conversion Settings
dialog box, even if they aren’t used. You specify the following:
•

FrameMaker template used for conversion. This step is optional.

•

RoboHelp style sheet for style mapping.

Select a FrameMaker template for conversion
You can then specify this template as the project template, which overrides the formats of individual
documents at the RoboHelp project level. You can also reuse the conversion settings across other
projects by exporting the conversion settings.

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1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

Click the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box. Select Apply FrameMaker Template.

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3)

Click Browse to select the FrameMaker template you want to use for the project.
NOTE: While importing, RoboHelp first copies the template into the project and then applies the

template to the documents being imported. Any changes made to the template in the original
location.
Select the CSS for style mapping
You can select the cascading style sheet (CSS) that RoboHelp uses to map the FrameMaker formats
to RoboHelp styles. By default, RoboHelp uses the RHStyleMapping.css file for the project. You can
also use a custom CSS. You can later edit the styles either in RoboHelp or in an external CSS editing
application such as Adobe® Dreamweaver®.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

Click the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box. Do one of the following:
•

Select the CSS file from the CSS For Style Mapping menu.

•

Click Add next to the CSS for Style Mapping pop-up menu, and select a CSS file.
Use this option to specify a custom CSS for the project. When you select this option,
RoboHelp copies the selected CSS file into the root folder of the project, and uses the
selected CSS for style mapping.

Content reference to: Automap
Upgrading from RoboHelp 7 to RoboHelp 11
RoboHelp 7 allowed document-level conversion settings for the FrameMaker documents that you
added to a RoboHelp project. With RoboHelp 8, the conversion settings are applied project-wide,
allowing you to have a consistent set of conversion parameters. If you are opening a RoboHelp 7
project that had FrameMaker documents added by reference or by copy, you can retain the document-specific settings defined in the RoboHelp 7 project.
You can add or remove documents to an upgraded project with the document-level conversion
settings. You can define document-level conversion settings for the newly added FrameMaker documents also. This option allows you to retain the RoboHelp 7 behavior for your upgraded project.
However, to take advantage of the enhanced features of RoboHelp 9 and its integration with
FrameMaker, you should upgrade the project completely. For example, RoboHelp 7 provided
limited mapping options for autonumbering and list styles. On the other hand, RoboHelp 8 allows
you to map complex autonumber formats and multilevel list styles to RoboHelp styles or HTML
lists. In RoboHelp 9, list and table import is further enhanced.
NOTE: You can discard the document-level settings any time, even if you choose to retain them at the

time of upgrading. However, discarding the document-level settings is irreversible.

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Retain or discard RoboHelp 7 settings when upgrading
To retain the document-level settings for converting FrameMaker content into your RoboHelp
project, you override the project-level settings of the converted project with the document-level
settings inherited from the RoboHelp 7 project. By default, RoboHelp allows you to retain the document-level settings by overriding the project-level settings.
1)

Open the RoboHelp 7 project in RoboHelp 9.

2)

Select Project > Project Settings.

3)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, do one of the following:
•

To retain the document-level settings in the upgraded project, select the Override Project
Settings At Document Level option. This is the default behavior.

•

To discard the document-level settings and use project-level settings, deselect the Override Project Settings At Document Level option.

Edit document-level conversion settings
If you retain the document-level settings that override the project-level settings for a project
converted from an earlier version of RoboHelp, you can edit these settings.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the added FrameMaker document and select Properties.

2)

In the FrameMaker Document Settings dialog box, select the Conversion Settings tab, and set
the following.

Apply FrameMaker Conditional Text Build Expression
Select to apply conditional text settings before converting the added FrameMaker document.
Convert AutoNumber To HTML List
Select to convert the FrameMaker autonumbering to HTML lists in the converted HTML
topics.
Context-Sensitive Help Marker
Specify the context-sensitive Help marker that RoboHelp should use for generating
context-sensitive Help.
User-Defined HTML Tag
Select the user-defined HTML tag that you want to use instead of the standard 
 tags in the
generated topics. NOTE: To select FrameMaker formats on which the user-defined tag must be
applied, select the FrameMaker formats from the Project Settings dialog box.
Topic Name Pattern
Specify the topic name pattern for topics generated from the added FrameMaker document.

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FrameMaker Styles For Pagination
Specify the list of FrameMaker paragraph formats on which pagination for online Help topics
should be done. You specify the FrameMaker paragraph formats separated by commas.
NOTE: Pagination is based on FrameMaker paragraph formats.

Hierarchical structure in a FrameMaker 9 book
With FrameMaker 9 or later, you can enforce a hierarchical structure and grouping within the book.
You can also include child books within a book, and create folders and groups within a book.
When you link or import a structured FrameMaker book, the Project Manager pod in RoboHelp
shows the FrameMaker book’s hierarchy. When linked or imported into RoboHelp, child books
inherit the TOC, index, and glossary from the parent book. See FrameMaker Help for more information.
Hierarchy of FrameMaker book reflected in the Project Manager pod when you link a FrameMaker book into
RoboHelp

Convert FrameMaker cross-reference formats to RoboHelp styles
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

Select a cross-reference format from the Cross Reference group in the Conversion Settings
dialog box.

4)

Select a RoboHelp style to map to it, or type the RoboHelp style field to redefine the cross-references in the FrameMaker document.

5)

Double-click a building block to append it to the RoboHelp cross-reference definition.

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Content reference
Text or files that you have inserted into the FrameMaker documents as content references appear as
part of the topics where they are referenced. They do not appear as references in the online Help
outputs. SeeFrameMaker Help for more information.
Conversion settings
RoboHelp allows you to define project-wide settings for each source type. For all FrameMaker documents, you define the conversion settings only once. Similarly, the conversion settings of Microsoft
Word documents remain the same for imported Word documents.
Project-wide conversion settings promote consistency not just in your project but across multiple
projects. You can quickly set up a RoboHelp project without having to define individual conversion
settings for paragraphs, tables, images, and so on.
These settings include:
•

Defining a FrameMaker template

•

Cascading style sheets (CSS) for RoboHelp projects

•

Style mapping between FrameMaker formats and RoboHelp styles

•

Format conversion settings, image conversion settings, and other settings

Export conversion settings
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

On the Import tab, click Export.

3)

Specify a name for the RoboHelp Import Settings file (ISF file) and click Save.

Import conversion settings to a project
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

On the Import tab, click Browse.

3)

Select a RoboHelp Import Settings File (ISF file) and click Open.

Setting pagination and topic names
Pagination basics
When you link or import a FrameMaker document, you define how the contents of the FrameMaker
file are paginated or split into topics in RoboHelp. To paginate a FrameMaker document, you can

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select one or more paragraph styles (for example, Heading 1) and/or a marker type (for example,
PageBreak) used in the document.
NOTE: PageBreak is the default marker type RoboHelp provides in the Split Topics Using Marker

setting. You can specify any marker type used in the FrameMaker document for pagination.
Consider an example. If a FrameMaker document contains ten topics, with each topic containing
subtopics, tasks, and tables, you can set each topic to appear as a separate HTML file. If each of these
topic headings is at Heading 1 format, you can set each Heading 1 topic to be created as a separate
HTML topic. On the other hand, if you set the pagination at Heading 2, separate HTML files are
created for each Heading 2 topic. If you select both Heading 1 and Heading 2 for pagination, the
contents between two consecutive headings of these paragraph styles are used to create a topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp splits the FrameMaker documents into topics using the specified paragraph styles
and/or marker type. The paragraph style text/marker text is included by default in the filename of the
topic file created. Any non-ASCII characters in the topic file name are automatically converted to
ASCII characters.

To paginate a document using markers, apply markers to paragraphs where you want to create topics
and select the marker type in RoboHelp. For example, you can apply PageBreak markers to all
Heading 1 paragraphs in the FrameMaker document.
In some cases, you can use a combination of paragraph styles and a marker type to paginate. For
example, you want to paginate at all Heading 1 paragraphs and at some Heading 2 paragraphs. In
this case, apply PageBreak markers to the respective Heading 2 paragraphs in the FrameMaker document and then select Heading 1 as the paragraph style for pagination and the PageBreak marker type
in RoboHelp.
You can even stop paginating a document on a particular paragraph style by applying a PageBreak
marker type with the  marker text.
NOTE: The  marker text is not case-senstive.

If RoboHelp finds no content between two consecutive paragraphs, it does not paginate or split the
paragraphs into topics based on the paragraph style setting for pagination. You can apply a PageBreak marker to the second paragraph to explicitly indicate that different topics should be created.
NOTE: PageBreak is an example. You can apply any marker consistently for pagination and specify it

in the Split Topics Using Marker setting.
Follow these guidelines for paginating a document:
Completeness of content in the topic
Ensure that the topic generated contains relevant and complete information for the reader. For
example, if you set pagination for Heading 3 level paragraph, it is possible that the topic
contains only the task information, without the required contextual information that is
covered in another Heading 3 level topic. To avoid such disconnected topics, set the pagination
at a higher level so that complete information is available in a single Help topic.

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Drop-down text
Ensure that the paragraph format for the drop-down text body is not set for pagination. The
paragraphs applied with this format must accompany the drop-down text caption paragraph
format. See Optimizing for online output before conversion.
Topic name basics
When you set heading styles for pagination, the heading text becomes the default filename for the
topic file created in RoboHelp. For example, suppose you define Heading 2 for pagination, and the
FrameMaker document has two Heading 2 topics, “Introduction” and “Beyond basics.” In this case,
RoboHelp creates the topics Introduction and Beyond basics with filenames introduction.htm and
beyond_basics.htm. Thus, you get intuitively named HTML files that indicate the topic title.
RoboHelp supports various ways to customize topic names in the following scenarios:
Style-based pagination
Topics are named according to the pattern you select in the Other Settings tab of the Conversion Settings dialog box. You can select one of the following or create a topic name pattern
using the Topic Name Pattern building blocks provided by RoboHelp. In addition, you can add
static text, such as “HelpTopic,” followed by  to create topics such as HelpTopic 1, HelpTopic 2, and so on.

Topic name pattern

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Description

default

HTML topic generated has the paragraph text as the topic title and the
filename.

<$filename_no_ext>-<$paratext>

HTML topic generated has the filename consisting of the filename of
the FrameMaker document without the .fm extension and the
paragraph text, separated by a hyphen. For example, the FrameMaker
document named “Chapter.fm” with "1-Introduction" as paragraph text
is converted to an HTML topic with the title "Chapter-1-Introduction”
and the filename "Chapter-1-Introduction.htm”

<$filename_no_ext>-

HTML topic generated has the filename consisting of the filename of
the FrameMaker document without the .fm extension and the
paragraph number separated by a hyphen. For example, the
FrameMaker document "Chapter.fm" is converted to an HTML topic
with the title “Chapter-1” and the filename "Chapter-1.htm"

<$paratext_no_num>

HTML topic generated has the filename consisting of the paragraph
text of the paragraph format at which pagination is set, without the
paragraph number. For example, a heading 1 paragraph "1.
Introduction" is converted to an HTML topic with the title
“Introduction” and the filename "Introduction.htm"

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Topic name pattern
<$paratext>

Description
HTML topic generated has the filename consisting of the paragraph
text of the paragraph format on which pagination is set. For example, a
heading 1 paragraph "Introduction" is converted to an HTML topic
with the same title and the filename "Introduction.htm"

Marker-based pagination
To name topics based on the marker used for pagination, configure each marker in the
FrameMaker document and specify the filename and title as marker text in the filename | title
format.
NOTE: Both filename and title are optional. If you do not specify a filename (for example, you
specify | ), RoboHelp creates a valid filename from the title. If you do not specify a title (for
example, you specify <filename>), RoboHelp creates the title from the topic name pattern. If
marker text is empty, RoboHelp uses the topic name pattern to create the topic title and a valid
filename.

Set pagination and topic names
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker document.

3)

To split the document into topics, do either or both of the following steps:
•

In the Paragraph Styles tab, select a paragraph style to split the document on that paragraph style.

•

In the Other Settings tab, select Split Topics Using Marker and specify a marker that is
used in the FrameMaker document for pagination.

4)

By default, RoboHelp names topics based on the paragraph text of styles that are used to paginate the FrameMaker document. To specify a different naming convention for topics that are
created based on paragraph styles, select a topic name pattern from the Topic Name Pattern
list or specify a custom pattern.

5)

Click OK.

Convert context-sensitive Help markers from FrameMaker documents
You can convert the context-sensitive Help markers that you insert in your FrameMaker documents
and reuse them as map IDs. You specify the context-sensitive Help marker in the Project Settings
dialog box before linking FrameMaker documents. You can also specify this setting when you
import FrameMaker documents. You can work with context-sensitive Help markers in FrameMaker
documents in two ways:

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Automatic conversion of map IDs from FrameMaker documents
You apply context-sensitive Help markers in your FrameMaker documents, and specify the
marker type in the conversion settings. RoboHelp imports the markers from FrameMaker
documents and adds the map IDs from the strings contained in the context-sensitive Help
markers.
Manually adding a map ID file
If you received map IDs from your development team, you use these map IDs as the
context-sensitive Help marker text strings for the marker to be used as context-sensitive Help
marker in your FrameMaker documents. Later, you create a map ID file by associating the map
IDs from the development team and the context-sensitive Help marker text you inserted in the
FrameMaker documents. You then add this file to the project. When you link or import the
FrameMaker documents, you specify the context-sensitive Help marker in the conversion
settings.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

In the Other Settings group of the Conversion Settings dialog box, enter the Context-Sensitive
Help Marker.

Apply FrameMaker conditional text build expressions
You can apply the Show/Hide settings of the conditional text build expressions to the content in your
FrameMaker documents imported into RoboHelp projects. RoboHelp imports the content after
applying the Show/Hide settings to the FrameMaker content. Any text that is hidden is not brought
into RoboHelp project.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

In the Other Settings group of the Conversion Settings dialog box, select Apply FrameMaker
Conditional Text Build Expression.

Converting FrameMaker content
Convert FrameMaker paragraph formats to RoboHelp styles
By default, RoboHelp converts all paragraph formats from FrameMaker to RoboHelp CSS styles,
thus retaining the appearance and behavior of the FrameMaker formats in the RoboHelp project. To

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ensure consistency of the online Help projects, map the FrameMaker formats to RoboHelp styles
and edit them.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

On the Conversion Settings panel, select the FrameMaker format from the Paragraph group.

4)

From the RoboHelp Style menu, select the RoboHelp style that you want to map to the
FrameMaker format. To retain the appearance of FrameMaker text in the online Help format,
select [Source].
To edit the selected RoboHelp style, click Edit Style.

5)

Select the properties for the mapped RoboHelp style:

Exclude From Output
Select to discard the content in FrameMaker document that is applied with the selected
FrameMaker paragraph format.
Pagination (Split into topics based on this style)
Select to create a Help topic at each occurrence for the selected FrameMaker paragraph format.
For example, if you select Heading 1 and Pagination (Split into topics based on this style),
RoboHelp starts a new topic at every instance of Heading 1.
User Defined HTML Tag
Select or enter a user-defined HTML tag for the selected paragraph format.
If the selected FrameMaker format has auto numbering properties defined, specify how auto
numbering is converted.
RELATED LINKS:
Autonumber style mapping
Create a project

Convert FrameMaker character formats to RoboHelp styles
You can map the FrameMaker character formats to character styles in RoboHelp.
You can also edit the styles in RoboHelp.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

Select the FrameMaker character format from the left pane of the Conversion Settings dialog
box.

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4)

Select the RoboHelp character style from the pop-up menu. Optionally, you can do the
following:

•

To import the FrameMaker character format, select [Source] from the pop-up menu.

•

To edit the selected RoboHelp style, click Edit Style.

•

To exclude the text in the FrameMaker document applied with the selected character format,
select Exclude From Output.

•

To apply a user-defined HTML tag to the imported text in HTML output, select User Defined
HTML Tag, and select the tag from the pop-up menu. You can also enter a new HTML tag. The
custom HTML tag for the character format replaces the <span> tag in the generated HTML
file.

Exclude a FrameMaker paragraph format from Help topics
You can exclude the content in FrameMaker documents that has a specified paragraph format from
the converted output. Use this option to remove content such as special notices that are not required
in online output.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

In the project settings, select a FrameMaker paragraph format in the left pane.

4)

Click Exclude From Output.

Custom HTML tags
You can define or apply a custom HTML tag instead of the standard <p> tag for paragraph styles and
<span> tag for character styles in the HTML output for the formats that you import from
FrameMaker. You can define separate HTML tags for each format in the FrameMaker document.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

In the Conversion Settings dialog box, select the user-defined HTML tag option.

4)

Type the name of the custom HTML tag or select an existing tag to use instead of the default
HTML tag.

Autonumber style mapping
Choose the conversion setting for converting autonumber formats in the FrameMaker document to
the Help format. If the FrameMaker document contains hierarchical numbered lists, you can choose
one of the following:

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Ignore Autonumber
Choose this option if the autonumber text is relevant only in print format. The converted paragraph does not contain autonumbering. For example, suppose you ignore autonumbering for
the FrameMaker paragraph format "Section2 Level." In this case, "Section 1.1: System Requirements" in the source appears as "System Requirements" in the RoboHelp topic generated.
Convert Autonumber To Text
Choose this option to retain the appearance of the FrameMaker numbered lists. The autonumber part loses its sequencing properties and appears as part of the paragraph text in RoboHelp topic.
Convert Autonumber To HTML List
Choose this option to convert the autonumber to HTML lists using HTML tags such as <ol>,
<ul>, and <li>.
Convert Autonumber To RoboHelp List
Choose this option if you want to edit the generated HTML topics in RoboHelp or use the
RoboHelp styles to control the numbering properties.
List-mapping scenarios
RoboHelp allows you to convert list properties of FrameMaker paragraph formats in several ways.
Consider the following scenarios:
FrameMaker numbered list mapped to [Source]
The FrameMaker paragraph format autonumber property converts to a list according the autonumber conversion settings you define for that FrameMaker paragraph format.
Ignore Autonumber
The autonumber part of the FrameMaker paragraph format is ignored. The converted paragraph style in the RoboHelp topic doesn't contain the list part.
Convert Autonumber To Text
The autonumber part of the FrameMaker paragraph converts to text and appears as paragraph
text in the RoboHelp topic.
Convert Autonumber To HTML List
Autonumber format converts to list items using HTML tags such as <ol>, <ul>, and <li>.
Converted Autonumber To RoboHelp List
Autonumber properties of the paragraph style convert to a RoboHelp list.
Example:

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•

Create a paragraph style "FM_Para1" in FrameMaker with autonumbering defined as <a+>
and apply it to paragraphs. The resulting paragraphs are ordered as "a, b, c, ...."

•

Map the FrameMaker paragraph format "FM_Para1" to [Source].

Generated paragraphs in RoboHelp topics have the list style applied to them, where the list has properties similar to those in the source document.
FrameMaker numbered list mapped to RoboHelp unnumbered style
You can map a FrameMaker paragraph format with autonumbering properties to a RoboHelp paragraph style that is not linked to any list style. In this case, the autonumber is converted to a list
according to the autonumber conversion settings you define for the paragraph format.
Ignore Autonumber
The FrameMaker paragraph autonumber is ignored and doesn't appear in the RoboHelp topic.
However, the paragraph style is mapped.
Convert Autonumber To Text
The FrameMaker autonumber part is converted to text and appears as a part of paragraph text
in RoboHelp topic. The paragraph style is mapped.
Convert Autonumber To HTML List
The FrameMaker paragraph format is converted to HTML list items using HTML tags such as
<ol>, <ul>, and <li>.
Convert Autonumber To RoboHelp List
The autonumber properties of the FrameMaker paragraph format are ignored. The paragraph
style is mapped.
FrameMaker unnumbered format mapped to RoboHelp numbered style
In this case, the converted paragraph has the RoboHelp paragraph style and inherits the RoboHelp
list style. The Autonumber conversion options do not affect the paragraph behavior in the RoboHelp
topic.
For example:
•

In the FrameMaker document, create a paragraph format "FM_Para 1" without autonumber
properties.

•

Define a RoboHelp list style "RH_List1" in the RH style mapping CSS.

•

Create a paragraph style "RH_Para1" and link the first level of list style "RH_List1" to the paragraph style "RH_Para1".

•

Map the FrameMaker paragraph style "FM_Para1" to RoboHelp paragraph style "RH_Para1".

The generated paragraph in the RoboHelp topic inherits the properties of the list style "RH_List1".

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FrameMaker numbered list mapped to RoboHelp numbered list
The converted paragraph style has the RoboHelp paragraph style and inherits the RoboHelp list
style. The Autonumber conversion options do not affect the paragraph behavior in the RoboHelp
topic.
For example:
•

In FrameMaker, create a paragraph format "FM_Para1" with autonumbering defined as <a+>
and apply it to a paragraph so that the paragraph has an ordered list such as "a, b, c, …."

•

Define a numeric list style "RH_List1" in the RoboHelp style mapping CSS with the first level
definition as <x>.

•

In RoboHelp, define a paragraph style "RH_Para1" and link the first level of list style
"RH_List1" to the paragraph style "RH_Para1".

•

Map the FrameMaker paragraph format "FM_Para1" to the RoboHelp paragraph style
"RH_Para1".

The generated paragraph in the RoboHelp topic inherits the properties of list style "RH_List1" and
displays a list of type "1, 2, 3, ...."
Convert FrameMaker table formats to RoboHelp table styles
You can map FrameMaker table formats to RoboHelp table styles. Alternatively, you can import the
table formats from the FrameMaker document. You can also edit the table formats in RoboHelp.
Cells in the FrameMaker document that are merged (straddled) cannot be unmerged (unstraddled);
however, the straddled cells appear merged in the RoboHelp topic.
If the FrameMaker table formats contained table titles and table footnotes, convert these paragraph
formats in FrameMaker to RoboHelp paragraph styles separately. Decide whether you want to retain
automatic numbering in the table title styles and specify the autonumbering properties for the
mapped RoboHelp paragraph style. For example, if the table title formats in the FrameMaker documents included the chapter number, such as “Table 2-3: Quarterly Results”, you can choose to ignore
the autonumbering part and have only “Quarterly Results” appear as the table title. See List-mapping
scenarios.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

In the Import tab of the Project Settings dialog box, click Edit under FrameMaker Document.

3)

Select the FrameMaker table format from the left pane of the Conversion Settings dialog box.

Image conversion settings
Some FrameMaker documents, especially those optimized for high-quality printing through PDF,
contain images in EPS format. Convert EPS images to web-supported image formats such as JPEG,
GIF, or PNG for online Help.

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You specify the following image conversion settings in the Conversion Settings dialog box:
Use Distiller To Generate Image
Select this option to generate web-friendly image formats from graphics linked and inserted in
FrameMaker documents. You should use this option especially if you have vector graphics
formats, such as EPS or AI, or graphics with text content in them.
Do Not Regenerate Images
Select this option to save time if you are re-importing FrameMaker documents and don’t need
to update the images in the imported content.
Preserve 3D Images
Select this option to convert the 3D graphics as a PDF file, with the 3D rendering intact within
the PDF file. To ensure that the 3D image retains its rendering, enable embedding in
FrameMaker.
Preferred Dimensions
Specify the dimensions for the images. Select one of the following:
Scale
Scale images as a percentage of the existing size. The aspect ratio of the images is maintained.
Width and Height
Specify the absolute image size as Height and Width, in points. Select Maintain Aspect Ratio
to ensure that the images are not skewed.
NOTE: To convert the images in FrameMaker documents to the actual dimensions of the

images, specify the height and width as 0pt. The <img> tag for such images in the generated
HTML does not have the height and width values. This conversion is irrespective of the
dimensions of the anchored frames that contained the images.
Maximum Dimensions
Set the maximum dimensions for images in online format. Images that exceed the maximum
dimensions you specify are automatically scaled down to fit the maximum size you specify. If
you scale the images and specify an aspect ratio, RoboHelp scales the images within the
maximum dimensions specified and maintains the aspect ratio.
Use this option to avoid large images causing the browser window to scroll horizontally or
vertically. For example, if you specify the window size to be 800 x 600 pixels, you can specify
the maximum dimensions to be 640 x 480, so that the images do not exceed the window size.
Margins
Set the margins for the images:
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•

To set margins on individual sides, set the margins on each side.

Borders
Set a border for the images:
•

To set a uniform border on all sides, select All from the Border pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can specify the side on which you want the border to appear from the pop-up
menu.

•

To set the border style, select the style from the Style pop-up menu.

•

To set the border color, select the color from the Color pop-up menu.

•

To set the border width, select it in, in points, from the Width menu.

Format
Define the image format, color depth, and quality settings for the web-supported images that
are converted from the images in the FrameMaker document:
As Is
Select this option for retaining the images in the current web-supported format.
JPG
Select this option for multicolor images such as screenshots or photographs. JPG format with
a high color depth provides the best online quality, but increases the file size. Select this option
for photographs.
GIF
Select this option if the FrameMaker document contains only line art, such as schematic
diagrams.
BMP
Select this option only for small images such as icons and logos. BMP format images are large
in size and uncompressed but rich in color and quality. Also, these images do not scale or
compress well. Hence, this format is not suitable for web.
PNG
Select this option for screenshots.
JPEG Quality
Set the quality percentage for JPG images.
Color Bit Depth
Set the color bit depth for bitmap images. JPG and PNG formats can have either 8- or 24-bit
color depth, while BMP images can have color bit depths of 1, 4, 8, 16, 24, or 32. GIF images
can have only 8-bit color depth.

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Grayscale
Select this option if you want monochrome images.
Preserve converted images
RoboHelp converts the images and anchored frames in the FrameMaker documents each time the
topics are updated or generated. You can skip updating the images if the corresponding images or
SWF files from the corresponding anchored frames are already present in the RoboHelp project. Use
this option in the following cases:
•

You want to avoid regenerating the images each time the FrameMaker document is updated

•

You have edited the images in the RoboHelp project using another image-editing tool, and
want to prevent overwriting of the edited images

•

You want to preserve the earlier generated image in the RoboHelp project even though the
image in the FrameMaker document has changed

If the order in which the images appear in the document or the image name has changed, you should
clear this option and allow RoboHelp to update the images.
1)

In the Image tab of the Conversion Settings dialog box, select Do Not Re-Generate Images.

Create alternate text for images
To create accessible content, create alternate text (ALT text) for images so that visually impaired
users can access the content through screen readers. If you link or import completed FrameMaker
books into RoboHelp for publication, add alternate text to graphics used in the FrameMaker documents. These entries are not visible in PDF files, but they appear in online content when the mouse
hovers over the images. See FrameMaker Help to learn about setting alternate text for graphics and
images.

Import a DITA map file
A DITA map is like a table of contents listing and linking the topics for a specific output. DITA maps
assemble topics into sequence and hierarchy tailored to specific delivery requirements. You can have
multiple maps, each one arranging the topics for different requirements, such as a reference manual,
a tutorial, or online Help. A DITA map file has the extension .ditamap.
You can import DITA map files in RoboHelp to generate XHTML output. The DITA Open Toolkit
processes the information in the DITA map file and provides the XHTML output. RoboHelp reads
the XHTML output to generate the XHTML topics, TOC, and index. RoboHelp shows processing
information of the DITA Open Toolkit in the Output View pod.

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NOTE: RoboHelp depends on the DITA Open Toolkit to process the DITA map content. RoboHelp does

not correct any errors generated by the DITA Open Toolkit. For example, if the DITA Open Toolkit
does not generate XHTML 1.0 transitional compliant files, RoboHelp does not generate errors. Therefore, the XHTML topics generated from the import of DITA map file do not contain the meta tag
<meta name="generator" content="Adobe RoboHelp - www.adobe.com"
/>NOTE: The XHTML file must have well-formed XML.
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Project > Import > DITA Map.

•

Right-click the Project Files folder in the Project Manager pod. Select Import, and then
select DITA Map as the file type.

2)

Select a DITA map file. Click Open.

3)

In the DITA Open Tool Kit Processing Options dialog box, specify the following options:

Replace Default XSLT File For Conversion
Select an XSL file to use for transforming the DITA files to XHTML instead of the default XSL
file used by the DITA Open Toolkit. The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the
DITA Open Toolkit file is args.xsl.
Use DITA Val For Conditional Processing
Specify a DITA Val file to use for conditional processing of the DITA files. The XHTML is
generated based on the Val file. A DITA Val file contains filter, flagging, and revision information. The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open Toolkit file is
args.filter.
Show Index Entries In The Topics
Select to show index entries (marked by <indexterm> in DITA topics) in RoboHelp topics. The
equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open Toolkit file is args.indexshow.
Show Image Filename In Annotation
Select to add annotations to images showing the filename of the image or the full path to
include in the topics. The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open
Toolkit file is args.artlbl.
Include Draft And Cleanup Content
Select to include draft and required cleanup content (items identified as left to do before
publishing). The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open Toolkit file is
args.draft.
Select XHTML File To Be Placed In The Header Area (hdf)
Select the location of the file containing XHTML to place in the header area of the output file.
The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of DITA Open Toolkit file is args.hdf.

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Select XHTML File To Be Placed In The Body Running-header Area (hdr)
Select the location of the file containing the XHTML to place in the body running-header area
of the output file. The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open Toolkit
file is args.hdr.
Select XHTML File To Be Placed In The Body Running-footer Area (ftr)
Select the location of the file containing XHTML to place in the body running-footer area of
the output file. The equivalent parameter for the Ant processing of the DITA Open Toolkit file
is args.ftr.
DITA Open Tool Kit Home Directory
Select the absolute location of the home folder of the DITA Open Toolkit. Specify the valid
DITA Open Toolkit home folder. You specify this location only once. It is stored in the
registry. You can change the location.
4)

Click Finish.

NOTE: RoboHelp verifies the location of the selected files but does not validate the files as the DITA

Open Toolkit processes all the information.

Import XML files
When you import an XML file into an existing project, RoboHelp creates a topic for the XML file.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, select the file to import into.

2)

Select Project > Import > XML File.

3)

Select one or more XML files. Click Open.

4)

Select options in the Select XML Import Handler dialog box.

5)

(Optional) To set advanced options, select Import XML (CSS/XSL).

6)

Click Advanced.

7)

Select an option:

Treat As Text Flow
Import the XML file as HTML text without formatting.
Treat As XML Tree View
Import the XML file in HTML tree view. HTML imports as code.
Use Customized CSS/XSL File
Select a file from the pop-up menu.
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8)

Click OK.

NOTE:If multiple imported topics have the same topic name, this error is due to the XSL file used during

the import process. The XSL file used to transform the XML to HTML contains the <title> specified
field. Edit the XSL file and reimport the XML file.

Select XML Import Handler
Handler Name
The following are predefined handlers:
Import DocBook As Topics
A DocBook file is imported as an HTML topic.
Import XML (CSS/XSL)
If the XML file has an associated style sheet (CSS or XSL file), the file is imported as an HTML
topic. Otherwise, the file is imported as an HTML file without any display control.
Advanced
Active if you select Import XML (CSS/XSL). Click for more import options.
Automatically Replace Topic(s) Imported From Previous Session
Overwrites old data.
Validate XML Before Import
RoboHelp validates the XML file before importing it.

Advanced XML Import Options dialog box
These options are available for importing XML with this handler only if no associated XML style
sheet exists.
Treat As Text Flow
Imports the XML file as HTML text without formatting.
Treat As XML Tree View
Imports the XML file in HTML tree view. HTML imports as code.
Use Customized CSS/XSL File
Select the customized file.
NOTE:You can create and edit customized handler files using the XML Handler Manager and the

Handler Description File (HDF) Editor.

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About the XML Handler Manager
Handlers determine how XML is imported. Select one of the predefined handlers or create a custom
handler to meet your requirements. You can select a handler when you import an XML file into a
project or when you generate XML output.
The XML Handler Manager lists all Handler Description files (HDF files) that have been exported
from the HDF Editor.
Handler Description files (HDF files)
Contain individual handlers and the files necessary to perform the XML transformation. The
predefined HDF files are organized by type (XHMTL, for example) and contain all related
handlers:
DocBook
This handler type includes: Import DocBook As Topics, Export Project To DocBook, Export
Topics To DocBook.
XHTML
This handler type includes: Import XHMTL (XML), Import XHTML (XHTML), Export
Topics To XHTML, Export Project To XHMTL.
XML/CSS
This handler type includes: Import XML (CSS/XSL).
TIP:To open an HDF file and view the handlers in it, click the plus box to the left of an HDF file.

Edit
After selecting an HDF file (XHTML, for example) or a specific handler, click to open the HDF
Editor and edit a handler.
Delete
After selecting an HDF file (XHTML, for example), click to delete all handlers in it.
Import
Import an existing handler.
NOTE:Initially a handler is an HDF file with a subfolder of support files. To bring a handler file

from the HDF Editor into this program, export the HDF file as a ZDF file. Use the HDF Editor
for this task.

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Import Microsoft HTML Help projects
When you import an HHP file, a new RoboHelp project file (XPJ) is created.
1)

Select File > Open Project > Local or Network Path.

2)

Select HTML Help Project (*HHP) from the Files Of Type menu.

3)

Navigate to the HHP file and open it.

TIP:You can also import FrameMaker (.fm, .book, and .mif) files, Word files (.doc, .docx), PDF files,

and XML files.
NOTE:If you use an HTML editor other than Design Editor to author your content, you can still use
RoboHelp for the project.

RELATED LINKS:
Third-party HTML editors
Third-party HTML editors

Import WinHelp projects
You can import compiled WinHelp 4.0 (HLP) or the WinHelp project file (HPJ) into a project.
The HPJ file is the main organizational file, containing all the source files. When generating
WinHelp, RoboHelp creates an HLP file and a CNT file. The HLP file doesn’t contain topics
excluded by a conditional build expression, so the new project might not mirror the original.
You can import HLP files to HTML-based projects, but the process is easier if you have the HPJ file.
You can’t output a WinHelp file from RoboHelp HTML.

Import WinHelp Project settings
Pop-ups
Smart Popups
Create links that display pop-ups that resize to accommodate content. All HTML formatting
is supported.
Regular Hyperlinks
Create links that open in the window in which the link appears.

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What’s This Help
Text-Only Topic Files
Create and save topics in text-only format (TXT). Use this option for What's This? Help topics.
Individual HTML Files
Create and save topics as regular HTML topics for window-level context-sensitive Help.
External topics
Links To External HTML Help Topic
Convert external WinHelp topic links to HTML topic links in external CHM files.
Retain Keep External WinHelp Topic Links
HTML topics include WinHelp Topic controls. Use this option when linking HTML topics to
WinHelp topics.
Images
Converts BMP images into GIFs or JPEGs.
Bullets/Numbering
HHTML Bullets And Numbering
(Recommended setting) Convert numbered lists and bulleted lists into their HTML equivalents using Pure HTML tags (<ol>, <ul>, <li>). These lists are auto-numbered or bulleted.
Special paragraph formatting used in RTF files is not carried over.
Formatted Text
Retain indents, line spacing, and other paragraph formats from RTF files. Convert numbered
lists into hard-coded numbered lists. Convert bulleted-list items into hard-coded symbol characters.
Tips:

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•

Remove hard-coded numbers and bullets and replace with auto-numbered lists and bulleted
lists in the Design Editor.

•

Create special bulleted and numbered list styles and apply them to paragraphs after they are
converted.

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WinHelp folder import options
Folder for HTML files
Do Not Create Subfolder
Save all HTML topics at the root of the project folder.
Create Subfolder
Save all HTML topics in a subfolder.
Create Folders Based On Source Document Names
Create and save HTML topics in subfolders based on the DOC files.
Create Subfolders Based On TOC Structure
Create and save HTML topics in subfolders, based on the WinHelp table of contents. Books
within books are created as subfolders within folders. All topics not used in the WinHelp table
of contents are saved at the root of the project folder.
Folders for images
Do Not Create Subfolder
Save all image files at the root of the project folder
Create Subfolder
Save all image files in a subfolder
File options
HTML File Extension
Save all HTML topics using the extension selected.
Always Use Lowercase
Save filename extensions in lowercase letters. Select this option for UNIX® servers.

WinHelp formatting import options
Work with or without style sheets. Without style sheets, topics format using inline styles. For
external style sheets, create new style sheets based on the formatting in WinHelp documents or select
a style sheet already in use.

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Inline Styles (No External Style Sheets)
Convert all formatting into HTML inline styles. This option does not create or apply styles or
style sheets to the topics. Formatting is handled on a paragraph-by-paragraph and character-by-character basis. Apply styles after importing the project. Manually apply character
and paragraph attributes to new topics.
External Style Sheets (One For Each Source Document)
Create one style sheet for each DOC file imported.
External Style Sheet Based On One Source Document
Create a single external style sheet based on one DOC file. The style sheet uses the same names
and formatting as the styles in the WinHelp documents. The HTML topic text is formatted
using these styles.
External Style Sheet Based On Existing Style Sheet
Link an existing style sheet to all topics. Styles in the DOC files must have a one-to-one relationship to styles in the style sheet, including style names. Apply styles to the paragraphs and
characters that use them. With a one-to-one style relationship, styles in HTML topics use the
same names and formatting as the styles in WinHelp documents.

WinHelp general import options
Navigation pane
TOC
Contents displays books and pages in the table of contents. The index displays keywords.
Glossary
Provide definitions for the Help system.
Favorites
Create a personalized list of favorite topics.
History
See topics viewed previously. Sets options for the navigation pane.
Search:
No Search
Select this feature to disable full-text searching.
Regular
View a list of topics by title.
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Advanced
Provide advanced full-text search capabilities including Boolean, wildcard, and nested expressions. Limit the search to previous results, match similar words, or search topic titles only.
Tab Position
Select Top, Left, or Bottom.
Default pane
Set options for Help projects.
Websearch
Quickly find topics on the web. A WebSearch button is added to the Help viewer.
Create Browse Sequences
Transfer WinHelp browse sequences into HTML-based Help.
Ignore Secondary windows
Format jumps to display the HTML topics in the viewer.
NOTE:Display pages from the WinHelp CNT in custom windows. HTML supports jumps from

TOC pages to custom windows.
Add Keywords To
Selects the location for saving keywords:
Index File (HHK)
Save all keywords in a single index file.
Each Topic
Save all keywords in the HTML topic files referencing them.
NOTE:The project compiles a binary index when keywords are added to HTML topics. Topic

keywords are automatically sorted in the index and cannot be cross-referenced. They can link
only to local HTML topics. The destination topics can be displayed only in the default Help
window.
Advanced
Open the HTML Help Advanced Settings dialog to further customize the viewer.

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HLP and HPJ files
When you import compiled WinHelp 4.0 files, RoboHelp does the following:
•

Creates an HTML-based project. Information in the HLP or HPJ file is used to create the
project file (HHP) and a RoboHelp project file (XPJ).

•

Creates HTML topics. Information in the HPJ file is used to create an HTML Help file and a
RoboHelp project file (XPJ). Open the project to open the XPJ file. A separate HTML topic is
created for each WinHelp topic. These files are saved in the HTML Files (Topics) folder.

•

Converts WinHelp graphics to HTML images. WinHelp bitmap files (BMP, MRB) and metafiles (WMF) convert into Graphic Interchange Format files (GIF). Images that are
right-aligned are left-aligned in the HTML topics. Modify the size and placement of these
images in the Design Editor.

•

Converts hotspot images into image maps. WinHelp hotspot images (SHG files) convert to
HTML image maps (GIF).

•

Maintains authorable buttons. Authorable text buttons, mini buttons, and graphic buttons all
convert and work in the HTML topics. Modify authorable buttons in the Design Editor.
Authorable buttons are known as Link Controls and HTML Help controls.

•

Creates an HTML table of contents. An HTML Help table of contents (HHC file) is created
from the WinHelp contents file (CNT). Modify the table of contents in the TOC Composer.

•

Creates an HTML index. An HTML Help index (HHK file) is created that includes the same
keywords as in WinHelp. A new index includes keywords that match jumps in the topic.

The RTF files are used to create an HTML index that includes the same keywords. Modify keywords
in the Index Designer and use the Smart Index wizard to automate indexing tasks.
NOTE:This information doesn’t apply to every HLP or HPJ project.

HTML projects from WinHelp: Frequently asked questions
Will WinHelp macros work in the HTML project?
All WinHelp macros with HTML counterparts are converted and included in the HTML project.
Non-standard WinHelp macros with no HTML equivalent are not converted.
Can HTML topics open in custom windows as in WinHelp?
You can format books and pages in the TOC to display destination topics in custom windows or
frames. Microsoft HTML Help does not support links to custom windows, though you can format
these links to use pop-up note windows and frames.

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Can I use tabs in HTML topics?
HTML does not support tabs and converts them to spaces. Use tables instead to position text in
HTML.
How can I add spaces to position text in HTML topics?
You can edit topics in the RoboHelp HTML Editor and add non-breaking spaces to position text.
However, display issues can occur if the Help window is resized. Consider using tables instead to
position text in HTML.
Tables convert into HTML topics, but the columns do not resize properly and a horizontal scroll
bar appears.
Use the Design Editor to resize cells and tables.
How can I fix incorrectly formatted bullet lists?
You can remove broken bitmap references from topics and use HTML bulleted styles, and adjust
hanging indents. You can also use the Formatted Text option to import paragraph formatting from
Word documents.
My WinHelp topics use manually numbered lists with {SEQ} fields. What happens to these fields?
HTML does not support {SEQ} fields, but recognizes number sequences and converts the lists into
numbered paragraphs. You can delete these numbers and apply an HTML numbered style to the list.
What happens to nonscrolling regions?
HTML projects do not support nonscrolling regions, and the tri-pane output window does not need
them.
The background in the Design Editor is gray, but in the preview window is white. How can I make
the background always white?
The style sheets use a gray background (the HTML default), while the preview window uses a background specified by your browser. To change the style sheet background, see Use color and images.
When I click a hyperlink, an error says the system cannot open the site or find the path. What
does this mean?
The link is to a non-existent file or a topic in a DOC or WinHelp Help file not included in the project.
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After I create the HTML project, is it ready to distribute?
Open the HTML project in RoboHelp, review the topics, TOC, index, and so forth. Preview the
topics and test the links.
Will context-sensitive topics transfer into an HTML project?
What's This? topics in RoboHelp for Word can convert into text-only topics. Dialog box level topics
can convert into individual HTML topics for use as window-level Help in RoboHelp.

Import a WinHelp HLP file into an HTML project
1)

In the Starter pod, click More under Import.

2)

Select WinHelp (*.hlp) and click OK.

3)

Click Browse, navigate to the HLP file, and open it.

4)

Click Next. Set up File options:

Desired Result

Actions

Specify a hard drive and folder for saving the HTML
project and image (GIF) files (use the same folder for
both).

Click Browse and navigate to the drive/folder to
select it. Or enter the name of the folder in the text
box.

Limit the length of the HTML files to eight
characters.

Select Short Filenames. (Enter the first three
characters in Prefix if you want the filenames to use
similar naming conventions.)

Distribute the HTML project as uncompiled HTML
Help (not using Adobe WebHelp)

Enter the name of the start page in Start Page Name.

Distribute the project as compiled Microsoft HTML
Help or cross-platform Help using Adobe WebHelp,
JavaHelp, or Oracle Help output.

Do not enter information in Start Page Name.

5)
Desired Result
Format HTML topics without attaching style sheets
to them.

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Actions
Select <No Stylesheet>. All topics use default HTML
styles, gray background, black serif font.

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Desired Result

6)

Format HTML topics to look exactly like the
WinHelp topics.

Select <Embedded>. Style sheets are not attached to
topics. All formatting is embedded in individual
topics. The topic title is Heading 1 style. All other text
(regardless of the styles used in WinHelp) is in
Normal style.

Attach a custom style sheet to all HTML topics.

Click Browse and navigate to the drive/folder where
the style sheet file (CSS) is located to select it.

Click Next. Set up HTML Help options:

Desired results

7)

Actions

Actions

Specify where the Contents, Index, and Search tabs
are displayed in the viewer.

Select Top, Side, or Bottom.

Convert your WinHelp pop-up windows into
standard HTML links.

Deselect Display Popups In An Active pop-up
window.

Click Finish.

Version-control projects may have more options.
Tips:
•

If you link a style sheet to your HTML topics, a generic style sheet file called StylesCSS is
created and added into your project folder. You can modify the styles in this style sheet at any
time.

•

If you select Convert Numbered lists, all WinHelp topics that use numbered lists retain the
numbered list formatting in the HTML topics.

HTML limitations with HLP files
Bullets
Make sure that the WinHelp topics do not use bitmap references as bullets. You can select an
option to keep bulleted lists. This option applies only to topics that use bullet characters and
not images. If you use images, the HTML output might not include hanging indents.
HTML jumps
Jumps to HTML pages are not converted. You can easily re-create the links in the Design
Editor after the HTML topics are created.

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Jumps to external WinHelp topics
Jumps to external WinHelp topics are stripped out of the HTML topics. If you are using
WinHelp projects (especially master projects) that include external jumps, use the HPJ file
instead of the HLP file.
Macros, buttons, and shortcuts
These macros convert: Jump Context, JumpId, and PopupId. Other macros are not converted.
Jump Context macros that send output to a window do not convert because links that send
output to custom windows are not supported. Only buttons convert for Popup Context
macros. Graphic buttons retain their images, but the button is not included.
Microsoft Word HTML styles
Microsoft Word HTML styles are not used to format the HTML topics.
Microsoft Word templates
Word templates that are used to format RTF files in WinHelp are not converted to HTML style
sheets.
Mid-Topic jumps
Mid-topic jumps are converted to bookmarks. The bookmark name does not use the mid-topic
jump topic ID that was created in WinHelp. Instead, it is assigned a sequence of numbers so
that it can be read in the HLP file.
Multimedia files (AVI and WAV)
These files cannot be converted with HLP files. You can add sound and video to HTML topics
in the Design Editor. HTML topics can use AVI, AU, MID, RMI, WAV, and other files.
Non-scrolling regions
HTML-based output does not support non-scrolling regions.
Numbered lists
Numbered lists use a 12-point serif font by default. You can create a numbered list style and
use it to reformat numbered lists.
Related Topics buttons
Related Topics keywords are translated into Related Topics terms. You see customizable
buttons when you view the topics.
Secondary windows
WinHelp secondary windows are not translated. Unlike WinHelp topics, HTML topics do not
support links that display information in secondary windows. You can design custom windows
in RoboHelp and use them to display topics selected from Related Topics buttons, Keyword
Link controls, See Also controls, the table of contents, and the index.

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Table of contents
The HTML TOC file (HHC) does not support WinHelp pages that link to external WinHelp
topics or reference macros or that contain link statements. You can link HTML TOC items to
HTML topics, web and e-mail addresses, FTP sites, newsgroups, and multimedia.
What's This? Help
Context-sensitive Help is not converted. What's This? Help-style topics or dialog topics are
converted into regular HTML Help topics. You can import map files and assign map IDs for
the window-level Help topics. For What's This? Help, you can re-enter the text from these
HTML Help topics into a text-only dialog box and create text-only topics. You can also import
context-sensitive Help created with the What's This? Help Composer into your HTML Help
projects. If you use the HPJ file, you can transfer the context-sensitive Help topics into HTML
Help.
Microsoft Word formatting
Formatting that is not converted in the HTML topics includes underlining, paragraph spacing,
indents, alignments, table borders, spreadsheets, background colors, and watermarks.
Tips for creating HTML projects with HLP files
•

HTML topics cannot use styles and formatting from the WinHelp project. All topic titles are
formatted to the Heading 1 style and the rest of the topic is formatted to the Normal style.

•

Embed the formatting when selecting style options. Instead of attaching a style sheet, the
HTML topics are formatted to closely resemble the formatting used in the WinHelp topics.

•

A style sheet is not required. It can be created after generation.

•

If the entire WinHelp project is available, create the HTML project using the HPJ file rather
than the HLP file.

Import a WinHelp HPJ file into an HTML project
1)

Select File > New Project.

2)

Click the Import tab.

3)

Select WinHelp Project. Click OK.

4)

Click the browse button, and select the HPJ file to import. Click Next.

5)

Specify the output folder and filename.

6)

Under Choose Source Document(s), select the Word documents you want to import.

7)

Click Finish or click Next to step through the remaining steps in the wizard.

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Tips for creating HTML projects with HPJ files
•

To ensure that the HTML project suits your preferences, review the steps before you start.

•

All files referenced by the WinHelp project (HPJ) must be in the locations you specify before
you generate the project files.

•

You can create a single style sheet and apply it to all topics or use different style sheets for
different topics.

•

WinHelp topics can use a combination of defined styles and manual character and paragraph
formatting. If so, create style sheets that use the same styles from the WinHelp topics to retain
the special formats.

•

You can select an existing style sheet that you use with other HTML projects. Make the style
names in the WinHelp topics identical to the style names in the style sheet. Also, format the
paragraphs in the WinHelp topics to use these styles. Otherwise, you'll have to apply styles
from the style sheet to paragraphs in the HTML topics after the project is generated.

•

You do not have to use a style sheet at all. The HTML topics include the formatting from the
DOC files (as inline styles which are individually formatted paragraphs and characters). You
can always create styles and apply them to topics after the HTML project is created. (If your
project is large, do use style sheets to create the HTML topics. When you revise the styles, the
topics are automatically updated.)

•

Run a small test project to become familiar with the options. Experiment with different options
until you get the HTML output you want.

•

If you are generating a large project, decide how you want to organize it beforehand. In HTML,
you have one HTML topic file for each WinHelp topic. You have several options for organizing
these files. You can save them at the root of the project folder or in a subfolder. You can create
subfolders based on the DOC filenames and save the corresponding topics in them. Finally,
you can save topics based on their use as pages in the table of contents. (Folders are created for
each book and subfolders are created for sub-books in your CNT file.)

•

Often a project is used in combination with several other WinHelp projects (for example, as a
master project). If so, create HTML projects with each HPJ file separately so that all the links
work.

•

After the project is generated, you often want to make a few changes to the style sheet. By
default, it uses a gray background. You can change it to white by changing the document properties for the style sheet.

Adding projects to version control

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NOTE: Authors must use the "Add to Version Control" command from within the RoboHelp authoring
client app itself when adding a new project to version control. Do not add the folders and files within
the RoboSource Control Explorer interface, as this might cause file corruption.

About version control
RoboHelp works with version control software to check out files automatically (if already not in use)
when you begin editing and tracks their use. You can also view files by opening them from version
control without checking them out.
To work with RoboHelp, your version control software must support the Microsoft SCC API. You
can use Adobe RoboSource Control (installed with RoboHelp), Microsoft SharePoint (integrated
natively with RoboHelp), or a different third-party package. Either way, you perform version control
tasks from within RoboHelp.
Read the following articles if you plan to integrate RoboHelp projects with Microsoft Team Foundation Server or Subversion:
•

Integrating RoboHelp projects with Team FoundationServer

•

Integrating RoboHelp projects with Subversion

When you finish with a file, you can check it into version control, or let the program check in all files
when you close the project. Once your changes are checked in, other authors can access them. You
can also set RoboHelp to automatically check in files when you close the project.NOTE: If you cannot
check out a file, check if one or more files is checked out by another user. Or, check if the file is not in
version control.
Many topics are linked to other topics, or part of the TOC, index, and browse sequences. When you
modify a file or change the project structure, RoboHelp automatically checks out all affected, dependent files (if available). When you move a file, the author is prompted to check out the source and
destination folders.
To turn off prompts when performing version control tasks manually, deselect the option on the
Version Control tab (Select File > Options). Files are then checked out automatically. Files not
selected in the list cannot be checked out. RoboHelp shows which files you must check out and
whether they are already checked out.NOTE: RoboHelp checks out all the dependent files automatically.
To undo any changes in the checked out copy of a version-controlled file, undo the checkout of the
file listed. Then return to the latest copy from version control. This Undo Check Out command
discards changes to the local file copy.
Version control safeguards files as you work, provides revision tracking, makes backups, and can
provide file sharing and organization. All files added to a project under version control are automatically added to version control and checked out. All files removed from a project are automatically
removed from version control, though file history is retained.

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You can perform version control tasks from project panes: Right-click the file, select a command,
select the file, and click Add to Version Control in the Collaborate ribbon. Or, select the file and then
select an option in the Collaborate ribbon.

Apply version control
1)

Install version control software that supports the Microsoft SCC API.

2)

Work with your network administrator to address user access. See your version control software documentation.

3)

Add the project to version control.

Access version control options in pods
File status pod
Select Project > Open > Pods > File Status. Shows the list of files for file status and version
control tasks. The Version Control toolbar provides access to version control tasks.
Topic list pod
Select Project > Open > Pods > Topic List. Use to open, view, and sort topics.
Project Manager pod
Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager. Displays file icons. A red check mark indicates that a file is checked out.
NOTE:The RoboHelp user interface is optimized for RoboSource Control, Microsoft Team Foundation

Server 2005, and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

Version control FAQs
How does version control work?
A Help project includes topics, graphics, style sheets, TOC, windows, and other components, each
with its own file so authors can work on components independently.
How can multiple authors use version control?

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•

Edit project components while authors edit other components.

•

View project components even while they are being worked on.

•

Get the latest changes (after authors check in files).

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•

Configure and use version control from RoboHelp. (Using version control on your project
outside RoboHelp is not recommended.)

Can single-user projects use version control?
Yes, to use revision tracking, and to centralize projects onto a network for backup.
Are multiuser checkouts OK?
Multiuser checkouts are not recommended.
Where can I set version control options for RoboHelp?
Click File > Options > Version Control.
Will I need my version control program outside RoboHelp?
When removing files or folders from your project, remove them from version control also. Also use
your version control software to create user accounts or set program properties. You can open
version control from RoboHelp.
Should I check out the project file (XPJ) to edit the project?
You don’t have to check out the XPJ file when editing. You check out the XPJ file only if you edit
project settings.
Are items added to the project also added to version control?
Yes. New topics are added immediately; new folders are added when you save the project. When you
rename a file or folder, it is not renamed in version control. The new item is added, but the original
item remains with its old name. Remove the item by going into version control.
Save your project whenever you add files, but be sure to check files back in to add changes to version
control. Changes saved to your local hard drive aren’t added.
Are items removed from the project removed from version control?
Files are removed from version control as you delete them. Renamed items are added under their
new name, but the old version remains under its old name.

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Where are the latest changes made by the team?
You can get the latest file versions (checked in by other users) when you open the project, or manually.
How can I add output files to version control?
If others need access to your output files, add them to version control.

Add a RoboHelp project to version control
NOTE: This topic focuses on adding a RoboHelp project to RoboSource Control. If you want to use

SharePoint as your version control system, refer to Version control with Microsoft SharePoint.
When you add a RoboHelp project to version control, create a database connection when you first
connect to RoboSource Control. RoboHelp uses this connection to access the database. See Adobe
RoboSource Control Help for more information.
1)

Open the project in RoboHelp HTML.

2)

Choose Collaborate > Add To Version Control.

3)

Select RoboSource Control and click OK.

4)

If you are connecting to the RoboSource Control database for the first time from your
computer, go to step 5 to create a connection. If you have connected previously, verify that the
correct connection is selected in the Connection list. Then skip to step 9.

5)

From the Connection list, select Create.

6)

Do one of the following:
•

If the RoboSource Control Server software is on your computer, select the database
connection from the list on the left

•

If the RoboSource Control Server is on a server, complete the following fields:

Connection Name
Enter any name to identify the database from RoboSource Control Client. If you want, you can
use the database name.
Server
Enter either the IP address or the unique name of the server on your local network.
Database
Enter the name of the database exactly as you entered it in the Create Database dialog box.
7)
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Click Create And Connect.

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8)

Connect to RoboSource Control.

9)

In the Configure Source Control dialog box, click the Browse button next to the Root Path
field.

10) If prompted, enter the same password that you entered to log in.
11)

NOTE: When the Login dialog box is hidden behind the RoboHelp window, your screen

appears to be frozen. Use Alt+Tab to view the Login dialog box.
12) Click the root node $ to select it, click OK, and then click Yes in the displayed message.
All your RoboHelp project files are now copied to the server-based database, and all the files are
flagged as checked out to you. When you close the project, you are prompted to check the files into
the database. If you answer Yes, all the files are checked in.
NOTE:An additional File Status pod is displayed in the RoboHelp user interface. This pod lists all the

project files that are under version control and the status of each (checked in or out). Further documentation is installed with RoboSource Control. This help file is accessed from within the RoboSource
Control Explorer application.

File checkin/checkout
When you begin to modify a project file in RoboHelp, the topic file is checked out from version
control (if not in use).
Many topics are linked to other topics, or part of the TOC, index, and browse sequences. When you
modify a file or change the project structure, RoboHelp automatically checks out all affected, dependent files (if available).
If a project has dependent files, RoboHelp asks to check them out. If some are already checked out,
ask users to check them in.
NOTE: Once you’ve added a project to the version control system, you can view file versioning history

and properties, as well as differences between the local copy of the file and its checked in version.

Version control with Microsoft SharePoint
RoboHelp supports version control with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and above natively, which
means you do not need to install any third-party plugins.
The RoboHelp installer automatically installs all needed components, including the following
prerequisites for the version control feature to work smoothly:
•

Dotnet framework 4.0

•

SQLServer Compat 3.5 SP2

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Configure RoboHelp settings for SharePoint
1)

In RoboHelp, click File > Options > Version Control to display the version control settings.

2)

In the SharePoint Settings area, enter the path of a file comparison program that is installed on
the system and the arguments (parameters) for it. RoboHelp uses it in file comparison operations. You can download the free comparison program Winmerge from http://winmerge.org/
NOTE: If you use Winmerge, enter the path to winmerge that is installed on your system, in the

Path parameter, and %1 %2 as the Arguments. %1 and %2 denote the two files to be compared.
3)

Configure the following options:

Notify Before Overwriting Writable Files
Notifies the user before overwriting any writable files that are not checked out.
Replace Local File Even If Server Version Is Same
Forces RoboHelp to fetch the latest files from the server, even if local file version and server
version is the same.
Default Checkin Option
Select whether to check in the files as a major version or as a minor version. The default is to
check in as a major version.
NOTE: The Default Checkin Option comes into effect when while checking in, the check in

dialog is suppressed.
RoboHelp does not display notifications for version control operations by default. To display notifications, enable the relevant options in the Display Confirmation Dialog When area in the Version
Control page of the Options dialog box (File > Options).

Configure SharePoint document library settings
To add a RoboHelp project to a document library in SharePoint, configure the document library
settings:
1)

Log on to SharePoint.

2)

Click Site Actions > View All Site Content.

3)

Click the document library to be edited from the list of document libraries that are displayed.

4)

Click the Library tab and select Library Settings.

5)

Click Version Settings and then configure the following settings:

Require content approval for submitted items
Select No.
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Create a version each time you edit a file in this document library?
Select Create major and minor (draft) versions.
NOTE: The Create major versions option is also supported. In this case, files cannot be
checked in as minor versions.

Keep the following number of major versions
Deselect this option.
Keep drafts for the following number of major versions
Deselect this option.
Who should see draft items in this document library?
Users with read access.
Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited? (Force Checkout)
Select Yes.
NOTE: To provide users with read / write access to the RoboHelp files on your SharePoint server, ensure

that the appropriate SharePoint user permissions are provided to the users.

Add a project to a SharePoint document library
1)

Click Collaborate > Add to Version Control icon.

2)

Select RoboHelp SharePoint Connector and click OK.

3)

Specify the SharePoint site that contains the Document Library, and the username and password to log on to SharePoint. Click OK to log on to SharePoint.
NOTE: You can use LDAP authentication if it is configured on the SharePoint server, by selecting

the option Use Windows Authentication.
When you connect to the SharePoint site, all the document libraries in that site are displayed.
4)

Create a folder inside a document library or use an existing empty folder to upload the RoboHelp files and click OK.
RoboHelp adds the project files to SharePoint.
NOTE: You can add the project to any folder inside the document library. The folder must be

empty. You cannot add the project directly to a document library.

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Merging Help projects
About merged Help projects
Using RoboHelp, you can create projects in an enterprise or distributed setup where different documentation projects feed into a common project. You can achieve multi-authoring without using
source-control software because multiple writers can work on their individual projects and you
merge them to create the common project. By using skins and templates in the common project, you
can achieve a unified appearance in the merged projects.
The merging takes place at run time, after the projects are generated. Before merging the projects,
you simply place references to other projects inside a master project (the master project does not
actually contain the child projects). You insert each reference in the master project's table of
contents, placing it where you want the TOC of the child project to appear. This step gives you
control over where end users access the child project and gives the appearance of a single, unified
Help system. End users see a single online system complete with a table of contents, an index,
full-text search, a glossary (in WebHelp projects), and link controls.IMPORTANT:The child projects
must not have content categories.
Merging multiple projects involves these steps:
•

Create a master project with references to child projects in the TOC. See Create a master
project.

•

Publish the child projects. See Publish child projects.
NOTE: For master projects having the Adobe AIR Application output type, publish the child projects as browser-based Adobe AIR Help.

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Browser based Help output type selection

•

(Adobe AIR Application output type only) Regenerate the output of the master project. See
Configure the Adobe AIR layout.

NOTE: Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro, and FlashHelp Pro projects are automatically published by
RoboHelp Server.

Create a master project
This procedure applies to HTML Help, WebHelp, FlashHelp, Adobe AIR Application, and
browser-based Adobe AIR projects.
1)

Create the master project and the projects that you want to merge.
TIP:For ease of maintenance, the master project should ideally be an empty container or only

have a default topic. The child projects should store all the content. For more information, see
Which project works best as the master project? in FAQs about merging projects.
2)

Open the master project. In the default topic, add the content that you want to display on the
home page of the merged Help.

3)

Select a skin. The skin of the master project is used as the skin of the merged Help.

4)

Do one of the following:

5)

•

Select the default TOC of the master project from the Project Manager pod.

•

Create a TOC for the master project.

To insert child projects, place your cursor in the TOC.
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6)

On the TOC pod, click the New Merged Project icon.

7)

Do one of the following:
•

For HTML Help projects, click the HTML Help tab in the Merged project dialog box.

•

For WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR projects, click the WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR
tab.

8)

Do one of the following:

•

For HTML Help projects, select a CHM file that is already in the current project folder or
browse to the location of the CHM file.
An icon with the filename is displayed in the TOC pod where you inserted the child projects.
The filename is the format <CHM file> .chm::/<CHM file>.hhc. The HHC file represents the
TOC of the merged CHM file. This icon appears where the TOCs of the child projects occur in
the merged project. If needed, you can drag the icon to another location in the TOC and drop
it into place.

•

For WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR projects, enter the name of a RoboHelp project (XPJ) or
click Open to browse to the project file.
In case of WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR projects, the placeholder appears as the name of the
project.

9)

Generate the master project.
When a project having merged project references in its TOC is generated, a folder "mergedProjects" appears in the SSL output folder. The mergedProjects folder contains a folder for each
referenced child project. In the case of WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR, the corresponding
child project has to be generated in its own folder.
NOTE: The name mergedProjects is reserved. Do not give any folder in the project folder the name

mergedProjects.
10) In the Result dialog, click View to see the results and test the merged project.
Notes:

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•

Merged HTML Help projects use non-binary contents files (HHC). The names of the compiled
output file (CHM) and contents file (HHC) cannot include spaces. (To find out if they have
spaces, look at them in your project folder in Windows Explorer. Do not rename the files in
Windows Explorer, however.) If either of the filenames has spaces, open the project and
rename the project file. Then, generate the project and change the name of the output file
(CHM file). The HHC filename is updated automatically when you change the project name.

•

Do not assign the Binary TOC feature to your project. If you do, the external TOCs are not
displayed in the Contents tab in the HTML Help viewer.

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•

If you generate a WebHelp/FlashHelp/Adobe AIR output using a skin, the skin from the
master project overrides the skin of the child project in the merged project. If you access the
projects individually outside the merged project, the project-specific skin is used.

•

If you need to add cross-project links, make sure you set up the folder structure for source projects in the same way as the folder structure of the generated and published files.
Otherwise, while hyperlinking, you need to manually construct the URL based on the folder
structure of the generated and published files and specify in the Link To text box. For detailed
steps, see this article.

Publish child projects
This procedure applies to Microsoft HTML Help, WebHelp, FlashHelp, Adobe AIR Application,
and browser-based Adobe AIR projects.
After you create the master project, publish the child projects to place them in the correct location.
Publishing the projects enables you to view them together at run time. You can maintain child projects at different locations and merge them at a different location. You can publish the merged project
to a corporate intranet, an Internet site, a local hard disk, or a network or FTP server. The output
files of the merged project are stored only at the published site and not at individual child project
locations.
1)

Open a child project.

2)

Right-click the layout in the Single Source Layouts pod and select Generate.
NOTE: In the case of master projects having the Adobe AIR Application output type, select the

output type Browser Based Help for each child project.
3)

For master projects having the Adobe AIR Application output type, select the output type
Browser Based Help for the child project.

4)

Display Publish settings.
•

(Adobe AIR/WebHelp) Click the Publish tab in the layout properties dialog box.

•

(FlashHelp/Microsoft HTML Help) Click Next until the Publish dialog box is displayed.

5)

Specify a destination. For example, [master_project_folder]/SSL!/[layout_name]/mergedProjects/[child_project_name] or //servername/mergedProjects/[child_project_name].

6)

Click Save And Generate. The layout is generated.

7)

On the Result dialog box, click Publish.
When the process is complete, a dialog box displays statistics about the publishing process and
a list of files published.

8)

Click Close.

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View merged Help projects
1)

To view the merged Help system from the local copy of the master project (instead of the
published location), copy WebHelp files of child projects to the master project's mergedProject\<ProjectName> folder.NOTE: To run browser-based Help from a local drive, the installation folder must be added in the list of trusted folders defined in the RoboHelp.cfg file of in the
FlashPlayerTrust folder. See Distribute Adobe AIR output.

2)

Right-click the layout in the Single Source Layouts folder and select View. If you use this
method, be sure not to use the Republish All option in the master project, which could potentially overwrite newer child project files on the network or server.

Remove merged child projects
1)

To remove a merged Help project, click Delete in the TOC pod. The child project icon is
removed. Regenerate (and publish if applicable) the master project to remove the child project
from the output. For WebHelp projects, publish the child projects for the change to take effect.

Customize merged Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro, or FlashHelp Pro projects
RoboHelp Server automatically merges multiple Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp
Pro projects. The projects appear in the table of contents in alphabetical order. To nest a project TOC
within the TOC of another project, you can rearrange the projects in the table of contents. You can
ask your server administrator to change the order of the projects for you in RoboHelp Server, or you
can customize the projects yourself.

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1)

Ask your server administrator to deselect the Automatically Merge All Projects option in the
Projects tab of the RoboHelp Server (Web Admin interface).

2)

Open the master project. Select any project as the master or select a blank project as a master
project.

3)

In the TOC pod, click the New Merged Project icon. The Merged Project dialog opens.

4)

In Project Name, type a Responsive HTML5, WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro project (XPJ)
name. Or, click Open to browse to the project file. A reference to this project is inserted in the
TOC of the current project where you clicked.

5)

Click OK. An icon with the project name is displayed in the TOC where you inserted the child
project. The icon is a placeholder indicating where the TOC of the child project appears in the
merged project. If needed, you can drag the icon to another location in the TOC and drop it
into place.

6)

Generate all the projects to update any changes.

7)

Publish the master project.

8)

View the merged project from the server.

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FAQs about merging projects
This information applies to Adobe AIR, WebHelp, and Microsoft HTML Help projects.
Master projects
Which project works best as the master project?
A blank project with no topics as a container for the child projects works best as the master project.
If you need to include content in the master project, avoid creating cross-project links.
The TOC of the master project can consist of references to child projects only. The TOCs of the child
projects appear in the output.
Can the master project include content categories?
How many child projects can the master project reference?
There is no limit to the number of child projects that you can reference in the master project.
Can a master project be a child project of another master project?
Yes. For example, Project A can be a master project referencing Project B, and it can also be added
as a child project of Project C. Here are examples for each output type:
For WebHelp projects: To use Project A as a child project, publish it to the \mergedProjects\ folder
of Project C.
For HTML Help projects: To use Project A as a child project, add the CHM file to Project C and
generate the merged projects.
Where do I place the child project in the TOC?
You can place the child project anywhere in the TOC of the master project (as a subbook or a
top-level book). After inserting the child projects into the TOC, you can drag them to the selected
location in the TOC. However, you cannot separate or divide the child project TOC in the master
TOC. The TOC of the child project appears in its entirety where you place it.
Does generating or publishing the master project update the child projects?
No. To update a child project in the merged Help system, generate the child project. In WebHelp
projects, also publish the child projects to the correct folder.
Features
Do I need to merge the index separately?
No. The updated merging function of RoboHelp merges the index automatically.
What happens if the merged projects have identical index keywords, glossary terms, or link
controls?
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•

3
Index keywords
Identical index keywords are combined at run time. For example, if project A and project B
both have the index keyword "Installation," this keyword contains all the topics and subkeywords for both projects.

•

Glossary terms
In WebHelp projects, if the same term is used in the master project and the child projects, the
definitions are combined at run time (if different, the definitions are placed on separate lines
in the "Definition for" pane).
In HTML Help projects, if the same term is used in the master project and the child projects,
the definition in the master project replaces the child project definition.

•

See Also keywords
–

In WebHelp, identical See Also keywords are not combined at run time. Each project
uses its own See Also keywords. For example, even if Project A and Project B both use the
keyword "Setup," topics displayed are for the individual projects only.

–

In HTML Help, identical See Also keywords are combined at run time.

Can you merge browse sequences?
No, browse sequences are not merged. However, all the browse sequences defined in each merged
project are available in the merged Help.
How is conditional text handled?
Child projects generated with a conditional build expression are supported in the master project. For
example, if a child project defines a conditional build expression to exclude Tag A, all topics and
topic content with Tag A applied are excluded from the child project and the master project.
For HTML Help projects, are links to external topics retained?
For merged HTML Help projects, index keywords, TOC books and pages, and HTML topics can all
link to external topics in any of the CHM files that are included in the master project. (Remote topics
are not supported in WebHelp.)
WebHelp projects
How do I distribute merged WebHelp projects?
Publish merged WebHelp projects to an intranet or a web address, a local or network drive, or an
FTP server.
Where do I publish the projects?
Although you publish the master project where you normally would, the child projects are published
to a special location.
What happens to references to child projects that are not published?
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If you add a child project to the master project but do not publish it, the child project is not displayed
when the master project is published.
HTML Help projects
What type of index should I use?
The master project must have an index or the merged index is empty. To merge CHM files, your
master project needs to have a binary index when it is generated. With a binary index, all the
keywords from the child projects are merged, alphabetically sorted, and saved in the index file
(HHK) of the master project. Binary format is ideal because it is highly compressed, takes up less
space, and is faster to load. Index files in the child projects do not have to be in the binary format.
Set the Binary index option to the master project before merging the projects.
How do I distribute merged HTML Help projects?
Distribute the CHM files for all the projects, and save them in the same folder as the master project.
When you merge projects, the CHM file of the child project is copied to the folder of the master
project. Whenever you update and generate the child project, copy the updated CHM file to the
master project folder.(You can do this using Windows Explorer.) Distribute the most current
versions of all CHM files.
Adobe AIR projects
How do I distribute merged Adobe AIR Application projects?
An Adobe AIR Application project is a single .air file. To distribute this .air file, copy the file from
the output location to the required shared location.
How do I run merged browser-based Adobe AIR Help from a local folder?
Add the output folder in the list of trusted folders defined in the RoboHelp.cfg file in the FlashPlayerTrust folder. See Distribute Adobe AIR output.

Reports
Export project reports
1)

Click Tools. Select report type.

2)

Customize the report.

3)

Click Save As.

4)

Browse to the location where you want to save the file.
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5)

Enter a name for the file.

6)

From the Save As Type list, select RTF or TXT.

7)

Click Save.

Print reports
1)

Select Tools.

2)

Select the report type.

3)

Customize report options.

4)

Click Print.

TIP:Print the table of contents or index from the TOC pod or Index pod. Select File > Print.

Send reports
You can share reports with others by sending the content as an e-mail message.
1)

Select Tools.

2)

Select the report type. The Reports dialog box appears.

3)

Use the options available to customize the report. (Not all reports are customizable.)

4)

Click Mail To.
Your e-mail program creates a message and the report information is added as the content of
the message. Edit this text and add information as you would any other e-mail message.

5)

Address and send your e-mail.

NOTE:If you need assistance using the Mail To feature (for example, your system prompts you to set up

a profile), contact your e-mail administrator.

Generate and customize reports
All reports are available from Tools menu.
Broken links report
This report (available from Tools > Map ID > Broken Links) finds files that contain broken links.
This report is not customizable.

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Notes:
•

In a multi-author, version-controlled environment, ensure that you don’t link to topics that
have been moved, renamed, or removed. These links will be broken.

•

For a version control project, have one person test the latest version for broken links before
releasing the final output.

Conditional Build Tag report
This report provides information about usage of topic-level, content-level, and TOC-level build tags
in the entire project.
It displays a summary of the project. It identifies the conditional build tags used in the project. For
each tag, it shows the detailed path of all topics in which the tag is used.
1)

Select Tools > Topic Properties > Tags. The Reports dialog box appears, with the Build Tags
tab selected, displaying the Conditional Build Tag report.
By default, the report sorts the tags by Build Tag Name.

2)

(Optional) To change the sort order, select Options. The Build Tag Report Option dialog box
appears.

3)

Select Topic, TOC, And Index Name.

4)

Click OK. You can view the tags usage report sorted by Topic, TOC, and Index Name.

See Also report
1)

Select Tools > TOC > See Also. The See Also report appears.

2)

Customize these options as needed:

Keywords
Includes all keywords from the index.
Keywords And Topics
Contains a list of keywords. Each keyword lists the topics that use it. You can discover if
keywords are not linked to any topics and identify topics to remove from keywords.
Topics And Keywords
Contains a list of topics. Each topic list the keywords associated with the topic. You can
discover if topics are missing keywords, inconsistent phrasing, and identify keywords to
remove from topics.

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Index report
1)

Select Tools > TOC > Index.

2)

To customize, select from the following options:

Keywords
Includes all keywords from the index.
Keywords And Topics
Contains a list of keywords. Each keyword lists the topics that use it. You can discover if
keywords are not linked to any topics and identify topics to remove from keywords.
Topics And Keywords
Contains a list of topics. Each topic lists the keywords associated with the topic. You can identify missing keywords, inconsistent phrasing, and keywords to remove from topics.
Select Index
Select an Index from the list to generate a report for the index selected.
Duplicate Map IDs report
Each map number in your project must be unique. Use this dialog to remove duplicate map IDs.
If your project includes context-sensitive Help, make all map numbers in your map files unique. If
some map files use the same map numbers, the Duplicate Map IDs tab identifies them for you.
NOTE:If duplicate map IDs exist in your project, some of your context-sensitive Help topics might not

work properly.
1)

Select Tools > Map ID > Duplicate Map IDs.
TIP:Use this report to test your help project. With the RoboHelp BugHunter tool, you can test map

numbers and topics.
External Topics report
The External Topics report (Tools > Map ID > External Topics) includes data on these topics:

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•

URLs

•

Links to HTML topics in other CHM files

•

FTP addresses

•

Newsgroup addresses

•

E-mail addresses

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Tips:
•

Use this report to test your links.

•

Share this report with authors who use these URLs.

Glossary report
1)

Select Tools > TOC > Glossary.

2)

Select one of these options from the Reports menu:

Detailed Lists
Terms and definitions
Overview Lists
Terms without definitions
The glossary report is shown for the glossary selected.
Images report
1)

Select Tools > Topic Properties > Images. The Image report appears.

View An Alphabetized List Of Images
Grouped under each image is a list of all topics that use it.
View An Alphabetized List Of Topics
Grouped under each topic is a list of all images they include.
Map IDs report
Use this report (Tools > Map ID > Map IDs) to generate a project summary. It includes the number
of map IDs, topic ID and location, map number, and map filename.
The Map IDs report provides information about all the context-sensitive Help topics that are used
in your project, including map IDs and text-only topics (for What's This? Help).
First, the report displays a summary of the entire project. It identifies the number of map IDs and
then gives more specific information. Each topic in the project that has a map ID assigned is listed
with topic ID, map number, map filename, and topic location.
TIP:Use this report as a reference for testing Help.

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Project Status report
Generate information for a group of topics (Tools > Project Status) by selecting a specific folder from
the Folder list.
•

Total number of topics completed, in progress, and ready for review

•

Total number of topics in a project

•

Estimated development time to author all topics

•

Information on To Do items

Snippets report
Select Tools > Topic Properties > Snippets. The Snippets report appears showing the snippets
defined in the project. The Snippets report also shows the topics in which a particular snippet has
been used.
Style Sheets report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Style Sheets) to view an alphabetized list of style sheets
or topics. The list of style sheets shows which topics use each style sheet. The list of topics identifies
which style sheet each topic is attached to. To sort, choose an option from the Sort By menu.
Table Of Contents report
Use this report (Tools > TOC > Table Of Contents) to view information about TOCs. Specify the
level of detail you want to see:
Detailed
Includes titles of books and pages, names of linked topics, and location of files.
Overview
Includes titles of books and pages and the names of linked topics.
The Table of Contents report is shown for the TOC selected.
TIP:You can change your table of contents whenever you change topic titles or filenames.

Topic Properties report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Topic Properties) to filter reports according to various
properties. To customize the report, click Options, and select details to add:

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General
Folder and bookmark names and locations.
Topic Status
Status, priority, time, completed To Do items, and comments.
References
Links to the topic, links from the topic, map IDs, table of contents, See Also keywords, and
keywords.
Advanced
Information types, conditional build tags, search keywords, and style sheet, and exclude from
search.
You can filter the list of topics included in the report by selecting a specific folder from the Folder list.
Topic References report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Topic References) to track topic references. References
include:
•

Topic links

•

TOC books and pages that use the topic

•

Keywords and phrases that use the topic

Select the Folder list to generate information for a topic group.
Tips:
•

Use this report to find references to remove when updating your topics.

•

Before you remove a topic, you can remove all references to it. Use this report to identify the
references and relink them to different topics.

•

If you don't remove references when you remove a topic, this report identifies the breakable
references.

Topics By Priority report
The Topics By Priority report (Tools > Topic Properties > Topics By Priority) provides a summary
of your project. It lists topics sorted by the priority assigned by the author. This information is gathered from the topic properties. Therefore, the key to making this report work for you is to change
topic properties as you author.

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To customize the information in this report, click Options and select the information you want to
include in it. You can select a range of priorities or view all priorities. You can also filter the list of
topics included in the report by selecting a folder from the Folder list.
Unreferenced Topics report
This customizable report (Tools > Topic Properties > Unreferenced Topics) tracks unreferenced
topics in the TOC, index, browse sequences, or in other topics. Use it to identify:
•

Inaccessible topics (To fix, create links from other topics.)

•

Topics excluded from the TOC

•

Topics without index or See Also keywords (To fix, add keywords, or add the topic to a See
Also keyword.)

NOTE:Some topics do not use references. For example, if you create window-level context-sensitive

Help, topics are only accessible when end-users press F1 or click Help. They don't need references. You
can identify unreferenced topics that you are using as context-sensitive Help topics.
Unused files report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Unused Files) to view unused files in one place. You can
sort by filename or file type by selecting from the Sort By menu.
You cannot remove these files from within your project. Make a list of the unused files and their
paths and then use Windows Explorer to delete the files.IMPORTANT:Before you delete files, make a
backup copy of the project in case you need to revert changes.
NOTE:Indiscriminate deletion of files other than what is listed by the unused files report, results in

broken links, missing files and other undesirable consequences.
Unused index keywords report
Use this report (Tools > Map ID > Unused Index Keywords) to track all index keywords that are not
associated with topics. Use it to:
•

Identify index keywords that you can remove from your project.

•

Find index keywords that must be associated with topics.

•

Review cross-references included in your index.

Used Files report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Used Files) for an inventory of all files in the project.

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Missing topics report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Missing Topics) to track missing topics and several associated elements:
•

TOCs, books, and pages that reference missing topics

•

Index keywords and phrases that reference missing topics

Select a folder from the Folder list to generate topic group information.
Tips:
•

Before you remove a topic, remove all references to it.

•

If you do not remove references when you remove a topic, this report identifies the breakable
references.

Variables report
Use this report (Tools > Topic Properties > Variables) to list variables in the order they were created
along with their values and information about their usage.
If you view all variables in the project, the report indicates the variables defined in Variable sets and
the files in which they are used. You can also find variables that have not been used.
This report is useful when you want to remove variables. Locate all topics in which the variables are
used and delete references to the variables before deleting the variables.

Reference
URL Properties dialog box
Use this dialog box to link index keywords to URLs in your project.
Keywords
Enter the word or phrase that end users must enter in the index to access the URL.

Delete Old Project dialog box
Delete the old WebHelp Pro project from the RoboHelp Server before publishing the renamed
project.

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Move File Into Project dialog box
Restore a broken topic link by finding a file or creating a link.
Try To Find
Browse for the linked file.
Create New
Create a topic and save it in your project folder to repair the broken link.

Help to HTML style options
Select The Style Sheet To Use
Specifies the style sheet name to attach to all created HTML topics.
No Stylesheet
Does not attach a style sheet. All topics use default formatting.
Embedded Styles
Does not attach a style sheet to the topics. All HTML topics use WinHelp formatting. Formatting is embedded into each HTML element.
Convert Bulleted Lists
Uses bulleted list items from WinHelp topics in topics (retains bulleted lists).
Convert Numbered Lists
Uses numbered list items from WinHelp topics in topics (retains numbered lists).
Tips:
•

You can modify any style sheet after you convert the project.

•

Create new style sheets after converting and attach them to topics.

•

Projects can include multiple style sheets.

HTML Help Advanced Settings tri-pane
Buttons
Defines the buttons/controls to include in the toolbar. Options:

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Hide/Show
Hides the left-tab components in the tri-pane.
Options
Displays a menu of options.
Locate
Synchronizes the left and right panes (when Auto Synchronize TOC is not selected).
Navigation pane
Defines how content appears in the viewer. Options:
Auto Show/Hide Nav Pane
Hides the left navigation pane when end users switch from a compiled help file to a program.
The content remains visible in the right pane. The left tabs can't be viewed until the user selects
the window.
Auto Synchronize TOC
Formats the left and right panes to synchronize as users navigate content.
NOTE:Project filenames cannot include spaces. You can automatically replace spaces with under-

scores after you create the project.
Width
Defines the navigation pane width in pixels.
NOTE:Project filenames cannot include spaces. You can automatically replace spaces with underscores

after you create the project.
Width
Defines the width of the navigation pane, in pixels.
Font
Selects a font for displaying titles on the Contents tab.
Select
Opens the Font dialog box.
Default
Sets the font to use your default system setting.

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HTML Help Advanced Settings TOC tab
Border
Add a border around the Contents pane.
Dialog Frame
Add a frame around Contents pane.
Lines From Root
Display lines connecting books and pages starting at the root.
Plus/Minus Squares
Display plus and minus squares that open and close books.
Folders Instead Of Books
For table of contents book items, display a folder icon in place of a book icon.
Single-Click To Open Book
Formats book items to open with a single click. When this feature is not selected, books open
with a double-click.
Lines Between Items
Add lines between books and pages.
Raised Edge
Format the table of contents so it looks raised from the tri-pane.
Sunken Edge
Format the table of contents so it looks sunken into the tri-pane.

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Working with topics
Create, save, and open topics
Create a topic
1)

In the Project Manager pod, open the XHTML Files (Topics) folder.

2)

To store the topic in a specific custom folder, select the folder.

3)

Do either of the following:
•

Click the New Topic icon

.

•

To create the topic with a different HTML editor, right-click and select New > Topic
With. Then select the editor.
NOTE: You can also right-click in the Topic List and select New Topic With > [editor].

4)

Specify a topic title.

5)

Select a UDV from the Variables list to insert in the topic title and click Insert. Click OK. For
example, instead of embedding a product name in the title, use a UDV for the product name.
UDVs help you manage changes and ensure consistency.

6)

If required, modify the file name that RoboHelp creates from the topic title.
For best results, use underscores instead of spaces in file names, and follow the HTML file
naming protocol. Avoid using these characters in file names: \ / : * ? < > | # ", $, &, [ ]
(Apply these same conventions to folder names.)

7)

(Optional) Select a master page.

8)

Specify a language for the new topic.
NOTE: If you do not specify a language for the topic you are creating, RoboHelp uses the language

setting for the project. RoboHelp uses the language setting for a topic for the spelling checker, the
thesaurus, smart indexing, and full-text search indexing. The output UI is controlled by the
project language setting. For more information about language support, see Authoring content
in multiple languages
9)

Add keywords to help users find the contents of this topic. To separate the keywords, you can
use commonly used characters, such as comma, semicolon, and space. Space works in most
languages.
NOTE: The keywords you specify are added to the index. For more information, see Topic

keywords.
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4

10) Select Exclude This Topic From Search only if you do not want to display this topic in the
search results.
NOTE: Exclude From Search is not available for Microsoft HTML Help (CHM) search.
TIP:To open a topic in a third-party editor, right-click the topic in the Project Manager or the Topic List

and select Edit With. The topic opens in the editor you specified (the Editor box still displays the editor
set for the project).
RELATED LINKS:
Add underscoresto file names

Save topics
Save a topic
•

Press Ctrl+S.

•

In the toolbar, click Save.

Enable or disable Save
If you deselect Save Without Prompt, you are prompted to save topics.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the General tab.

3)

Under Options, select or deselect Save Without Prompt.

4)

Click OK.

Rename topic files
NOTE:Avoid using Windows Explorer or your version control application to rename files. The Project
Manager cannot update file references.

1)

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Do either of the following:
•

In the Project Manager pod, expand the appropriate folder. Select Project > View >
Display Topics > By File Name. Right-click the file, and select Rename.

•

In the Topic List pod, right-click the file. Select Properties.

Working with topics
2)

Type the new name.
For best results, use underscores instead of spaces, and follow the HTML file naming protocol.
Avoid using these characters in file names: \ / : * ? < > | # ", $, &, [ ]
If the file name has multiple words, use underscores instead of spaces.

Open topics
You can open topics in Design Editor or another editor while still using RoboHelp to add online
Help features.
1)

In the Project Manager or Topic List pod, do one of the following:
•

To open the topic in Design Editor (or a third-party editor you’ve set as the default
editor), double-click the topic.

•

To open the topic in an editor, right-click the topic and select Edit With > [editor].
If you are prompted whether to continue with possible HTML code changes, click Yes.
However, to avoid code changes from one editor to the next, edit topics in the same editor
and click No.

RELATED LINKS:
RoboHelp DesignEditor
Third-party HTMLeditors

Support for multiple document interfaces
You can open multiple topics in Design Editor. You can edit topics simultaneously, compare topics,
and copy content from one topic to another.
Each open topic has a corresponding tab in the Design Editor pod. Click a tab to make its topic
window active. Click the scroll arrows to scroll through tabs and reveal hidden tabs. Drag the tabs to
position topic windows horizontally or vertically within Design Editor.

Author in XHTML
You can use RoboHelp to create topic files in XHTML and project-specific files in XML. Structured
authoring in XHTML ensures well-written code, closed tags, no overlapping of tags, properly quoted
attributes with explicit values, and no proprietary attributes. RoboHelp upgrades all the old RoboHelp for HTML topics to XHTML when it imports them.

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4

NOTE: For upgraded projects, the formatting of bulleted lists might not be correct in the output. After

upgrading a project, make sure that the bulleted list style in the CSS specifies zero or a positive value
for the left margin.
The RoboHelp editor creates all the topics in XHTML. All topic files are compliant with XHTML 1.0
Transitional. XHTML generated from RoboHelp conforms to the XHTML 1.0 Transitional specification from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). All topics have the XHTML 1.0 Transitional
doc type:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
Every XHTML topic contains an HTML tag and an xmlns attribute value of
http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml.
NOTE: To view the XHTML source of a topic, open the topic in the Design Editor and select the HTML

view.
You can use third-party editors such as Notepad, Microsoft Word, or Adobe Dreamweaver to edit
your files and retain these files in their existing format. You can edit topics using a third-party
XHTML editor. RoboHelp retains its processing instructions (PI) as comments to avoid any data
loss. You can use RoboHelp to edit the third-party HTML or XHTML topics and generate XHTML
output.
NOTE: Snippets, master pages, and framesets are created in XHTML format only.

When creating a project, RoboHelp creates several project-specific files, such as APJ, CSS, and BRS
files, in XML format. For example, the TOC, index, glossary, and the following project file name
extensions are generated in well-formed XML:
.ali, .brs, .phr, .stp, .ign, .lng, .ssl, .xpj, .apj, .syn, .glo, .hhk, .hhc, .ppf, .fpj
These files are in the root of the RoboHelp project folder. You can open these XML files and read the
data using XML processors.

Convert XHTML to HTML
1)

Select File > Options > General.

2)

Select Convert RoboHelp Edited Topics To HTML.

Selecting this option converts all the topics to HTML in the SSL output. You can generate the SSL to
check whether the output files are in HTML or XHTML. XHTML pages support all the DHTML
effects that can be applied using RoboHelp HTML. HTML pages do handle DHTML effectively.
Within a topic, right-click and select View or Preview Topic. View the source of the output file or
preview the topic to verify whether it is XHTML or HTML.
RELATED LINKS:
RoboHelp editors

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Validate XHTML
You can validate the RoboHelp generated XHTML code against W3C specifications for compliance
with XHTML Transitional 1.0. Right-click a topic in the Project Manager and choose Validate W3C
Compliance to validate the topic. You can select Validate All to validate all the topics.
The following features are not supported in XHTML:
•

Marquees in topics

•

Border color in framesets

•

Background sound in topic properties

Use of these features results in invalid XHTML code. Remove these features to generate valid
XHTML code.
RELATED LINKS:
W3C compliance

Import and copy topics
Import topics
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager. The Project Manager pod appears.

2)

Open the HTML Files (Topics) folder.

3)

To save the file in a subfolder, select the folder.

4)

Select Project > Import > HTML File.

5)

Navigate to the HTML/XHTML file.

6)

Select the file. Press Ctrl to select multiple files.

7)

Click Open.

8)

Click Yes to copy the file into the project folder. Click Yes To All to copy the file and all its
components.NOTE: You can similarly import FrameMaker documents (*.mif, *.fm, *.book, *.bk),
PDF documents (*.pdf), Word documents (*.docx, *.docm, *.doc, *.rtf), XML files (*.xml), DITA
maps (*.ditamap), and DITA topics (*.xml, *.dita).

Copy topics into a project
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager. The Project Manager pod appears.
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•

4

Select Project > Open > Pods > Topic List. The Topic List pod appears.

2)

Select a topic.

3)

Right-click and select Duplicate Topic.

4)

In the Topic Title box, type the title.

5)

If the topic is associated with a master page, it appears in the Master Page pop-up menu. If
None appears, the topic uses the default style sheet.

6)

Click the View icon

7)

Click the Appearance tab to change the style sheet.

8)

Click OK.

to view the master page. Or, browse to a new master page.

The new topic is appended to the project. It appears in the Project Manager.

View topics and design elements
Preview topics
Preview topics instead of generating an entire project. Click links and Related Topics buttons, see
Dynamic HTML effects, access frames and forms, and view features.
IMPORTANT:If the topics contain links to PDFs, make sure that Adobe® Acrobat® 10 is installed on your

computer. Previewing any PDF in Acrobat 9 or earlier versions might not work correctly.
If you have multiple browsers installed on your computer, you can select a browser from the View
With list from the preview window. RoboHelp displays the topic in the selected browser.
1)

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Open the topic in the Design view and click the View icon

on the toolbar.

•

Right-click the topic in the Topic List pod or the Project Manager pod and select View.

(Optional) To preview conditional text areas, choose a conditional build tag expression from
the menu.
NOTE: To change the CBT while previewing in the browser, change the CBT in the preview dialog

and click Refresh in the browser.
3)

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Click View With and select the browser from the list of the browsers installed on your
computer.

Working with topics
Notes
•

Certain features, such as See Also controls and Keyword Link controls, do not work in preview
mode - both in the Preview dialog box and the browser.

•

Text-only popups cannot be viewed in Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.

•

If you close the Preview dialog box, the topic displayed in the browser appears until you refresh
the browser.

•

(Preview dialog box) The Back and Forward options in the context-sensitive menu help you
navigate between topics that you open by clicking links in the topic you are previewing. You
can also press the Backspace key.

•

(Preview dialog box) If you change the topic in Design Editor and drag the Preview dialog box,
RoboHelp updates the content to display the new changes.

Define a conditional build expression
1)

In the preview window, click Define.

2)

Specify tags to exclude from the output:

3)

•

To move one tag, select it and click the single arrow button.

•

To move all tags, click the double arrow button.

(Optional) Click Advanced. Select a conditional build tag from the menu. Click Add Tag. Click
the AND, OR, or NOT operators to define an expression. Click Clear to remove the expression.

NOT
Excludes topics that use a named conditional build tag. NOT has the highest priority of all the
build expressions.
AND
Includes or excludes topics that use specified conditional build tags. AND has the
second-highest priority of all the build expressions.
OR
Includes or excludes topics that use specified conditional build tags.
4)

Click OK to return to the preview window.

5)

To remove the condition from the preview, select None from the menu.

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4

View design elements
1)

Select Edit > View > Show/Hide > [design element].

Design element

Appearance in the Design Editor

Bookmarks
Paragraph markers
Table gridlines

Glyphs

Fields

Unknown tags

Conditional areas

Comments

Master pages
NOTE: Master pages replace templates in RoboHelp HTML 7 and earlier.

An HTML page is made up of three elements: content, layout, and styling. For single sourcing, the
best practice is to separate content from styling and layout. Although CSS files help to separate
styling from the content, layout remains embedded in the HTML code. By using master pages, you
can separate layout and styling from the content. A master page contains the layout information and
is associated with a CSS file.
A master page is a template for HTML topics. You define the placement of headers, footers, and
placeholders for the body, breadcrumbs, and topic TOC. Master pages can include snippets and

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user-defined variables. You can create a topic using a master page or associate an existing topic with
a master page. When you create a topic using a master page, the body content is placed in the
resulting topic. If you apply a master page to an existing topic, the body content is ignored.
The layout information defined in the master pages is not visible in Design view. However, you do
see the CSS of the master page in Design view. You can see the layout when you generate output or
a preview. The topic content is placed in the body placeholder, and the layout is inherited from the
master page. All placeholders defined in the master page are also populated with relevant information when you generate output.
You can use tables to create a precise layout where each placeholder is placed in a table cell.
Body placeholder
When you create a topic from a master page, the topic includes content from the master page.
Copyright information is an example. When you apply a master page to a topic, actual content
of the topic replaces the body placeholder at the time of preview and generation.
NOTE: When you apply a master page to a topic, the header and footer of the topic are overridden

by those of master pages.
Topic TOC placeholder
Shows the automatically generated topic TOC at the time of generation or preview of Help
topic. Define the exact location and format of the topic TOC by designing the layout of the
master page. By default, the levels allowed for a TOC layout are heading 2 to heading 6.
Breadcrumbs placeholder
Shows the automatically generated breadcrumbs at the time of generation of Help topic. The
breadcrumbs are generated based on the TOC. When you preview a topic, actual breadcrumbs
links are not generated and only the layout of breadcrumbs is visible.
You can apply conditional build tags to the topic TOC and breadcrumbs placeholders but not to the
body placeholder. However, you can apply a conditional build tag to the content inside or outside
the body placeholder.

Create a master page
1)

Select Output > Master Page > New Master Page.

2)

Enter a name for the new master page in the General tab.
NOTE: Master pages have the file name extension .htt.

3)

Click the Appearance tab.

4)

Select a style sheet to apply to the master page.

5)

(Optional) Select the Background Sound options.

6)

Click OK.
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A new master page shows the body placeholder by default. You can insert topic TOCs by clicking the
Topic TOC icon and breadcrumb placeholders by clicking the Breadcrumbs icon from the
toolbar in the Design editor of master pages. But this toolbar does not appear for normal pages. You
can insert any number of topic TOCs or breadcrumbs at any location in the master page.

Create a master page from a topic
1)

Open a topic.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Right-click in the Design Editor and select Add To > Master Pages.

•

Select Output > Master Page > Add Selected Topic To Master Pages

All the content in the topic is wrapped in the body placeholder. After you add a topic to a master
page, any new topic created from this master page includes its body placeholder content.
When topics are associated with a master page, the style sheet, header, and footer of the master page
override style properties of the topic. You can edit or change the CSS of a topic later.
NOTE: Use the Topic Properties option to change the master page associated with a topic.

RELATED LINKS:
Headers, footers,and page breaks

Formatting master pages
When you generate or preview a layout, border and shading properties of the master pages override
border and shading properties of topics. If the properties do not conflict, they are applied independently. For example, if you set border properties for a master page, and background color for a
topic, the final output topic has both applied to it.
Edit a master page
1)

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Right-click a master page in the Output Setup pod and select Edit.

•

Double click a Master Page in the Output Setup pod.

Make the desired changes.

Change the CSS associated with a master page

164

1)

Right-click in a master page and select Properties.

2)

Click the Appearance tab.

Working with topics
3)

Select a style sheet from the list of style sheets available in a project.

4)

Click OK.

NOTE: Select the Used In tab in the Master Page Properties dialog box to see a report of the topics associated with the master page.

Insert a placeholder
You can insert placeholders for topic TOCs, breadcrumbs, and topics in master pages. By default, a
body placeholder is inserted in a new master page.
1)

Place the cursor below or after the body placeholder.

2)

Select Insert > Page Design > Topic TOC or Breadcrumbs.

NOTE: You cannot insert a placeholder inside a paragraph as inline text or in headers or footers.

RELATED LINKS:
Headers, footers,and page breaks

Format and edit placeholders
You can format styles in placeholders using the Format Placeholders option from the context menu.
Open a master page in Design view and do one of the following:
•

Right-click a placeholder. Select Format Placeholder.

•

Select a placeholder and click the Format Placeholder button

•

Double-click in the placeholder.

in the Design Editor toolbar.

Notes:
•

If a body placeholder is deleted from the master page or does not appear, the resultant topic
has its headers appear first (if at all), followed by the HTML content of the master page, the
topic content, and the footer (if present).

•

You cannot apply DHTML effects on the placeholders. The content inside the body placeholder is normal HTML content, so you can apply DHTML effects to it.

•

You can preview the master pages to see how the placeholder content is displayed in the final
output. If the associated master page has topic TOC and breadcrumbs placeholders, the topic
TOC and breadcrumbs are generated at the time of preview or layout generation.

RELATED LINKS:
Add breadcrumbsto topics

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4

Importing master pages
You can import master pages from other projects and apply them to topics in your current project.
When you upgrade from RoboHelp 7 or earlier, topic templates convert to master pages when you
import them. Except for the header and footer, all the content in the topic template is wrapped in the
body placeholder.

Applying master pages
You can apply or change the master page to one or multiple topics at a time. Use this option to
change the master page of one or more, but not all topics in your project. You can apply the master
page to all topics when you generate the Help output.
Apply a master page to a topic
1)

From the Topic List, right-click the topic, and select Properties.

2)

In the Topic Properties dialog box, select the General tab.

3)

All the master pages in a project are listed in the Master Page menu. Select a master page and
click OK. Optionally, you can do the following:

•

To preview the selected master page, click the Preview icon.

•

To select a master page that is not in the current project, click the Browse button.

Apply a master page to multiple topics
1)

In the topic list, sort the topics by the master page associated with them.
NOTE: If the Master Page column is not visible, right-click a column header, and select Master

Page from the menu.
2)

Select the topics that are associated with the master page that you want to substitute. If you are
applying master pages for the first time, select the topics that are not associated with a master
page. You can also select multiple sets of topics with different master pages applied to them.

3)

Right-click, and select Properties.

4)

In the Topic Properties dialog box, select General tab.

5)

Select the master page from the Master Page menu, and click OK.

Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation
Single-source layouts let you override the master page or the CSS when you generate output. For
different output results, apply different master pages or a different CSS.
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Working with topics
Each single-source layout except the Printed Documentation layout provides an option to apply
master pages or CSS. You can choose to apply a master page or a CSS across all the topics in a
project.NOTE: For the Printed Documentation layout, you can apply only a different CSS.
•

If you do not select the Apply To All Topics option, the master pages associated with individual
topics take effect. If no master pages are associated with individual topics, RoboHelp applies
no master pages when it generates output.

•

If you choose to apply a master page, master pages associated with individual topics are overridden. The CSS associated with the master page becomes effective and overrides the CSS associated with all other individual topics.

•

If you choose to apply a CSS, master pages associated with individual topics take effect. The
selected CSS is applied to all the topics whether any master page is associated with them or not.

Adding headers and footers for printed documentation
You can add headers and footers to the master pages for printed documentation. When you add a
header and / or a footer, you can added static information. For example, you can add the name of
the document author to the footer. However, in addition to static information, you can also add
information specific to the document itself.
To add headers and footers for printed documentation:
1)

Go to the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Master Pages folder and double-click to open a master page.
Alternatively, to create a new master page, right-click on the Master Pages folder icon and
choose New Master Page.

3)

To add or edit a header to the master page, click the Edit Header icon in the upper-right corner
of the Master Page pane.
Similarly, to add or edit a footer to the master page, click the Edit Footer icon in the upper-right
corner of the Master Page pane.

4)

In the header or footer, add static content as needed.

5)

Besides the static content, you can also add the following variables:

Page Number:
To add a page number to the header or footer, click the Insert Page Number icon in the
upper-right corner of the Master Page pane.
Chapter Name
To add a chapter to the header or footer, click the Insert Chapter Name icon in the upper-right
corner of the Master Page pane.

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4

While the static content in the headers and footers of a document display as they are, the page
numbers and chapter names display dynamically.

Manage topics
Rename a topic
When you rename a topic, the title is updated in the topic properties. Links to the topic still work.
Other references are not automatically updated. For example, you may need to edit the TOC page
title in the TOC Editor.
If you create new topics using a master page, topic titles are automatically updated when you change
a topic title in Topic Properties.
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.

•

Select Prjoect > Pods > Topic List.

2)

Select a topic.

3)

In the toolbar, click the Properties icon

4)

In the Topic Title box, type the new title.

5)

Click OK. The topic title is updated.

6)

To change the topic heading, open the topic in the Design Editor. Edit the heading text.

. Click the General tab.

NOTE:To match the file name to the updated topic title, change the file name when you change a topic

title.
RELATED LINKS:
Rename topic files
Manage files

Update topic references
If you rename a topic title, make sure that you update the following items as indicated.
Text links
The path of the link is updated, but the link text that is visible to a user is not. If link text in any
topics includes the topic title, update each topic.

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Working with topics
Topic heading
If you want to change the topic heading to match the topic title, change it in the Design Editor.
Table of contents
Update a book or page with the new title. In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click the book
or page and select Rename. Enter the new title.
Index
If the topic title is an index keyword, update the keyword in the Index pod. Right-click the
keyword in the upper pane and select Rename. Type the new title.

Add underscores to file names
If topic file names have multiple words, you can set RoboHelp HTML to replace underscores with
spaces. This convention enables TOC books and pages to synchronize with topic content displayed
in the viewer.
Existing file names aren’t affected unless you edit them.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the General tab.

3)

Select Use Underscores In file names.

Change topic properties
Topics have properties that define their appearance and index keywords. You can change properties
for a single topic or a group of topics.
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Right-click one or more topics in the Topic List pod. Select Properties.

•

Right-click a topic in the Project Manager pod. Select Properties.

•

Right-click a topic in the Design Editor and select Topic Properties.

2)

Click a tab and make changes.

3)

Click OK.

TIP:Use options on the Status tab to track topic development and manage the project. (To access the

Status tab, right-click a topic and select properties. On the Topic Properties dialog box, select the Status
tab.) You can also generate project reports based on properties you set.

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4

Change topic properties on the Index tab (WebHelp Pro)
Work with keywords referenced by the topic.
Select Index
Select an index to add keywords or view the related referenced keywords.
Index Keywords
Create and edit keywords.
Add
Add a keyword from the Index Keywords text box.
Add Existing
Copy a keyword from other topics.
Delete
Remove a keyword.
Replace
Replace a keyword with text from the text box.
Smart Index
Open the Smart Index wizard.
Properties
Open the General tab. Save the keyword in either the index file or in the current topic.
Changing master pages
To change which master page is applied to a topic, select a master page from the Master Pages menu.
The default is the last master page applied to the topic. You can view the master page by clicking the
View button or browse to a new master page by clicking the Browse button.
RELATED LINKS:
Update the ToDo list for a topic
Link a stylesheet to topics or master pages
Apply conditionalbuild tags to multiple topics
Identify thebrowse sequences a topic is assigned to
Fix broken links

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Find a topic
Find topics within your project from the Table Of Contents, Index, and Project Manager pods.
You can search on all or part of a topic title or on topic properties.
1)

Click the pod to search:
•

To find out which folder a topic is in, click the Project Manager pod.

•

To find out where a topic is in the table of contents, click the Table Of Contents pod.

•

To find out where a topic is referenced in the index, click the Index pod.

•

To find out if a topic is in your project, click the Topic List pod.

2)

Select Project > View > Locate Item.

3)

To conduct a simple search, click the Search tab and type all or part of the topic title next to
Topic Title Includes.

4)

To conduct an advanced search, click the Advanced tab. You can search according to the
following options:

Topic Title Includes
Enter text to help you find the topic by title.
File Name Includes
Enter text to help you find the topic by file name.
You can search for the following topic properties:
Status
Click to ignore status in the search or search for topics that are assigned to a specific status.
File Modified
Click to ignore file modification dates or search for files modified before or after specific dates.
You can enter a date at the right of this option.
Priority
Click to ignore topic priorities in the search or to search for topics based on a specific priority
assignment. You can enter a number at the right of this option.
NOTE:Searching by author is not supported.

The Found Topics area has these features:

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4

Found Topics
Displays the topics that match the search criteria. Select a topic from this list to preview it or
modify its properties.
View button
Displays the selected topic in the Preview window.
By Title
Click to search for text in topic titles instead of in file names.
Topics Containing <item>
Displays the topics that match the search criteria. Select a topic from this list to preview it or
modify its properties.

Locate topics or images in Project manager
If you are currently working on a topic or a snippet, you can locate where the topic or snippet exists
in the RoboHelp project. Or where the selected image exists within the topic. You can also locate a
selected image in the Project manager.
1)

In the Project ribbon, click on Locate Item

.

The topic, snippet, or image displays selected in the Project manager pod.

Assign a default topic
The default topic appears in the Topic panel when the Help system is opened.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout. Select Properties.

2)

Next to the Default Topic box, click Select.

3)

Select a topic. Click OK.

4)

Click Save.

5)

Generate and view the layout.

Track topic status
The status of new topics is In Progress by default. You can change this status as you work.
Status information is used in the Project Status report.

172

1)

In the Topic List pod, select topics.

2)

Click the Properties button

.

Working with topics
3)

Click the Status tab.

4)

Set options as needed:

Status
Click the triangle

to select a development stage.

Priority
Enter a number.
Hours
Enter a number to assign estimated or actual hours of topic development.
To Do list
Select items as you complete them.
Comments
Enter text.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate andcustomize reports

View and manage topic details in the Topics List pod
1)

In the Topic List pod, do any of the following:
•

To view details about topics, choose Project > View Item.

•

To sort topics, click the column header.

•

To select details to appear in the Topic List pod, right-click a column header, select More,
and select the details.

•

To view or update topic properties, select one or more topics and click the Properties
button .

•

To create topic references, drag topics from the list to create a table of contents, index,
and See Also keywords.

RELATED LINKS:
Reports

Work with the Tag list
The Tag list in Design view shows the hierarchical structure of the HTML page. The top of the hierarchy is on the left (always the document). The currently selected item is on the right.

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•

To display the Tag list, select Edit > View > Show/Hide > Tag list.

•

To select an item in Design Editor, click the item in the Tag list.

•

To edit the properties of an item in the Tag list, double-click the item. Set options.

4

Specify formatting attributes to remove:
Tag
HTML tag that creates the specified format type.
Text
Text to which the formatting is applied.
Class
Class (style specified in the style sheet) used in the HTML tag. Not all tags have classes assigned.
Id
ID (tag for JavaScript or Dynamic HTML) used in the HTML tag. Not all tags have IDs
assigned.

Check spelling and find and replace
NOTE: If your project is localized, the spelling checker uses a dictionary in the selected language.

Check spelling in the TOC, index, see also list, or glossary
When the spelling checker finds an error, you can ignore the word, change it, or add it to the dictionary.
1)

Open the component you want to check.

2)

Select Tools, and then select Spell Check TOC, Index, See Also, or Glossary.

3)

Select a suggested word or type a replacement in Not In Dictionary.

4)

Select options.

5)

To add a word to the custom dictionary, click Add.

NOTE: Online glossaries are available with WebHelp and Microsoft HTML Help.

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Specify spelling options
1)

Select Review > Spelling Options and select from the following sets of options:

Main Options
Check Spelling As You Type
Checks for misspelled words as you type.
Auto-Correct When Possible
Corrects misspelled words as you type. To view a list of typically misspelled words, open the
Dictionary Editor dialog box.
Match Case
Searches for uppercase or lowercase as indicated.
NOTE:The Auto-Correct When Possible and Match Case options do not work if you do not select

the Check Spelling As You Type option.
Special Options
Ignore All Uppercased Words
Ignores all uppercase words.
Ignore Mixed Letters/Digits
Ignores strings containing both letters and digits.
Ignore Doubles
Ignores repeated words.
User Dictionary
Lets you modify the existing dictionary.
Auto-correct spelling options
Auto-correction is possible only if you select the Auto-Correct When Possible option and the Check
Spelling As You Type option in the Spelling Options dialog box. (Select Review > Spelling Options).
You can define misspellings along with the correct version. For example, you can add ”r;adn” as a
misspelling and define the correct spelling as ”random.”
NOTE:Misspellings are not predefined; be sure to add them explicitly. This feature is

Unicode-compliant. You can add words in any language, including Russian and Japanese, in the same
project, a topic, or a paragraph.

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Replace
Specify a misspelling in the Replace box.
With
Specify the correct word in the With box.
Add
Click to add the word to the Auto-Correct list.
Delete
Click to delete the misspelled entries.
Cancel
Cancels any changes made in the dialog box fields.
OK
Click to save the changes made in the dialog box fields.
View Ignore Words list
1)

Select the Ignored Words tab. Use this dialog box to view the list of words ignored during
spelling checks.

Ignored Words
Lists words ignored during the spelling check.
Delete All
Click to delete all words from the Ignored Words list.
Delete
Click to delete the selected words from the Ignored Words list.

Check spelling in topics or projects
1)

176

Open a topic in the Design Editor. Do one of the following:
•

Select Review > Spell Check.

•

Select Review > Spell Check All Topics. (Optional) Click Skip Topic.

•

Select Review > Spell Check Project. (Optional) Click Skip.

2)

Select a suggested word or type a replacement in Not In Dictionary.

3)

Select options as needed.

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Working with topics
4)

To add the word to the custom dictionary, click Add.

Spelling check options for topics
Not In Dictionary
Display the questionable word.
Suggestions
Display a list of suggested spellings for the word.
TIP:If a word is not listed, enter the correct spelling in Not In Dictionary.

Add
Add the word to the dictionary.
Ignore
Skip the word and continue the spelling check.
Ignore All
Add the word to the Ignore Word list.
Change
Replace the word displayed in Not In Dictionary with the word selected in Suggestions.
Change All
Replace all occurrences of the word displayed in Not in Dictionary with the word selected in
Suggestions.
Close
End the spelling check and close the dialog box.
NOTE:The Spell Check tool works for the language selected. If the selected language does not

support the Spell Check tool, the tool is disabled in the Tools menu.
Spelling check options for projects
Currently Checking
Display the topic currently being checked.
Skip
Skip the current topic.
Not In Dictionary
Display the word not found in the dictionary.
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4

Add
Add the word to the dictionary.
Suggestions
Show a list of words similar to the word not in the dictionary.
Ignore
Ignore the word not found in the dictionary.
Ignore All
Ignore all the suggestions for the selected word.
Change
Replace the word under Not In Dictionary with the one in the Suggestions list.
Change All
Change all the instances of the word.
NOTE:Words are added to the custom dictionary of the language the project is using.

RELATED LINKS:
Authoring contentin multiple languages

Customize a dictionary
Use the Dictionary Editor to add words, for example, “RoboHelp,” to your dictionary. The dictionary is specific to the language and the user. Every language has its own dictionary, and every user
can save changes to the dictionary.
NOTE:The Dictionary Editor is case sensitive.

1)

Select Review > Spelling Options.

2)

Click the Options tab.

3)

Click Modify.

4)

In the Dictionary Editor, under Word, type a new entry and click Add. To delete an entry,
select it and click Delete.
NOTE:You cannot cancel additions or deletions made in the Dictionary Editor, so the Cancel

button is disabled.

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Use the thesaurus
1)

In the Design Editor, open a topic.

2)

Select a word.

3)

Select Review > Thesaurus.

4)

Select a synonym or antonym and click Replace.

Looked Up
Display the word selected in the topic or type a word to look up.
Replace With
Display a suggested replacement for the word.
Category
Display the meaning of the word and its part of speech. If more than one category appears,
select one to see different synonyms.
Synonym
Display words that are equivalent alternatives to the selected word. Select a word to replace the
word you looked up.
Replace
Replace the current word with the new one.
Look Up
Adds words in the Look Up pop-up menu.
Close
Close the dialog box.

Find and replace
The Find and Replace feature in RoboHelp allows you to search for (and optionally replace) text,
HTML tags, and attributes in the current topic, the current project or across files and folders in a
specified path. You can search for text in the HTML editor, indexes, and TOCs in a project. This
means that you can search for text in the Index and Table of Contents pods. In addition, the replace
functionality allows you to replace the text in these pod.
In the Find and Replace pod, you set the search options. RoboHelp then displays the results in the
Find Results pod and also lets you open each modified file in the Find Results Editor pod (HTML
view). Also, when you perform the replace operation, RoboHelp provides the option to back up the
files in which text replace occurred.

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4

NOTE: The tool works best with text files.

Set Find and Replace options
1)

2)

Press Ctrl+Shift+F or do one of the following:
•

In the Project ribbon, click Find and Replace.

•

In the Pods drop-down list of the Project, Edit, or Review ribbons, choose Find and
Replace

Specify what to find in one of the following ways:
•

(Basic mode) Type the text, tag, or attribute that you want to search in the Find What
box.NOTE: To find text such as Windows Desktop across multiple lines, type
Windows(.|\n)*Desktop and make sure that you select Use Regular Expression.

•

(Advanced mode) Click the Advanced Mode icon. Select the filters and specify the text,
tag, or attribute for RoboHelp to build a regular expression.

Begins With
Specify phrases, words, or characters that should occur in the beginning of found instances.
Ends With
Specify phrases, words, or characters that should occur in the end of found instances.
Contains
Specify phrases, words, or characters that found instances should contain.
Does Not Contain
Specify phrases, words, or characters that found instances should not contain.
NOTE: In Advanced mode, the Multifile Find and Replace tool performs multiline search.

3)

Type the text, tag, or attribute that you want to replace in the Replace With box.
If you want to search without replacing, leave the Replace With box empty.

4)

Use the Look In option to search in the following:

Current Project
(Default) Search within the current project.
Current Window
Search in the current topic
Opened Files
Search all files currently opened in RoboHelp.
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Path
Search all files in the selected folder path.
NOTE: When searching in a selected path, RoboHelp only searches for files that appear in the File

Status pod (Project > Open > Pods > File Status).
5)

To confine your search to specific file types within the current project, or the files or folders
you have selected in the previous step, use the Files Of Type option.
NOTE: The Find and Replace features works best with text files.

6)

(Optional) Use the following options to limit or filter your search:

Match Case
Searches text that exactly matches the case of the text that you want to find. For example, if you
want to search for the quick fox, you will not find the The Quick Fox.
Use Regular Expression
Lets you use MS Word-style or UNIX-style expressions to be interpreted as regular expression
operators. For more information, see Use Microsoft-style regular expressions.
Use WildCards
Lets you use wildcard characters (such as *,?) to represent one or more characters when you
are searching. For example, index* locates all instances of the word index as well as all files
that begin with index, like index.doc and index.txt.NOTE: When you use wildcards or
regular expressions, the Match Whole Word and Ignore HTML tags options are unavailable to
indicate that these options are automatically turned off. You can’t turn on these options.
Match Whole Word
Searches for text that matches one or more complete words. For example, if you enter nation
as the search term, you will not find explanation.
Exclude HTML Tags
Searches for a specific text string only in the content, ignoring any occurrence in HTML tags.
For example, a search for the string title will only find occurrences of the string in the
content and not in HTML tags, such as <title>.
NOTE: If you want to search for attributes, deselect the Exclude HTML Tags option.

7)

(Optional) Use the following options while replacing text in files.

Backup Modified Files
Backs up the original files before replacing text
Overwrite Backups
Lets you overwrite existing backups when you select Make Backups

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4

Open Modified Files After Replace All
Opens each modified file in HTML Editor after replacing the text. You can review the changes,
undo the changes if required, and save the file.
NOTE: If this option is not selected, RoboHelp saves each modified file after replacing all

instances.
8)

To search without replacing, click Find All or Find Next.

Find Next
Searches iteratively across files. This implies that if your search found occurrences in multiple
files, the first file is opened with the first occurrence of the result selected. If you use Find Next,
RoboHelp first navigates over the occurrences within the current file. After all the occurrences
in the file are navigated, RoboHelp opens the next file. RoboHelp continues this way across all
files that contain occurrences of the search. You can specify the direction of the search as
forward or backward.
Find All
Displays all occurrences of the search text or tags in the Find Results pod.
The results of the search are displayed in the Find Results pod. For more information, see
Viewing Find results.
9)

To replace found text or tags, click Replace All or Replace.

Use Microsoft-style regular expressions
RoboHelp supports various Microsoft-style regular expressions like the following:
?
c?rd finds card and cord
*
r*m finds ram and random
[]
[cg]lass finds class and glass
[-]
[c-g]lip finds clip and flip
@
ste@p finds step and steep
For more information, see Microsoft-style regular expressions and these examples available on Peter
Grainge'ssite.

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Viewing Find results
The Multifile Find and Replace tool displays the results in the Find Results pod.
To view the Find Results pod, do the following:
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Find Results.
The Find Results pod displays the files in which the search text appears. The line number and
column number help you locate the searched or replaced text in a topic.
Use the following options to navigate and replace quickly:

Search box
Allows you to specify a criterion for searching through the results. The search functionality
allows you to search by any field in the result list. This means that you can search by file name,
file name, line number, or file path.
View
Displays the contents of the selected file in the browser.
Edit
Opens the selected file in the Find And Replace Editor. If no result is selected, the first match
will be highlighted. Otherwise, the selected result is highlighted.
Cancel
Cancels search.
Toggle Scrolling
Toggles between autoscrolling to display the last found match and stopping at the last
displayed match.
Replace All
Replaces all instances of the match.

W3C compliance
You can validate XHTML or HTML topics for World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) compliance
and view error messages, informative messages, or warnings. You can validate the following for
W3C compliance:
Topics
Right-click a topic in the Project Manager pod and select Validate W3C Compliance.

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4

Project
Right-click Project Files in the Project Manager pod and select Validate W3C Compliance.
RoboHelp validates all the HTML/XHTML topics and shows warnings or error messages for any
non-compliance in the Output View pod and Error List pod. RoboHelp displays errors, warnings,
and information in different situations:
•

Errors appear if you have added an incorrect tag or if you have not closed a tag.

•

Warnings appear if a tag is not valid for XHTML.

•

Information appears when all topics are validated.

NOTE: You can double-click an error or a warning message in the Error List pod to open it. When you

place the cursor on an error in the Error List pod, it shows the line of the topic where the error occurred.

Reference
General pane for Oracle projects
The General pane applies to the Topic Properties and New Topic dialog boxes in Oracle Help projects.
Use the General pane to create topic titles and file names.
Topic Title
Displays in the viewer, or when viewing topics by titles in the Project Manager.
File Name
Name of the topic file (default is based on the title). Displays when viewing topics by file names
in the Project Manager.
TIP:You can automatically save file names using underscores, letting you synchronize the TOC

book and pages in the Contents tab with content in the viewing pane.
Template
Displays or selects a template for a topic. Select None to use formatting from the default style
sheet. To view the displayed template, click the View button.
Editor (For Topic Properties)
Shows the HTML editor for the project. Change this setting to use one other than the RoboHelp Design Editor.
NOTE:Oracle Help uses topic IDs (in a map file) to make context-sensitive Help calls. You can

change the ID by editing the topic META tag.
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RELATED LINKS:
Add underscoresto file names

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5

Editing and formatting
RoboHelp editors
RoboHelp provides two editors by default: Design Editor and HTML Editor. You can also use
third-party editors to edit their respective documents. For example, you can use Microsoft Word to
edit a Word document linked to a project.

RoboHelp Design Editor
When you select a topic file from the Project Manager pod, the topic opens in Design Editor. Use the
RoboHelp Design Editor to perform word-processing tasks and to insert online elements, such as
links, multimedia, Dynamic HTML, and See Also/Related Topics buttons. You can also add index
keywords to topics, apply conditional text, create browse sequences, map IDs, and edit master pages.
You can edit any standard XHTML or HTML file in Design Editor. (You can import stand-alone
HTML files into a project and edit them).NOTE: To switch to HTML Editor from Design Editor, click
the HTML tab.

RoboHelp HTML Editor
You can author topics in RoboHelp by writing XHTML code in the RoboHelp HTML Editor. RoboHelp HTML Editor is a text editor for XHTML and HTML tags and text.
Open RoboHelp HTML Editor
1)

Select a topic file from the Project Manager pod. The topic opens in Design Editor.

2)

Click the HTML tab to view the HTML code for the topic.

Undo a change
1)

Click the Undo The Last Action button.

NOTE: If you switch views after making a change, you can’t undo the change.

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Editing and formatting
View line numbers
1)

Right-click the body of the topic and select Line Numbers.
All code lines are numbered in the HTML Editor.

Add keyword expansions
Keyword expansions allow matching keywords to appear for text you type in the editor. The closest
match is highlighted. Click an entry in the list to insert it.
For example, suppose you add "RoboHelp" as an expansion. When you type "R", a list of keywords
that begin with "R" appears. When you type the next letter "o," the keyword "RoboHelp" is highlighted. Click it to insert it in the HTML Editor. Text assigned to this keyword (for example, Adobe
RoboHelp) appears in the HTML Editor.
NOTE:If the characters you enter do not have a matching keyword, the pop-up window disappears.

You can add keyword expansions in the HTML Editor.
1)

In the HTML Editor, right-click and select Edit Expansions.

2)

Click New.

3)

(Optional) Enter a new keyword in the Keyword box.

4)

Enter a caption for the keyword in the Caption box.

5)

Enter some text in the Text To Insert text area. This text appears when you select a keyword
from the list in the HTML Editor.

6)

Click OK.

Change code color
You can change the color of code in the RoboHelp HTML Editor. However, the content text is always
black.
1)

In HTML view, right-click and select Colors.

2)

In the Color Table dialog box, select an item and specify a color for the text, highlight, or both.

3)

Click OK.

RELATED LINKS:
Modify colors

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5

Third-party HTML editors
Using RoboHelp with other HTML editors
When using RoboHelp with a third-party HTML editor, note the following details:
•

You can edit HTML in another editor while RoboHelp is open. When you open a topic in a
third-party HTML editor, RoboHelp functionality is not available. You can insert HTML code
and elements, but you can’t insert or edit RoboHelp features, such as text-only pop-ups or link
controls.

•

Close files in the third-party editor before opening them in RoboHelp.

•

If you insert an image using a third-party editor, add the image to the project Baggage Files
folder. The same is true for JavaScript-based special effects with images, including accompanying .js files.

Add an HTML editor
For a list of detected HTML editors, select File > Options > Associations.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the Associations tab. Click Add in the HTML Editors area.

3)

Do either of the following: Type the name of the HTML editor. Press Enter.
•

Select an editor from the Recommended Programs or Other Programs folder. The Name
and Location boxes display the information for the selected program.

•

Click the browse button
a name for the editor.

. Select the EXE file for the HTML editor and click Open. Type

NOTE: If you install a new HTML editor, you can’t add it until you restart RoboHelp.

Remove or rename an HTML editor
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the Associations tab.

3)

Select an editor. Click Edit.
•

To rename the editor, click Edit and type a name in the Name box.

•

To remove the editor, click Remove.
NOTE:RoboHelp Design Editor, RoboHelp HTML Editor, and Windows Notepad cannot be

changed or removed from the list.

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Editing and formatting
Auto-select an HTML editor or set a default
RoboHelp can automatically open a third-party HTML editor for you. RoboHelp detects the editor
to open based on the HTML file itself. The Auto Select option also lets you associate an editor with
its own Meta/Generator tag to automatically open topics with the editor that created them.NOTE: To
find out the editor associated with an installation of RoboHelp, select File > Options and check the
default editor setting on the Associations tab.
You can set a default HTML editor. The default editor is used for creating new topics, even if the
auto-select feature is enabled.
1)

Select File > Options.

2)

Click the Associations tab. Do one or more of the following.

3)

•

Select Use Default Editor. Click Set As Default.

•

Select Auto Select Editor.

To change the associations between editor and tag, select Auto Select. You can change the
HTML editor but not the Generator tag. You cannot remove the tags either. Choose from these
Generator tags:

<None>
The editor associated with this tag is used for files with no Meta/Generator tag.
<Unknown>
The editor associated with this tag is used for files with Meta/Generator tags not in the Associations HTML Editors list.
<Robohelp>
The editor associated with this tag is used for files created with all versions of RoboHelp.
Change the associations between editor and tag using the following options:
Add
Associate an editor and a Meta/Generator tag.
Remove
Remove an association between an editor and a Meta/Generator tag.
Set Editor
Display the editors in the Associations tab. Change associations between editors and
Meta/Generator tags.
Set Tag
Modify associations between Meta/Generator tags and editors by typing a Meta/Generator tag
in the field or browsing to an HTML file that contains the Meta/Generator tag.
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Editing and formatting
4)

5

Click OK when you finish.

Notes:
•

You can also use third-party HTML editors on a topic-by-topic basis, even if you set a default
editor. Right-click the topic in the Project Manager pod or the Topic List pod and select Edit
With.

•

All editors must be associated with a Meta/Generator tag.

Specify an editor for new topics
Specify the default editor for new topics.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click a topic. Select New > Topic With.

2)

Select an editor. Click OK. Click the General tab, and specify options.

3)

Select File > Options. Click the Associations tab. Select Use Default Editor.

Character formatting and fonts

If you format characters using the Edit toolbar or the Edit > Character Formatting > Font option,
you create inline styles. Inline styles override style sheets. For repeated use, create or modify a character style in a style sheet.

Apply or remove character formatting
1)

Select the text to format. Do one of the following:
•

In the toolbar, click the tool for the formatting option.

•

Choose Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font.

Apply color to text
1)

Select text.

2)

In the Edit toolbar, click the arrow on the Change Font Color button

3)

Click a color swatch, or click More Colors to select from additional swatches or to apply a
custom color.

RELATED LINKS:
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Editing and formatting
Create styles for style sheets

Define advanced font options
1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font.

2)

Click Advanced.

You can define the following advanced options for fonts:
Style
Specifies that the font is displayed in either normal, italic, or oblique
Weight
Defines the font weight property (to make it appear lighter or darker). The bolder and lighter
values are relative to the inherited font weight, while the other values are absolute font weights.
Not all fonts have all the possible display weights.
Overline
Inserts a line above the selected text.
Preview
Shows a Design Editor representation of how your text looks with the selected font options.
The view updates as you apply different settings at the tab.

Change character spacing
1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font.

2)

Click the Spacing tab.

3)

Select Normal, Expand, or Compress. Set options:

By
(For Expand or Compress) Specify the amount of space between characters.
Position
Specify a location for the text.
4)

Click OK.

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5

Change font size
1)

Select the text.

2)

In the toolbar, select a font size.

TIP:You can also change font sizes in navigation panes using the WebHelp Skin Editor.

Create a font set
A font set is a collection of fonts to apply in style sheets or character and paragraph formatting. For
example, you can create a font set with Verdana as the first font, and then (in order) Arial® and Sans
Serif as substitute fonts. If users do not have Verdana installed, the viewer uses Arial and then Sans
Serif.
1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font Sets.

2)

Click New, type a name, and click Modify. Select the first font, and click Add.

NOTE:Font sets are saved with projects.

Apply a font set to text
1)

Open a topic in the Design view. Select the text to format.

2)

Select a font.

Change font sets
1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font Sets.

2)

Select a font.

3)

Click Modify.

4)

Add fonts from Available Typefaces or delete them from Font Set Selections.

5)

Click OK.

Remove font sets
NOTE:Before removing a font set, reformat all text that

uses that font set. If you don't, the font set you

remove is re-created.

192

1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font Sets.

2)

Select the font to remove.

Editing and formatting
3)

Click Delete.

Insert symbols and special characters
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor. Select a location for the character.

2)

Select Insert > Media > Symbol.

3)

Double-click the symbol.

Insert a non-breaking space
1)

Place the insertion point where you want the non-breaking space. Press Ctrl+Alt+spacebar.

Format paragraphs
If you format a paragraph using the Edit toolbar or the Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting >
Paragraph option, you create inline styles. Inline styles override style sheets. For repeated use, create
or modify a paragraph style in a style sheet.

Align paragraphs
1)

Open a topic in the Design view. Select the paragraph to align.

2)

From the toolbar, click an alignment button.

Indent paragraphs
1)

Click in the paragraph.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

In the toolbar, click the Decrease Indent
toolbar.

or the Increase Indent button

in the

•

Select Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting > Paragraph. Set indents:

–

For a left or right margin indent, click Up or Down and select a number from the list.

–

For a first line indent, click the triangle under Special and select First Line. Under By,
click Up or Down and select a number from the list.

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Editing and formatting
–

5

For a hanging indent, click the triangle under Special and select Hanging. Under By, click
Up or Down and select a number from the list.

Indent text lines
1)

Select Edit > View > Show/Hide > Ruler.

2)

In the Design Editor, insert your cursor where you want to create the indent or select the text
you want to change.

3)

On the ruler, do one of the following:
•

To create a hanging indent, drag the lower marker where you want the indent to start.

Marker position for a hanging indent

•

To create a first-line indent, drag the upper marker to the position where you want the
text to start.

Marker position for a first-line indent

Change margins
Follow this procedure if you want to change a single topic. Otherwise, use a style sheet.
1)

Select Edit > View > Show/Hide > Ruler.

2)

In the Design Editor, insert your cursor where you want to change the margins or select the
text to change.

3)

Drag the margin markers on the ruler.

•

In tables, apply margin settings to each cell as you move your cursor through the table.

•

To specify exact margin measurements, select Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting >
Paragraph.

•

To specify a margin setting that affects a certain style, modify your style sheet.

•

Right-click the ruler to access the Snap To Tick Marks option. Select it and drag the markers
on the ruler so they align with the tick marks on the ruler. To move the markers in smaller
increments, deselect Snap To Tick Marks.

Tips:

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Editing and formatting
RELATED LINKS:
Create styles for style sheets

Change the unit of measure for the ruler
1)

Select Edit > View > Show/Hide > Ruler.

2)

Right-click the ruler.

3)

Select a unit of measure.

Define a language for a paragraph
Select a language for the paragraph. If no language is selected, the project language applies to the
paragraph.
1)

Right-click and select Paragraph. Select a language from the Language menu.

RELATED LINKS:
Support for multiple languages

Apply text wrapping
1)

In the Design Editor, double-click an object.

2)

Under Text Wrapping, select an option.
NOTE: To use Around (For Tables), the table must be left- or right-aligned.

3)

4)

(Optional) To set spacing between the object and surrounding text, click Margins.
•

Enter values for the amount of space between the selected object and the surrounding
text.

•

Set the spacing between text and object or by entering an amount in inches. Depending
on whether you select left or right text wrapping, you can enter the spacing for All Sides
or Left/Right and Top/Bottom.

Click OK.

Notes:
•

Tables must be left- or right-aligned to use text wrapping, and they must be less than 100% in
size.

•

If text wrapping is applied around an image, the image cannot be aligned.

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5

Adjust line spacing
1)

Select Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting > Paragraph.

2)

Set Spacing options:

Before
Specify the amount of space above each paragraph.
After
Specify the amount of space after each paragraph.
At
(for Multiple and Exactly) Enter the spacing (in points) between selected lines.
3)

Click OK.

Add line breaks to paragraphs
A manual line break ends the current line and aligns the text on the next line.
1)

Open the topic in the Design Editor. Click where you want the line break.

2)

Select Insert > Page Design > Line Break. Alternatively, press Shift + Enter.

Borders, backgrounds, color, and sound
Applying formatting without styles creates inline styles. Inline styles override style sheets.

Add or edit borders and backgrounds in topics
1)

Open a topic. Select the topic or topic elements, such as paragraphs or table cells.

2)

Select Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting > Borders And Shading.

3)

Click the Borders or Shading tab.

4)

Specify border or shading options. Click OK.

5)

Click the Save All button

.

RELATED LINKS:
Add or edit borders or backgrounds in style sheets

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Editing and formatting

Add borders to images
1)

In the Design Editor, double-click the image.

2)

Click the Image tab. Click Borders.

3)

Set border options.

4)

Click OK.

RELATED LINKS:
Add or edit borders or backgrounds in style sheets

Remove borders or backgrounds
1)

Open a topic.

2)

Select the item with the border or shading.

3)

Do one or more of the following:
•

In the toolbar, click the Border Type button

and select the option for no border.

•

In the toolbar, click the Fill Color button

•

Select Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting > Borders And Shading. Click the
Borders or Shading tab. Set the border to None or the fill color to Transparent. To
remove a background image, remove the image name from the Image box in the Pattern
area.

and select None.

Add or delete horizontal lines
Add a horizontal line
You can insert a GIF image of a horizontal line or use the following procedures to add and change
lines.
1)

Open the topic in the Design view, and click where you want to add the line.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box > Horizontal Line.

3)

Select line options.
•

To change line length, enter a value in Width.

•

To change line thickness, enter a value in Height. (The lower the number, the narrower
the line.)

•

To specify alignment, select a line position.

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5

•

To change line color, click Custom and select a color.

•

To add margins, click Margins and choose options.

•

To add a border, click Border and choose options.

Delete a horizontal line
Select the line and click the Delete button

.

Modify colors
1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Colors.

2)

Click New. Type a name for the color.

3)

Click Modify. Do one or more of the following:
•

Click a basic color swatch.

•

Click the color spectrum box and the vertical color bar to adjust the amount of black and
white in the color.

•

Specify values for Hue, Saturation, and Luminosity. Enter values from 0 to 255.

•

Specify values for Red, Green, and Blue. Enter values from 0 to 255.

•

Drag the slider to adjust the luminosity.

•

Select Snap To Safe to change the selected color to the closest web-safe color.

Remove colors
NOTE:Before you remove a color, reformat any text using it.

1)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Colors.

2)

Select the color to remove.

3)

Click Delete.

Add sound to topics

198

1)

From the Topic List pod, select one or more topics.

2)

Click the Properties button.

3)

Click the Appearance tab.

Editing and formatting
4)

In the Background Sound box, enter the name of the sound file. The following formats are
supported:

.au
Used on UNIX systems. Supported by Microsoft Windows and HTML Help.
.mid, .rmi
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Standard for synthesized sound from electronic instruments.
.wav
The native sound format for Windows.
5)

In the Sound Loop Count box, enter the number of times to play the sound file.

Tables
About tables
In RoboHelp for HTML, you can create tables to organize complex data in a simplified format. You
can organize various elements in a table, segregate them using different colors, or draw patterns for
easy identification of different elements in a group.
Table styles allow you to choose different formats for tables. Styles can define header rows and
columns, first or last rows, repeatable groups of rows or columns, margins within cells, and so on.
Using Table properties, you can set margins in a table, define width and height of various cells and
select different table styles. In addition to using the predefined table styles in RoboHelp for HTML,
you can create your own table styles to display for different kinds of data. For example, you can have
simple tables showing salary components or tables displaying the sum of salary components, tax
deductions including tax saving investments. You can have some global table styles, which can be
used across multiple topics.
You can import tables from FrameMaker and Word documents and map their table styles to RoboHelp table styles or retain the original styles from other formats.
You can add text in tables. You can add cross-references, images, hypertext links to the content in a
table. You can apply conditional build tags to rows or columns to hide or show them in certain
outputs. For example, you can have a table describing features for each of the RoboHelp outputs.
You can apply a conditional build tag on each column listing the features for the specific output and
display only if you generate that output.
Support for topic TOCs and breadcrumbs in Tables make them more useful for displaying content
in an organized and user-friendly fashion.

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Workflow for creating a table
1)

Insert a table using the toolbar or the Table menu. Then select the number of rows and
columns in the table grid.
See Insert tables.

2)

Select a global style to apply on the table. You can also create your own table styles using the
Edit > Styles tab.
NOTE: If you do not select a table style, a default table style is applied to the table.

See Table styles.
3)

Change the table properties in the Table properties dialog box. You can set the margins, align
cells in the table, and apply shading and borders to the table.
See Edit tables.

Insert tables
You can insert a table anywhere in a topic or a master page, including headers and footers. You can
also insert a table within a table. You can apply different table properties to the inserted table to
display complex data.
Insert a basic table
1)

Click where you want the table.

2)

Choose Insert > Table.

3)

On the table grid, drag to determine the columns and rows to add.

4)

Click to insert the table.

Insert a custom table
1)

Click where you want to add the table.

2)

Select Insert > Table.

3)

Specify the number of rows and columns.

4)

Select a table template, or select a custom style from CSS Styles.

5)

Click OK.

TIP:To add a line below a table, click inside the lower-right cell of the table. When the cursor is blinking,

press the Right or Down Arrow. Press Enter to begin a new line.

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Editing and formatting
Inserting tables within tables
When you insert a table within a table, the second table resides in a single cell within the first table.
You can change the table properties individually to differentiate the information.
The second table is 100% of the width of the cell in which you insert it. You can change this setting
after you insert it.
Copy and paste tables
You can cut, copy, and paste tables.
1)

Select the dotted outline around the table. Boxes around the table indicate that it is selected.

2)

Right-click. Select Copy, or select Cut to move the table.

3)

Right-click the destination. Select Paste.

TIP:To add a line below a table, click inside the lower-right cell of the table. When the cursor is blinking,

press the Right or Down Arrow. Press Enter to begin a new line.

Edit tables
For a demonstration of table editing, see the Table manipulation section of the Easy ways to create
and manage tables and table styling video.
Insert table rows or columns
•

Click in a table. Select Format Row or Column.

•

To insert multiple rows or columns, select multiple cells in the table. Select Format > Insert >
Row or Column.

•

Select rows or columns. Copy or cut the selection, and paste it at the new location.

•

Remove tables or parts of a table. To remove a table, row, a column or a cell, select and
right-click. Select Delete [object].

NOTE: You can also cut, copy, and paste rows, columns, and cells within the same table or other tables.

Edit table properties
1)

Click a table.

2)

Select Format > Table > Properties.

3)

Set options.

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Set autofit table properties
1)

Click a table.

2)

Select Format > Size > AutoFit Contents.
Sets the column width to the width of the column contents.
OR
Select Format > Size > AutoFit Window.
Sets the column width to a fixed size.

Edit cell properties
To edit cell properties, you can place your cursor inside the table and click Format > Table > Properties > Cell tab.
•

You can enter the amount of space between cells. If a CSS table style has the cell spacing set or
row or column formatting done, this option is not enabled in Table Properties > Cell.

•

Select the vertical alignment of the text within an individual cell.

NOTE: Setting the alignment and cell spacing using the Cell tab applies to all cells in the table.

Edit spacing within cells
Define the amount of space between the cell contents and its inside edges. Add extra padding to
prevent your tables from looking crowded.
1)

Select one or more cells to modify.

2)

Click Edit > Paragraph > Paragraph Formatting > Borders and Shading.

3)

Click Borders tab. Click Padding.

4)

In the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, enter a value.

5)

Click OK twice to apply changes.

NOTE: The Margins option sets the spacing around the table.

Merge or split table cells
1)

Select the cells to merge or split.

2)

Select Format > Merge > Merge or Format > Split Cells.

TIP:You can split a cell into numerous rows and columns to create a table.

RELATED LINKS:
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Editing and formatting
Table styles

Lists

Indent lists
1)

Select the list items to indent. Do one of the following:
•

Click Decrease Indent and Increase Indent in the toolbar.
NOTE: You can also press Shift+Tab and Tab to decrease and increase indent.

•

From the Format menu, select Paragraph. Type a number in Left or Right.

•

(Multilevel list) On the ruler, drag the markers to set the spacing between the number or
letter and the list item.

Apply bullet styles
NOTE:When you format lists using the toolbar or Format menu, inline styles are created. Style sheets

aren’t affected.
Specify an inline bullet style
1)

Open the topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select text.

3)

Right-click on the list and choose Bullets And Numbering.

4)

Do one of the following:
•

Select a bullet style.

•

To create a custom bullet, click Browse. Select a GIF file. Click OK. The file is added to
Baggage Files.

Create a bullet style for a style sheet
1)

Open the topic to customize a bullet style.

2)

From the Format menu, select Styles.

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5

3)

In List, select All Styles.

4)

From Available In, select an external or embedded style sheet.

5)

From the Styles list, select a style and click the Create New Style button

6)

Under Style Type, select Paragraph Style.

7)

Type a name for the new style. The name can contain letters and numbers only and cannot
begin with a number.

8)

Under Style For Following Paragraph, select (No Change).

9)

Click Format and specify settings.

.

Match bullet color to text
Match color using an inline style
1)

Select the bulleted list and choose Edit > Character > Character Formatting > Font.
The bullet and text color become inline instead of being associated with a style.

Match color using a style sheet
1)

Place your cursor in the Design Editor, and select Edit > Styles > Style Pod.

2)

From the Style list, select the style, and click the Create New Style button

3)

Under Style Type, select Paragraph Style.

4)

Type a name for the new style. The name can contain letters and numbers only and cannot
begin with a number.

5)

Under Style For Following Paragraph, select a style.

.

Paragraph styles apply to entire paragraphs and affect the font, spacing between lines,
numbering, borders and shading, and DHTML effects.
6)

Select Format > Font.

7)

Select a color.

8)

Click OK twice.

9)

Select the text that you want to format. Click Bulleted List.

10) From the Styles list, select the style you created.

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Editing and formatting

Remove bullets and numbering
1)

Select the bulleted or numbered list items.

2)

In the Edit menu, click the Create Numbered List or Create Bulleted List toggle button.

Apply a numbering format
NOTE:When you format lists using the toolbar or the Format menu, inline styles are created. Style sheets

aren’t affected.
1)

Open the topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select the numbered list.

3)

Right-click on the list and choose Bullets And Numbering.

4)

Click the Numbered tab. Select a numbering format.

Add a paragraph within a list
Use this procedure to insert paragraphs between numbered or bulleted items in a list.
1)

Click at the end of the line to insert a paragraph over it.

2)

Press Shift + Enter.

3)

To end the line break and restart the numbering or bullets, press Enter.

4)

(Optional) Drag the ruler at the top of the Design Editor to indent the paragraph.

TIP:Stop and start lists by clicking the Numbered List button in the toolbar.

Restart or continue numbering or lettering
After you insert a nested list, you can adjust numbering or lettering of the container list.
1)

Click in the line where the new numbering or lettering sequence begins.

2)

Right-click on the list and choose Bullets And Numbering.

3)

Select the Numbered tab.

4)

In Restart Numbering At, enter the start number.
For an alphabetical list, type the numeric equivalent for the start letter. For example, type 4 for
the letter D.

5)

Click OK.

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5

Headers, footers, and page breaks
Headers and footers
You can create headers or footers in topics or master pages.
If you edit or remove headers/footers, topics and master pages are affected as follows:
In a topic
The changes apply to the topic.
In a master page
The changes apply to all topics associated with the template.
In a topic associated with a master page
You can choose whether to apply the changes to the current topic or to the master page and all
associated topics.
Create or edit headers and footers
1)

Open the topic or master page.

2)

Select Insert > Page Design > Topic TOC > Header or Footer.

3)

Type the content for the header or footer. Text-only pop-ups are not supported.

4)

(Optional) To add or edit margins, borders, color, or an image, right-click in the header or
footer, and select Header Properties or Footer Properties.
NOTE:Any image file you select is added to the Baggage Files folder and is included in the project

when you generate it.
5)

Click outside the header or footer.

6)

Click the Save All button.

Remove headers and footers

206

1)

Open the topic or master page containing the header or footer.

2)

Click the Header button or the Footer button.

3)

Right-click in the header or footer, and select Remove Header or Remove Footer.

4)

Click the Save All button.

Editing and formatting

Insert page breaks
Insert page breaks in topics to start new pages in the Printed Documentation output.
1)

Open the topic in the Design Editor. Click where you want the page break.

2)

Select Insert > Page Design > Page Break. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Enter.

Text boxes
Insert text boxes in topics
Notes:
•

Select Positioning from the View menu.

•

Text can flow around a text box.

•

If users have Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, you can apply Dynamic HTML effects to a paragraph by placing the paragraph in a text box.

Insert a text box
1)

Click where you want to insert the text box.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box.

3)

(Optional) Right-click the text box and click Text Box Properties. Modify the properties.

4)

Click in the text box to enter text or insert an image or other element.

Insert a positioned text box
Precisely position information on the page, allowing other elements to flow behind the text box.
1)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box > Positioned Text Box.

2)

Select the positioned text box and drag it where you want it.

3)

Right-click the positioned text box and select Positioned Text Box Properties. Adjust the properties.

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Layer positioned text boxes
Layer positioned text boxes and specify their display order by applying Dynamic HTML (DHTML)
effects.
1)

Select the text box for the bottom layer.

2)

In the Positioning toolbar, from the Z menu, select 1.

3)

Repeat for additional text boxes.
Layered text boxes

Change text box properties
1)

Right-click the text box. Select Text Box Properties or Positioned Text Box Properties.

2)

Change the properties.

Remove text boxes from a topic

208

1)

Select the text box.

2)

In the Edit toolbar, click the Delete button.

Editing and formatting

User-defined variables
User-defined variables store static global information that can be used repeatedly in your project,
making information portable and simple to update. When you modify a variable or value, every
occurrence of that variable or value is updated across the project. The User Defined Variables pod
(available from Project > Open > Pods) lists all the user-defined variables in a project.
TIP:You can import documents with variables into a project.
NOTE: When you upgrade from previous versions of RoboHelp, variable values are converted to HTML

text, and these variable values appear in the Default Variable Set.

Create a user-defined variable
For global variables, ensure that all required variables exist.
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select Project > Open > Pods > User Defined Variables.

•

Right-click a word in the topic. Select Add To > User Defined Variable.

2)

Enter a variable name and value.
Variable names can contain only alphanumeric characters, underscores, and hyphens, and
can't exceed 255 characters. A variable value can be blank.

3)

Click OK. The variable is inserted.

TIP:Press Ctrl+F9, and then specify the variable name within the curly brackets that appear in the
topic. Double-click the variable to specify its value in the Variable dialog box.NOTE: You can create

variables only in Default Variable Set, but you can modify the variable value in other variable sets.

Create a variable set
Variable sets enable you to modify values of various user-defined variables and use them in different
outputs.
Default Variable Set is the master variable set. When you insert a variable, the variable is taken from
Default Variable Set.
You can create different variable sets in the User Defined Variables pod to override the values of variables in Default Variable Set and use them in different outputs. To use a variable set other than
Default Variable Set, select the variable set in the Content pane of layout properties.
1)

Click the Add/Edit Variable Set icon.

2)

Click Add and specify a name for the new variable set.

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Editing and formatting
3)

5

Click OK.

NOTE: You can edit and delete a variable set in the Variable Set dialog box by clicking the respective

buttons.

Edit a user-defined variable
1)

In the User Defined Variables pod, select a user-defined variable from the Default Variable Set.

2)

Do one of the following:

•

Right-click and select Edit.

•

Select and edit its value in the User Defined Variables editor.

•

From the Edit menu, select Edit [variable name].

3)

(Optional) Select a different variable set.

4)

Modify the value.

5)

Click OK.

NOTE: You can format a user-defined variable in the User Defined Variables editor. The Design and

HTML buttons in the editor allow you to toggle between Design Editor and HTML Editor.

Format a user-defined variable
You can format variable values in the User Defined Variables editor. You can also achieve the
following using Design Editor:
•

Insert images, hypertext links, and multimedia files in the variable values.

•

Apply conditional build tags to the values.

•

Perform a spell-check on the variable values.

Insert a user-defined variable
You can drag a user-defined variable from the User Defined Variables pod to the desired location in
a topic open in Design Editor. If the list of variables is long, specify the variable name or value to
search the variable. You can also insert variables using the follow steps:

210

1)

Place the insertion point at the desired location in a topic.

2)

Select Insert > Variables > Variable.

3)

Select a variable and click OK.

Editing and formatting
TIP:Specify the variable name or value to search the variable. As you type your search string, RoboHelp

narrows down the variable list.

View properties of a user-defined variable
1)

In the User Defined Variables pod, select Default Variable Set.

2)

Select a variable.

3)

Do one of the following:
•

Right-click and select Properties.

•

Select Edit > Properties.

4)

View details (Variable Name, Variable Set, Variable Value, Description, and Used In Topics).

5)

Click OK.

Delete a user-defined variable
1)

In the User Defined Variables pod, select Default Variable Set.

2)

Right-click a user-defined variable, and select Delete.

3)

Select one of the following options:

Delete Variable And Its References
Delete the variable and its references across the topics, TOC, index, SSL, and templates. No
warning is shown before the deletion.
NOTE:Use the Variables report to locate the variables you want to remove.

Delete Only The Variable
Delete the value of a variable locally. Deleting a user-defined variable in the TOC does not
remove it from the index.
NOTE:If the variable value is overridden in the Single Source layouts file, it is removed from

the variable list in the Single Source layouts dialog box.
Delete Variable And Replace With Actual Content
Delete the variable across the topics, TOC, index, SSL, and templates. The formatting rules for
the variable remain the same.

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5

Rename a user-defined variable
NOTE: You can’t modify saved variable names.

1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > User Defined Variables. The User Defined Variables pod
appears.

2)

Right-click a variable and select Rename.

3)

In the Variable Name field, enter a name.

4)

In the Variable Value field, modify the value.

5)

Click OK.

Single-source with snippets
A snippet is an element that you can single-source and reuse in various locations. It can be a paragraph of text, a code listing, an object such as an image, or an entire topic unto itself. When you
create a snippet, RoboHelp adds it to the Snippet pod as a file with the .hts extension. If you change
a snippet, it is automatically updated in all topics that share it. Snippets can contain images, variables,
and conditional text tags. When shared in a topic, they retain inline text formatting. CSS formatting
changes according to the CSS applied in the topic containing snippet.
The Snippet pod shows a preview of all the snippets on their individual selection. Right-click in the
Snippet pod to enable and disable Preview mode. Drag snippets from the pod to a topic or from
Windows Explorer to the Snippet pod. You can also select one or multiple snippets and then copy,
duplicate, or delete them.NOTE: You can generate reports on unused snippets and delete the snippets
not in use.
You can drag and drop snippets from the Snippet pod to the Resource Manager to export them to
the target folder. The exported snippet exists at a global level and is visible to every user. Drag a
snippet from the Resource Manager pod to the Snippet pod and RoboHelp imports the selected
snippet file and its associated files to the project.NOTE: You can drag and drop a snippet in the Design
Editor to edit its contents.
RELATED LINKS:
Managing Shared resources

Create and manage snippets
•

212

To create a snippet from scratch, select Insert > Variables > Snippet. Specify a category name
(if you don’t specify a category name, RoboHelp adds the snippet to the Default category).

Editing and formatting
•

To create a snippet from existing content, select text. Right-click and select Add To > Snippets.
Specify a category name (if you don’t specify a category name, RoboHelp adds the snippet to
the Default category).

•

To view snippet properties, right-click the snippet in the Snippets pod and select Properties. In
the Used In tab, you can see the names of topics in which the snippet is used.

•

To attach a style sheet to a snippet, right-click the snippet in the Snippets pod and select Properties. Click the Appearance tab and select a style sheet.

•

To copy a snippet, right-click the snippet in the Snippets pod and select Copy from the context
menu.

•

To import a snippet, select Project > Import > Snippet and navigate to the source folder.

•

To export a snippet, select it in the Snippets pod, click
destination folder.

•

To create a PDF for review with the snippet contents, right-click the snippet in the Snippets
pod and select Create PDF For Review. Customize the settings and click OK.

•

To insert a variable in a snippet, insert the pointer and drag a variable from the User Defined
Variables pod.

•

To preview a snippet, right-click a snippet in the Snippets pod and select Show Preview.

in the toolbar, and navigate to the

Insert a snippet in a topic
1)

Open a topic.

2)

Do one of the following:

•

From the Object toolbar, click Insert Snippet

•

From the Snippet pod, select a snippet and drag and drop it into the topic.

•

Select Insert > Variables > Snippet. Select a snippet from the list in the dialog box and click OK.

.

NOTE: Right-click a snippet in the Resource Manager and select Add to Project to add the snippet

to the project.

Insert a snippet in a drop-down text editor
1)

Open a topic.

2)

Select some text to expand.

3)

Select Insert > DHTML > DropDown Text.

4)

Drag a snippet from the Snippet pod and drop it in the Drop-down Text editor.NOTE: You can
preview the topic and click the DHTML applied text. The snippet appears in the drop-down text.
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5

Applying conditional build tags to a snippet
Use the Conditional Build Tags pod or right-click to apply conditional text on an entire snippet or a
part of it. The preview option also lets you apply a conditional tag on selected text, code, or an image.
You can exclude or include a conditional build tag from the output.

Inserting variables in snippets
Choose a variable from the User Defined Variables pod or right-click in a topic and choose Insert
User Defined Variable. The snippet shows the variable value at the insertion point.

Convert a snippet to text
Convert an inserted snippet to embedded text. RoboHelp does not update the embedded text if the
snippet is updated.
1)

Click the snippet in the topic.

2)

Right-click and select Convert To HTML Text.

Delete a snippet
1)

In the Snippets pod, select the snippet you want to delete and click Delete Selected Item.

2)

Select one of the following options:

Delete The Snippet And Its References
Delete the snippet and its references across the topics, TOC, index, SSL, and templates. No
warning is shown before the deletion.
NOTE:Use the Snippets report to locate the variables you want to remove.

Delete Only The Snippet
Delete the contents of the snippet locally. For example, selecting a snippet in a TOC and
deleting it with this option selected does not remove the contents of the snippet from the index.
Delete Snippet And Replace References With Actual Content
Delete the snippet and replace the references in the project with the contents.

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Editing and formatting

Reference
META tags default editor
Click Yes to make RoboHelp Design Editor the default editor for topics without META tags. Click
No to retain the current editor. The topic then opens in the selected editor.

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Styles and style sheets

6

Styles and style sheets
Style types
You can manage style sheets at the project level and apply styles at the topic level. Master pages
provide the layout of a topic and help control the styling. These types of styles are available:
Inline styles
A block of text and its formatting within an HTML file (topic) formatted directly in Design
Editor. If you link the file to a style sheet, inline styles override styles in the style sheet and
embedded styles. See Inline styles.
Embedded styles
Style definitions saved in an HTML file (topic). If you link the file to a style sheet, embedded
styles override the styles in the style sheet. You can create a character style or a paragraph style.
Styles in cascading style sheets (CSS)
Style definitions stored in a CSS file. You can create a character style, a paragraph style, a list
style, a multilevel list style, and a table style.
After you convert a WinHelp project to an HTML-based project, styles are available as follows:
Project created from an HPJ file
You can create styles that use the same formatting as styles in Word templates. These styles are
saved in style sheets that are attached to the HTML topics. If you do not want style sheets,
translate the Word formatting into inline styles in the HTML topics.
Project created from an HLP file
Preformatted style sheets are available to apply to HTML topics. Topics are formatted to use
the default HTML styles.
RELATED LINKS:
Master pages

Media rules and attributes in styles
Media rules and attributes help you control the appearance of your project output on different
media, such as traditional desktop screens, printers, or popular devices such as iPad or iPhone. In
RoboHelp, you can modify style definitions to add media rules and attributes.

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Styles and style sheets

Define media-specific styles in a style sheet
In the Project Manager pod, right-click the style sheet and click Edit.
1)

In the Styles dialog box, select a style to modify for a specific media.

2)

Select the media type from the Media list.

None
Used to define generic styles
Print
Used for printers
<screen profile name>
Each screen profile in the project
3)

Modify the style as required. For example, select a smaller font size.

4)

Click OK.

Add a media rule in topic styles
Follow this procedure when you want to define different media rules for a style in the style sheet that
is currently linked to a topic:
1)

Choose Project > Open > Pods > Style and Formatting.

2)

In the Styles and Formatting pod, select a style to modify for a specific media. Right-click and
choose Edit.

3)

Select the media or screen profile name from the Media list.

4)

Modify the style as required. For example, select a smaller font size.

5)

Click OK.

Apply the style and view the output.

Link media-specific CSSs to a topic and add media attributes in HTML
Create different CSSs, link to a topic, and edit the HTML code to add a media attribute in the link tag.
Syntax of the link tag
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="<stylesheet_filename>" type="text/css"
media="<media_type>"/>

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Examples
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="screen.css" type="text/css" media="screen"/>
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/>
NOTE: The above examples specify that screen.css and print.css are used for output for display computer

screens and printers, respectively. The media attribute requires predefined values, such as screen, print,
projection, and handheld.

Map styles in Word/FrameMaker content to media-specific styles
While importing or linking Microsoft Word or FrameMaker content, you can map existing styles to
different media. Select Project > Import.

View content in media-specific styles in Design view
After applying media-specific styles to a topic, snippet, or master page, you can check the appearance
of the content in a specific media and modify the styles if required. The Design view displays the
content with styles for the selected media.
The styles associated with the media are displayed in the Styles and Formatting pod and the Formatting toolbar.
1)

Select the media from the Media list in the Format toolbar.

Delete a media-specific style
When you create a media-specific style, RoboHelp creates it from a generic style. When you delete
the media-specific style, only that media-specific style is deleted; the generic style is not deleted.
Do one of the following:
•

Right-click the style sheet in Project Manager and choose Edit. In the Styles dialog box, select
the media-specific style you want to delete and click Delete.

•

Select the media in the Format toolbar. Choose Project > Open > Pods > Style and Formatting.
In the Styles and formatting pod, select the media-specific style you want to delete. Right-click
and select Delete.

Media queries
Media queries help you gain finer control over media-specific styles by combining media types with
media features, such as the width of a device. For example, the following code helps you define a style
attribute for devices with a minimum screen width of 980 px:
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Styles and style sheets
@media screen and (min-width:980px)
{ p { color: blue; } }

If your style sheet includes style definitions that use media queries, the minimum and maximum
width values are reflected in the output generated from RoboHelp.

Manage media queries for screen profiles
If you change the width of a screen profile, the media query for that screen profile defined in the style
sheet becomes undefined. RoboHelp does not automatically update the media query.
To map the styles of an undefined media query to a media, follow these steps:
1)

Right-click the CSS file and select Edit.

2)

In the Styles dialog box, select Manage Media Queries from the Media list.

3)

Select the undefined media query with the width you specified and click Map.

4)

Select the screen profile.

5)

Click OK.

To delete the styles of a media query, select the media query in the Manage Media Queries dialog
box, and click Delete.

Manage style sheets

Link a style sheet to topics or master pages
You can associate one style sheet with any number of HTML topics, including a topic in Design view,
multiple topics, or a new topic.
If you create a style sheet in a project and apply it to a new topic, all topics you create later use the
new style sheet. Link a topic to another one, if necessary.
1)

From the Topic List, select one or more topics.

2)

Click the Properties icon

3)

Select a style sheet. If needed, click the Browse button
New to create a style sheet.

4)

(Optional) Edit the style sheet:

in the toolbar. Click the Appearance tab.
to navigate to a style sheet, or click

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6

Edit
Add, modify, or remove styles in the style sheet.
Background Sound
Add a sound clip that plays when the topic opens in the viewer or browser.
Sound Loop Count
Define the number of times the sound clip plays when the topic is opened. Select Infinite to
play the sound continuously while the topic is open.
5)

Click OK.

NOTE: Use this same procedure to link a style sheet to a topic in Design Editor.

RELATED LINKS:
Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation

Unlink a style sheet from topics or master pages
After you unlink a style sheet from a topic, the style sheet formatting is removed from the topic.
1)

From the Topic List, select one or more topics.

2)

Click the Properties icon

3)

Select None in the list of style sheets, or click the browse button
sheet to apply.

4)

Click OK.

in the toolbar. Click the Appearance tab.
to select a different style

Create a style sheet
The new style sheet (default.css) is the default until you create a style sheet or link another style sheet
to a new topic.

220

1)

Edit > CSS > New Stylesheet.

2)

Select New.

3)

In Name, type a filename and include the .css extension.

4)

In Folder, select a location.

5)

(Optional) To base your new style sheet on an existing one, select Copy Styles From. Select a
style sheet.

6)

Click Create, create new styles, and click OK.

Styles and style sheets

Create a style sheet and topic simultaneously
1)

Select Project > New > Topic. Click the Appearance tab.

2)

Click New.

3)

Enter a filename and include the .css extension.

4)

Create or edit predefined styles in the Styles dialog box.

5)

Click OK.

Export a style sheet
1)

Select the Design Editor.

2)

Select Format > Export Styles.

3)

Browse to where you want to export the style sheet.
If necessary, rename the style sheet, keeping the .css filename extension.NOTE: This feature is
applicable only for styles applied in a topic and not at a project level.

4)

Click Save.

NOTE: You can export topic-specific embedded styles only.

Create styles for style sheets
Create a style in the Styles dialog box
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the style sheet where you want to create the style, and
click Edit.

2)

Click New and select a style type, for example, Paragraph style. By default, the new style is
created with a default name such as Style1.

3)

In the Styles box, change the default name of the style. Do not use special characters or spaces
in the name.
NOTE: If you use special characters, RoboHelp prompts you to fix the name. Some browsers

cannot read styles with names containing special characters.
4)

Select options in the Formatting section of the Styles dialog box. Changes appear in the Paragraph Preview section.

5)

(Optional) To set additional values, click Format, and select an option:

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6

Font
Select font families, size, and attributes, such as bold or italics.
Paragraph
Set up indents, line spacing, and alignment.
Borders And Shading
Use the Borders tab to set border types, color, line thickness, and spacing. Use the Shading tab
to set background color and image options.
DHTML Effects
Select which dynamic HTML effect to include and when to include it.
NOTE: If you modify a style to include a Dynamic HTML effect, resave topics attached to the style

sheet. Select Tools > Scripts > Update DHTML. When you resave the files linked to the style sheet,
topics authored in third-party editors are converted to RoboHelp HTML. Special HTML tags are
added to support specific Help features in the program.

Create a style using the Styles And Formatting pod
1)

To open the Styles And Formatting pod, open a topic and select Project Open > Pods> Style
And Formatting.

2)

Click the Create New Style button
type, such as List Style.

3)

Type the style name and click OK.

4)

Select font and formatting options, and click OK.

in the Styles And Formatting toolbar, and select a style

RELATED LINKS:
Styles And Formatting pod

Create a style using the Design Editor

222

1)

In the Design Editor, select some text in the topic.

2)

Apply a format, such as bold.

3)

With the text still highlighted, type a style name in the Style list in the toolbar and press Enter.

4)

Click Create.

Styles and style sheets

Table styles
With Style Editor, you can create and customize table styles according to your requirements.
Applying a table style instead of inline formatting helps you add standard and easy-to-maintain
tables. If you modify a table style, all tables using that style also change.
You can modify the appearance of existing tables by applying a style. RoboHelp asks you if you want
to remove inline formatting also.
For tips and workarounds related to customizing tables, see the Table section in Peter Grainge’s
RoboHelp tour.

Global table styles
You can select predefined styles for a table. These styles are available globally and can be used across
projects to define different tables. Global table styles are present at C:\Documents and Settings\[user
name]\Application Data\Adobe\RoboHTML\[version]\Templates\Tables. For Windows Vista®,
global table styles are present at C:\users\[user
name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\RoboHTML\[version]\Templates\Tables.NOTE: If you delete the
Tables folder from the suggested location, the global table styles are still visible in the Global Styles list.
You can always recover the styles from C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp
[version]\RoboHTML\Gallery\Tables.
In addition to the predefined global styles, you can copy table styles from a project folder and paste
at C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application
Data\Adobe\RoboHTML\[version]\Templates\Tables. These table styles are available globally for all
the projects.TIP:Click the Apply Global Table Style icon on the Tables And Borders toolbar to apply
a style on the table.

Apply table styles
To apply a table style on an existing table, do the following:
1)

Select an existing table in a topic.

2)

Click the Apply Global Table Style icon
on the table.

3)

In the Select Table Style dialog box, select Clean Table Inline Formatting. Selecting Clean Table
Inline Formatting removes any inline styles used in the table.

4)

Select a style from the Available Styles list or select a global table style (table template).

5)

Click OK. NOTE: You can double-click a style in the Table Style dialog box to apply it to a table.

on the Tables And Borders toolbar to apply a style

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6

Create and manage table styles
Besides using global table styles (table templates) and predefined table styles in the CSS, you can
create custom table styles to ensure consistent table layouts, borders, alignment, shading, and fonts.
You can vary characteristics such as the colors, fonts, bold, italics, and alignments applied to rows
and columns.
John Daigle demonstrates some easy ways to create and manage tables and table styling.
Create table styles
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods> Style And Formatting.

2)

Click Create New Style and select Table Style.

3)

Name the new table style and click OK.

4)

Apply formatting to the whole table, first or last column or row, or a group of rows or columns.
From the Apply Formatting To list, select the columns or rows to format. For example, you can
make the background of the first row blue and the background of first column yellow.

5)

Select font, size, and color.

6)

Select border and border color.

7)

Click Apply. The new style appears in the CSS Styles list of the Table Styles dialog box. Select
this style to create tables with the same style later.

Notes:
•

Click the Apply Global Table Style icon
to the table.

on the Tables And Borders toolbar to apply a style

•

Based on the sequence of changes, in the first and last cell of a row, the row color overrides the
column color.

The appearance of a table is the result of several classes, such as Table, TR, and TD. RoboHelp applies
these subclasses to the respective table item when you apply a table class. Therefore, if you want to
change a table style through code or script, write a class attribute (class=”myTableClass”) in the table
tag. RoboHelp applies all the table patterns for the remaining items of the table in Design Editor.
Apply conditional build tags to tables
Conditional build tags let you exclude content from output.

224

1)

Select a row, column, table, or text in a table.

2)

Select Edit > Tags > Apply > New/Multiple.

3)

Select tags. Click OK.

Styles and style sheets

List styles
About list styles
RoboHelp provides three types of lists: HTML lists, advanced lists, and autonumbered lists.
Advanced lists can be either single level or multilevel lists. You can define HTML list styling under
List Styles and Advanced lists under Multilevel List Styles. Define autonumbered lists under Paragraph Styles.
HTML lists
All the ordered <ol> and unordered <ul> lists come under HTML lists.
Advanced lists
Creates a hierarchical or outline list, such as numbered heading styles, with numbering such as
1, 1.1, 1.1.1, and so on. Like simple numbered lists, hierarchical numbered lists and the accompanying paragraph styles share the same formatting. The multilevel lists set up complex nested
steps, such as steps, step results, substeps, and so on. Multilevel lists define only the numbering
properties. Multilevel lists do not have their formatting until they are linked to paragraph
styles.
For an example of how to create a multilevel list based on a supplied style (list template), see
the Outline Numbering section in Peter Grainge's RoboHelp tour.
Autonumbered lists
Autonumbered lists are linked to paragraph styles. To autonumber a paragraph, you can apply
autonumbering to it. To number figures or tables sequentially, define a simple numbered list
format, such as Figure Number or Table Number. In simple numbered lists, the paragraph
style and numbering styles share the same font, font size, font weight, and font color.
For a video introduction by John Daigle, see Easy ways to create lists and autonumbering on the
Adobe RoboHelp video tutorials page.

Create HTML lists
1)

Right-click List Style in the Styles dialog box.

2)

Click New.

3)

Name the new list.

4)

Select a font, font size, or a color for the new list style.

5)

Click the Create A Numbered List button to create a numbered list or the Create A Bulleted
List button to create a bulleted list.

6)

(Optional) Select other formatting options in the Formatting section of the Style editor.
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6

NOTE: To edit a list style, select different formatting options in the Formatting section of the Style editor

and preview them in the Preview section.

Create multilevel lists
1)

Do one of the following:

•

On the Style And Formatting pod, click Create New Style, and select Multilevel List Style. Then
type a name for the new multilevel list, and click OK.

•

Right-click a multilevel list style in the Style And Formatting pod, and select Edit.

2)

Select a list level from the Apply Formatting To menu. List Preview displays the hierarchical
order of the selected level.

3)

(For multilevel lists only) Select the paragraph style to apply to the current list level.

4)

Select a predefined list style from the List Style pop-up menu, or click New to create a list style.
For example, you can have a sequenced list style such as Months, and you can have a sequence
of all 12 months added to this sequence.

5)

You can prefix a sequence or a multilevel list. To prefix a list style, enter text or numbers to
prefix in the Edit Style box. To specify the level to prefix, select the level from the Insert Level
menu. You can add a prefix to the level in the Edit Style box by separating the level and prefix
with a separator such as a dot (.) or an angle bracket (>).

6)

Apply formatting to the list style:
•

Font, font size, color, highlight color, bold, italic, and underline

•

List indention, space between list prefix, and accompanying paragraph text

For more information about the numbering behavior, indentation and margin control, or prefix
formats, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_blog_multilist_en.

Create an autonumbering style
Autonumbering is linked to Paragraph styles. You can autonumber a paragraph style and apply it as
a numbered list style.

226

1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select a paragraph style in the Styles dialog box.

•

Create a paragraph style.

2)

Click the Autonumber button

.

Styles and style sheets
3)

(Optional) Select Inherit Numbering Property From Multilevel List to inherit the multilevel
list style to apply autonumbering. Select the multilevel list style from the List Class pop-up
menu and select the level to apply autonumbering. Click OK.

4)

Enter a prefix for the new autonumbering style in the Format text box.

5)

Select a predefined numbering option from the Numbering pop-up menu or select New to
create a sequenced autonumbering style.

For more detailed information, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_blog_autonumber_en.

Create a sequencing prefix
You can create custom sequencing prefixes to assign to Advanced lists.
1)

In the Styles dialog box, click New.

2)

In the Create/Edit Custom Sequence dialog box, click the plus sign to create a sequence.

3)

Enter a unique sequence name such as Months and click OK.

4)

Select the font for the sequence from the Sequence Font pop-up menu and click Add.

5)

Click the Edit Sequence box and type the sequence that you want. For example, January,
February, and so on. After you enter January, click Add to add February, and so on.

For more information about custom sequencing, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_blog_multilist_en.

Edit a sequencing prefix
1)

In the Styles dialog box, click New.

2)

Select the sequence from the Sequence pop-up menu, and do one of the following:

•

To edit a sequence entry, select the entry in the Edit Sequence list, and click Edit. Make your
edits in the Edit Sequence box.

•

To delete a sequence entry, select the entry in the Edit Sequence list, and click Delete.

•

To reorder the sequence, delete entries and reenter them in the desired order.

Delete a custom sequence
1)

In the Styles dialog box, click New.

2)

Select the sequence. Click the plus sign.

3)

Click Yes to confirm. Then click OK.

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Styles and style sheets

6

HTML styles
You can edit the Div, Hyperlink, and Image styles using the Styles editor or from the Styles and
Formatting pod. The Div style can be used for text boxes and positioned text boxes. The Hyperlink
style can be used for hyperlinks, drop-down hotspot, expanding hotspot, and glossary terms. The
Image style can be used to place an image.

Create styles based on Div, Hyperlink, and Image styles
You can create styles based on available styles or edit properties of existing styles.
1)

Double-click a CSS file in the Project Manager pod to open the Styles editor.

2)

Select the style category from the Styles list. For example, select HyperLink.

3)

Right-click and select New. Name the style and set the properties as desired.

Edit Div styles
You can edit the properties of Div styles from the Styles editor or the Styles and Formatting pod. You
can edit the Size, Margin, Float, and Border attributes of a division or a section of text. Use the Float
attribute to position text to the left or to the right of a division. For example, if you set the Float attribute to Left, the text is placed to the right.
Use the Overflow property to specify what happens if text overflows in a division. For example, if
you specify Overflow as Scroll, a scroll bar is added to display the content that overflows.

Edit Hyperlink styles
You can edit the properties of Hyperlink styles from the Styles editor or the Styles and Formatting
pod.
Use Pseudo classes
In CSS, pseudo classes are used to add different effects to a hyperlink. You can have the appearance
of a hyperlink change according to its status. For example, you can define a specific CSS properties
for a hyperlink that is not clicked, and a different set of CSS properties for a hyperlink that is clicked.
Examples of using pesudo classes:
•

228

You can have one color for a Visited pseudo class in one style (for example, Expanding
Hotspot) and have another color for a Visited pseudo class in another style (for example, Glossary Term).

Styles and style sheets
•

You can have multiple objects with multiple Hyperlink and Div styles in the same topic. Two
hyperlinks in the same topic can be styled differently.

For more information about pseudo classes, see www.w3schools.com/css/css_pseudo_classes.asp.
Use Twisty images
You can add a twisty image to a Hyperlink style and apply the style to expanding hotspots,
drop-down hotspots, and glossary terms. To set a twisty image, click Set Twisties, and select the
image properties.
Use Block-style hyperlinks
You can add a Block attribute to a Hyperlink style. Block-style hyperlinks are helpful for output
displayed on devices such as iPad or iPhone.
1)

In the Styles editor, select the Hyperlink style to modify.

2)

Select Block from the Display list.

3)

Specify the height and width of the block.

Edit Image styles
You can edit the properties of Image styles from the Styles editor or the Styles and Formatting pod.
You can edit the Size, Margin, Float, and Border attributes of the image.
Use the Float attribute to position an image to the left or to the right, while having the text of a paragraph wrap around it. For example, if you set the Float attribute to Left, the image is positioned to
the right and text is wrapped to the left.

Apply styles
After you link a CSS file, an external style sheet, or embedded styles to a topic, you can apply styles.
1)

2)

In the Design view, do one of the following:
•

Select the text to format.

•

Click inside the paragraph to format. For multiple paragraphs, select the paragraphs.

In the Styles And Formatting pod, double-click a style.
•

Character styles apply to selected blocks of text and impact fonts and DHTML effects.

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Styles and style sheets
•

Paragraph styles apply to entire paragraphs and impact fonts, spacing between lines,
numbering, borders and shading, and DHTML effects.

•

Table styles apply to the content in the tables.

•

List styles apply to all numbering and bullet styles.

•

Multilevel list styles apply to hierarchical lists.

6

TIP:To remove a character style, select the text and select a different style from the Style list. To remove

a paragraph style, select the style None.

Edit styles in CSS files
When you edit styles in a CSS file, all topics that are linked to the file are updated.IMPORTANT:You
cannot use the Undo command to undo changes to a CSS file. Edit the CSS file to revert to a previous
style.

Edit a style using the Styles dialog box
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the CSS file. Click Edit.

2)

Deselect Hide Inherited Styles.

3)

From Available In, select a style sheet.

4)

In the Styles box, select a style.

5)

Click Format, and select the attributes.

6)

(Optional) Select formatting options from the Formatting section.

7)

Click OK.

Edit a style using the Styles And Formatting pod
1)

Select a style in the Styles And Formatting pod.

2)

Click Edit Selected Item.

3)

In the Styles dialog box, select formatting options.

4)

Click OK.

TIP:To prevent a user-defined color from displaying in the browser background, set the Background

Text style to a white background. This style is for normal topic text, such as headings and paragraphs.
It controls the default settings for background images, background colors, and borders.

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Styles and style sheets

Edit styles in an HTML Editor
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the CSS file. Click Edit With.

2)

Select HTML Editor.
RoboHelp opens the style sheet in a new topic window.

3)

Edit the styles according to your requirements.

Delete styles from style sheets
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the style sheet containing the style to remove, and click
Edit.

2)

If Hide Inherited Styles is selected, deselect it to see available styles.

3)

From the Available In menu, select the style sheet name. For embedded styles, select the topic
name.

4)

From the Style menu, select the style to remove.
To delete custom formatting from a default style, select the style.

5)

Click Delete.

6)

Click Yes at the prompt.NOTE: To remove a style from the style sheet or the Formatting toolbar,
select None from the Styles menu.

Use color and images
Change text and link colors in a style sheet
RoboHelp incorporates changes you make to a CSS file into every topic the CSS file is linked to. You
cannot undo changes to a CSS file.
Using the WebHelp Skin Editor, you can change the color of text in the TOC, index, and Search
panels for WebHelp and WebHelp Pro.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the CSS file. Select Edit.

2)

Deselect Hide Inherited Styles.

3)

From Available In, select a CSS file.

4)

In the Styles box, select Character.
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Styles and style sheets
5)

6

Expand Character Style, and select a link or text style from these options, among others:

Background + Text (Body)
In the default style sheet, body text (normal text). This style is for text, tables, and headings in
topics. This style also controls the default settings for background images, background colors,
and borders.
Hyperlink (Unvisited)
An unvisited hypertext link.
Hyperlink (Visited)
A visited hypertext link.
Hyperlink (Active)
The selected hypertext link.
6)

Select Edit > Character > Character Formating > Font.

7)

Under Font Color, select a color. Click OK.

RELATED LINKS:
Create styles for style sheets
Skins

Add or edit borders or backgrounds in style sheets
1)

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the style sheet where you want to edit borders or backgrounds, and click Edit.

2)

Deselect Hide Inherited Styles.

3)

From Available In, select a CSS file.

4)

Under Other in the Styles box, select Background + Text (Body).

5)

Select Format, and then select Borders And Shading.

6)

Click the Border or Shading tab, define the borders or backgrounds, and click OK.

NOTE:Any image file used for borders or backgrounds is added to the project Baggage Files folder and
is included in the output you generate.

RELATED LINKS:
Add or edit borders and backgrounds in topics

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Styles and style sheets

Inline styles
Apply or edit inline styles
1)

In the Design Editor, select the block of text to format.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select a formatting option from the toolbar.

•

In the Edit ribbon, select the desired formatting from the Font, Paragraph, Bullets And
Numbering, Borders And Shading, or Topic Borders And Shading options.

Update inline styles
You can edit the formatting of a character or paragraph style and then update all characters or paragraph across your project to which the same style is applied.
1)

Select a piece of text or paragraph of the style that you want to update.

2)

In the Edit ribbon, use the various character or paragraph formatting to edit the style.

3)

Choose Edit > Styles > Update Style

.

The formatting of content for the selected style is updated across all topics in the project.

Remove inline styles from text
1)

In the Design Editor, select the block of text with the inline style.

2)

In the toolbar, click the options menu

next to the Styles box.

Options menu

3)

Select Default Paragraph Font.

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Styles and style sheets

6

Reset styles
Each style category in the Styles and Formatting pod has an option called (Reset Style). If you want
to remove all formatting applied through a style in a style category from selected content, follow
these steps:
1)

Select the style category from the style list in the Styles and Formatting pod. For example, select
Table Style.

2)

Double-click Reset styles. (Alternatively, you can right-click Reset styles and click Apply.)

Example (Reset a table style)
The following example illustrates how a table style is reset.
Sample table with a style applied

Inline formatting added to the headings. No inline formatting has been applied to the whole table, selected rows,
or cells (RoboHelp considers these selections as table elements and removes any inline formatting applied to these
elements when you reset a table style (just as the Clean Table Inline Formatting in the Select Table Style dialog
box works)

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Styles and style sheets
After applying Reset Style, the table style is removed. Inline formatting of headings (non-table element) remains.

Clear formatting
To remove all styling and formatting from a selection in the Design Editor:
•

In the Character section of the Edit tab, choose Clear Formatting.

TIP:To clear the formatting of a paragraph, place the cursor inside the paragraph and then click Clear

Formatting.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries

7

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
TOCs
TOC basics
About TOCs
The table of contents is a hierarchy of the folders, topics, and any subfolders in Project Manager.
RoboHelp creates books from custom folders and pages from the topics in these folders. Any topics
not saved in custom folders appear as pages at the first level in the table of contents.
You can reorder books and pages after you create the table of contents.
Create TOCs
Automatically create a table of contents based on the chapter layout defined in the Project Manager
pod.
1)

In Project Manager, right-click the Table of Contents folder, and select New Table Of
Contents.TIP:If the project has many topics, collapse the Project Files folder first to view the Table
Of Contents folder.

2)

Specify a name for the TOC.

3)

(Optional) Select Copy Existing Table of Contents and browse for an existing TOC file (.hhc)
to create the TOC from an available TOC.

4)

Click OK. RoboHelp opens the Table Of Contents pod.

5)

In the Table Of Contents pod, click the Auto-Create TOC button

6)

Select an option in the Auto-Create TOC dialog box:

.

Delete Current TOC Before Creating New
Removes books and pages before automatically creating the table of contents. If this option is
deselected, existing books and pages are included in the table of contents.
Create TOC Pages For Mid-Topic Links
Creates pages in the table of contents based on bookmarks. RoboHelp makes the topic that
contains the bookmark into a book and all bookmarks into pages.
7)

236

Click OK.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
NOTE: In Microsoft HTML Help projects, you synchronize the table of contents in window properties.
Folder names and filenames, including those for topics, must use underscores rather than spaces.

RELATED LINKS:
Reorder TOC books and pages
Define chapter layout

Print TOCs
1)

Click the Table Of Contents pod.

2)

In the toolbar, click Print.

3)

From the pop-up menu, select the information to print.

Overview
Print all book and page titles.
Detailed
Print all book and page titles, the topic titles linked to each, and the folders in which the topics
are located.
4)

Click Properties or Page Setup to specify print options.

Create TOC books and pages
Version-control projects may have more options.
Create TOC books
1)

Open the Table Of Contents pod by double-clicking the required TOC in Project Manager.

2)

In the toolbar, click the New TOC Book button

3)

In the Book Title box, type the name to appear in the table of contents.

4)

Click OK.

.

NOTE:A book must include at least one page for it to appear in the output.

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7

Create TOC books and pages with targeted links
You can link books and pages in a table of contents to content that you specify. When a user clicks
a book or page icon, the linked content appears in the Topic pane. You can link to topics, websites,
and so on.
1)

2)

3)

In the Table Of Contents pod, do one of the following:
•

Click the New TOC Book button

. Select Book With Link.

•

Click the New TOC Page button

.

Under Book (or Page) Destination, specify a destination:
•

Select an item in the list. If needed, select from the pop-up menu and navigate to the item.
You can link to items in other projects.

•

To create a topic, click New Topic. Type a title, change the filename if needed, and select
a master page. Link a book or page to it.

Click OK.

Create TOC books from pages
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click a page.

2)

Select Create Book From Page.

A book is created with the same title as the page. The page is placed inside the new book.
Create TOC pages by dragging
1)

Open the Table Of Contents pod and the Topic List pod.

2)

In the Topic List pod, select one or more topics.

3)

Drag the topics into the Table Of Contents pod.

NOTE: Titles of topics dragged into the Table Of Contents pod are based on the topic titles. To rename

a topic title, right-click it and select Rename.
Create TOC books and pages with user-defined variables

238

1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click and select New > Book or Page.

2)

From the Available Variables menu, select a variable. Click Add. The variable is listed in the
Page Title box.

3)

(Optional) In the Page Title box, add a prefix or suffix to the variable. For example, add the
prefix “Adobe” to the variable “RoboHelp.”

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
4)

From the Existing Topics list, select a topic for the new page.

5)

Click OK. The book or page appears in the table of contents. Its title displays the user-defined
variable with the text you added.

TIP:To view or change the variable applied to a TOC item, right-click the item and select Properties.

Edit TOC books and pages
Rename TOC books and pages
NOTE: If you rename a TOC page, the topic title linked to the page isn’t affected. Similarly, if you change

a topic title, the name of the TOC page isn’t affected. Rename the TOC page separately, if desired.
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click a book or page. Select Rename.

2)

Type the new name. Press Enter.

TIP:You can also rename a book or page by changing its properties.

Reorder TOC books and pages
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, select a book or page.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Drag the item to a different location.

•

Click arrows in the toolbar to move the item.

Version-control projects may have more options.
Remove TOC books or pages
If you remove a page from the table of contents, the topic it links to is not deleted.
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, select a book or page icon.

2)

In the toolbar, click the Delete button.

Version-control projects may have more options.
Change properties for TOC books or pages
Rename a book or page, or edit a destination, window frame, or custom icon.
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click a book or page. Select Properties.

2)

Make changes on the General and Advanced tabs.
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7

NOTE: The primary layout controls the properties of books and pages. For example, you can add
custom icons for books and pages only if the primary layout is Microsoft HTML Help.

3)

Click OK.

Version-control projects may have more options.

Manage TOCs
Manage TOCs with reports
RoboHelp provides several reports to help you manage tables of contents and resolve errors.
1)

Select Tools > Reports > [report name].

You can save, print, copy, and mail reports.
Table Of Contents report
This report displays the hierarchy of books and pages in a table of contents. You can view parts of a
table of contents by selecting a specific folder from the Folder list. If you change topic titles or filenames, you can compare them with the titles used in the books and pages.
Choose from these report formats:
Detailed
Includes titles of books and pages, names of topics that are linked to them, and names of folders
in which files are located.
Overview
Includes titles of books and pages and names of topics linked to them.
TIP:Use this report as a project outline.

Topic Properties report
Customize this report to display any of these items:

240

•

Topic titles

•

Filenames

•

Folder names

•

Books and pages that reference topics

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Topic Reference report
This report tracks references to the topics in a project, including books and pages in the table of
contents that are targeted to topics.
Unreferenced Topics report
This report tracks topics in a project that aren’t used in the table of contents, the index, or navigation
components.
Broken Links report
This report displays the broken links in a project, grouped by file.
Identify and fix broken TOC links
If books or pages have broken links, they appear in the Table Of Contents pod with a red X.
1)

Select Project > Navigation > Broken Links.

References To Selected Topic
Shows all references to the missing topic. The Open Book icon
ences.

indicates broken TOC refer-

All Missing Topics
Displays topics missing from the project.
2)

To remove a TOC item, select it under References To Selected Topic, and click Delete.

RELATED LINKS:
Fix broken links

Multiple TOCs
About multiple TOCs
You can create multiple tables of contents for a single project. You can use this feature for
single-source publishing. For example, you can create separate tables of contents for a project that
contains multiple languages or outputs for different audiences.NOTE: To set a TOC as default,
right-click a TOC in the Project Manager pod and select Set As Default.
If you merge subprojects into a master project, the tables of contents of the subprojects are available
in the master project.

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7

Move books and pages to TOCs
1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click tables of contents in the Table Of Contents folder.

2)

Drag books and pages from one Table Of Contents pod to another.

Create multiple TOCs for a project
1)

Do one of the following:
•

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the Table Of Contents folder. Select New Table
Of Contents.

•

Click the Create/View Table Of Contents button
New.

. In the Select TOC dialog box, click

2)

Type a name.

3)

(Optional) Select Copy Existing Table Of Contents to base the new table of contents on an
existing one. Click the browse button to locate the HHC file in the project folder, and select
it.

4)

Click OK.

By default, an empty table of contents with the same name as of the project appears in the Table Of
Contents folder.
NOTE: Click the Auto-Create TOC button

, to automatically create a table of contents.

Merge TOCs
Follow this procedure to merge the tables of contents within a project.
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, select the book or page where you want to merge the table of
contents.

2)

Click the Insert TOC Placeholder button

3)

From the Select Table Of Contents menu, select the table of contents to merge.

4)

Click OK.

. The Insert TOC Placeholder dialog box appears.

When you generate a layout, select the merged table of contents from the list in the Layout screen of
the wizard. The selected table of contents appears in the output view of the Help.
RELATED LINKS:
Merging Help projects

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Create browse sequences from a table of contents
You can use multiple tables of contents to generate browse sequences.
1)

Select Project > Navigation > Browse Sequence Editor.

2)

Click Auto-Create Using TOC.
In the Auto-create Browse Sequences using ToC dialog, you can choose one of the following
options:

Create a sequence using TOC as is:
Default. Create a browse sequence based on the TOC. Use this option if there is a limited
number of entries in the TOC.
Create a separate sequence for each book down to level:
Choose this option and specify the deepest level to be sequenced from the TOC.
3)

4)

In the Select TOC drop-down list, choose the type of TOC:
•

All-Test

•

CSH

•

Developers

•

EPUB

•

Feature Topics

•

HTML5-CSH

•

Salesbuilder (Default)

Click OK, to apply the changes.

Indexes
Index basics
About indexes and keywords
You create an index by adding keywords and associating them with topics. You can spell check an
index, and you can use topic To Do lists to track your work while indexing. Change the capitalization
of keywords in the Index pod.

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7

An index can include multiple levels of keywords and cross-references to other keywords. Subkeywords can be listed under a main keyword or in a Topics Found window. If a main keyword is linked
to more than two topics, it needs subkeywords.
Topic keywords
Topic keywords appear the same as index file (HHK) keywords, but they are stored within individual
HTML topics. The Index Designer identifies topic keywords with a key/page icon .
When working with topic keywords, consider the following details:
•

When you import topics into a project, their keywords are added to the index.

•

You can copy topic keywords to other topics and create index file keywords from them.

•

You can use topic keywords with Keyword Link controls.

•

If you remove a topic from a project, its keywords remain in the index in bold (indicating they
are not linked to a topic). The keywords don’t appear in the index until you link them to other
topics.

•

Topic keywords can link only to local HTML topics. The topic can appear only in the default
Help window.

•

Topic keywords cannot cross-reference (link to) other keywords in the index. Create the
cross-reference using an index file keyword.

•

Topic keywords are sorted in the index in alphabetical order. You cannot reorder the
keywords.

Additional details for HTML Help projects
•

You can merge topic keywords from multiple CHM files into a master project.

•

If you add index controls to topics, the index file (HHK) for the control displays only index file
keywords.

Additional details for WinHelp projects
•

When you convert a WinHelp project (HPJ) file to a RoboHelp project, the keywords in the
WinHelp topics are saved as keywords in the index file.

Index file keywords
Index file keywords are saved in the project index file (HHK) rather than in the code of individual
HTML topics. The Index Designer identifies index file keywords with a key icon . You can create
and maintain multiple indexes for a project.
When working with index file keywords, consider the following details:

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
•

You can use index file keywords with all supported output types and with Keyword Link
controls.

•

Index file keywords can cross-reference (link to) other index file keywords.

•

Index file keywords can link to local HTML topics, multimedia files, baggage files, bookmarks,
and URLs. Depending on the Help format, a topic can appear in the default Help window, a
custom window, or a frame.

•

If you aren’t creating a binary index, and the project contains no topic keywords, you can sort
the keywords in any order.

•

When you remove a topic from the project, index file keywords remain in the index if other
topics use them. You can remove or retain the keywords, regardless of whether other topics use
them.

•

You can merge index files with other projects. For HTML Help, binary indexes are required to
merge projects. Keywords in binary indexes are sorted alphabetically and cannot be reordered.

•

If you import topics into a project, assign index file keywords separately. Index file keywords
aren’t included with topics, as are topic keywords.

•

When you remove an index file keyword from an index, the keyword is also removed from
topics that were assigned to it.

•

If you remove a topic from a project, and you don’t remove references to the index file
keywords it uses, the keywords are marked unused. (The exception is if other topics use them.)
If these keywords aren’t used by other keywords, the project includes broken links.

Specify keyword types for a project
A project can include index file keywords, topic keywords, or both. To specify the type to work with,
change the project settings.
1)

Select Project > Project Settings.

2)

Click the General tab.

3)

In Add New Keywords To, specify the keyword type.

4)

•

To add index file keywords, select Index File (HHK).

•

To add topic keywords, select Topics.

Click OK.

New keywords use the type specified until you change the setting.
Notes:
•

When you add a keyword to an index, it is automatically added to the index (HHK) or topic
(HTM) files.
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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
•

Index file keywords use the key icon

7
. Topic keywords use the page icon

.

Print indexes
1)

Click the Index pod.

2)

From the pop-up menu, select the items to print.

3)

In the toolbar, click Print.

4)

Click Properties and Page Setup to specify print options.

TIP:Use the Index report or the See Also report to print customizable keyword lists.

Add and link index keywords
•

If you add the same keyword to an index using different capitalization, the Index Designer adds
the keywords as one entry, based on the first entry.

•

If the index includes index file keywords and topic keywords that are identical, the keywords
are merged when you generate the project. In the Index tab, they appear as one keyword. (In
the Index Designer, they appear as separate keywords.)

•

When you convert a WinHelp project (HPJ file) into a RoboHelp project (XPJ file), the
keywords in the WinHelp topics are saved as keywords in the index file.

RELATED LINKS:
Create an index automatically

Add index keywords using the toolbar
1)

2)

In the Index pod, do one of the following:
•

To add a keyword, click the New Index Keyword button

.

•

To add a subkeyword, select a parent keyword from the list. Click the New Index Subkeyword button .

Type the keyword in the text box. Press Enter.
The keyword is added to the index. It appears in bold, indicating that it is not yet linked to
topics.
TIP:To quickly add a keyword and subkeywords, skip step 1 and type the keyword and the subkey-

words separated by \ and click Add Keyword.
3)

246

Select Project > Open > Pods > Topic List. The Topic List pod appears.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
4)

To link the keyword to topics, drag topics from the Topic List pod to the lower panel in the
Index pod.
The linked keyword changes from bold to plain text.

Add index keywords based on a topic title
1)

Open the Index pod.

2)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Topic List.

3)

In the Topic List pod, select a topic.
A question mark icon

4)

indicates that a topic is not added to the index.

Drag the topic into the upper pane of the Index Designer.

The keyword name is based on the topic title. You can rename it.
Add index keywords using topic properties
1)

In the Topic List or Project Manager pod, select a topic.

2)

Click the Properties button

3)

In the Topic Properties dialog box, select the Index tab.

4)

In the text box, type a keyword. To add a subkeyword, type the main keyword, a backslash, and
the subkeyword.

5)

Click Add.

.

Add index keywords by selecting topic text
1)

Double-click a topic to open it in the Design view.

2)

Select text to use as a keyword.

3)

Right-click the text, and select Add To > Index Keyword > [index].

Copy index keywords
You can copy index keywords between topics. After copying, you can customize them to work with
individual topics.
1)

In the Topic List pod, right-click a topic and select the Properties button

2)

Click the Index tab.

.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
3)

7

Click Add Existing.
On the left, a list of all keywords in the project appears. On the right, a list of all keywords for
the current topic appears. If the topic is not yet indexed, no keywords appear.

4)

5)

Copy the index keywords to the topic:
•

To copy a single keyword, select it on the left and click the single arrow button.

•

To copy all keywords, click the double arrow button.

Click OK. The keywords are linked to the topic.

TIP:To modify index keywords you copy, select a keyword. Enter text under Index Keywords. Click

Replace.
Select an index keyword destination
You can link keywords to various destinations. When a user clicks the keyword, the destination
opens in the topic pane.
1)

In the Index pod, select a keyword.

2)

Under Topics For, right-click a keyword topic.

3)

Select Properties.

4)

Under Existing Topics, specify a destination and click OK.
•

Select an item in the list. If needed, select from the pop-up menu and navigate to the item.
You can link to items in other projects.

•

To create a topic as an index keyword topic, click New Topic. Type a title, change the filename if needed, and select a master page.

•

To link to another type of destination, click the Link To pop-up menu and select a destination type. Type the identifying URL, e-mail address, FTP address, or baggage filename
for the destination type.

Notes:

248

•

The Name and Link To fields are disabled when you specify topic keywords. With topic
keywords, a keyword can link only to the topic in which it is stored. It uses the topic title as the
name.

•

Find Topic locates a topic within the project to add an index keyword topic or modify its properties.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Create index keywords with user-defined variables
User-defined variables let you create multiple versions of an index keyword.
1)

In the Index pod, right-click a keyword. Select Properties.

2)

From the Available Variables menu, select a variable. Click Add.
The variable is listed in the Index Keyword box.

3)

(Optional) In the Index Keyword box, add a prefix or suffix to the variable. For example, add
the prefix “Adobe” to the variable “RoboHelp.”

4)

From the Topics list, select a topic to link this new keyword to.

5)

Click OK.

Cross-reference index keywords
You can cross-reference index keywords so that when users select the cross-referenced keyword in
the index, an alternate keyword appears. The user can select it to display the topic.
You can cross-reference only index file keywords.
1)

In the Index pod, add a keyword to cross-reference. (This keyword links to the alternate
keyword).

2)

Right-click a keyword. Select Properties.

3)

Select Cross-References. From the pop-up menu, select an alternate keyword.
The cross-reference appears in the lower panel of the Index Designer.

Version-control projects may have more options.

Edit index keywords
Move and sort index keywords
When you move an index keyword, its subkeywords are moved.
Topic keywords are automatically sorted first numerically and then alphabetically.
1)

In the Index pod, do any of the following:
•

Select a keyword. Click an arrow button in the toolbar. A button is unavailable if the
action isn’t allowed.

•

Drag the keyword.

•

Right-click a keyword. Select Sort > [sort option].
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7

NOTE: The Sort command is unavailable with a binary index. The sort function is enabled

only when the primary layout is HTML Help and the Index is set to Index File with no
Binary Index. In all other layouts, the index remains sorted but for HTML output, the
sorting of the index can be changed. Sorting enables the up and down keys on Index Pod.
Version-control projects may have more options.
Rename keywords for a project
This procedure renames keywords in the index and topic keywords.
1)

In the Index pod, right-click a keyword. Select Rename.

2)

Type the new keyword in the text box.

Rename keywords for a topic
To rename a topic keyword referenced by a specific topic, change the topic properties. If other topics
use the same keyword, the original keyword remains in the index. Only the topic you change is
updated.
1)

In the Topic List pod, select a topic.

2)

Click the Properties button

3)

Click the Index tab. Select a keyword.

4)

Type the new keyword in the text box.

5)

Click Replace.

.

Change the capitalization of a keyword
1)

In the Index Designer, select a keyword.

2)

On the Index Designer toolbar, click the Lowercase

or Uppercase

button.

Remove index keywords from the Index pod
If you remove a keyword from the Index pod, it’s removed from all topics that were linked to it.
1)

In the Index pod, select a keyword.

2)

In the toolbar, click Delete.

TIP:Unused keywords in the index are not referenced by other topics. They appear in bold in the Index

pod. You can automatically remove them.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Remove index keywords from topics
If you remove a keyword from a topic, only the topic you change is affected. Other topics that reference the keyword are still linked to it.
1)

In the Topic List pod, select a topic.

2)

Click the Properties button

3)

Click the Index tab.

4)

Select a keyword from the list.

5)

Click Delete.

.

Manage indexes
Manage indexes with reports
RoboHelp provides reports to use in managing indexes, such as the Index and Unused Index
Keywords reports. The Index report lets you choose options to define how the report displays information. You can display all the keywords, a list of keywords with their related topics, or a list of topics
and their related keywords.
The Unused Index Keywords report lists keywords that topics do not reference. These keywords
reside in the index file. Use this report to identify keywords to remove or to associate with topics.
You can save, copy, print, and mail reports.
1)

Select Tools > Reports.

2)

Select a report, such as Index, and view the results.

3)

Click Close.

Identify and fix broken references for keyword topics
1)

In the Project Manager pod, open the Broken Links folder.
Missing topics are listed. They appear with a red X.

2)

Right-click a missing topic. Select Properties.
Keywords that reference the missing topic appear with a key icon
the topic reference in the Index pod.

. You can remove or relink

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries

7

Remove topic references from keywords
NOTE:If you remove all topics from the keyword, the Index pod displays the keyword in bold text to indi-

cate that it is unreferenced.
If you select a keyword in the Index pod, the lower panel displays all the topics that reference it. You
can remove any topic from this panel to remove the keyword from the topic. The name of the topic
that is no longer in the project that references the selected keyword is displayed. If you remove the
topic from this panel, the broken link is removed and the index file is updated.
1)

In the Index pod, select a keyword.
The lower panel of the Index pod lists the topics that reference the keyword.

2)

Select a topic. In the toolbar, click the Delete button

.

Remove unused index keywords
Unused keywords aren’t associated with topics. The Index pod displays unused index keywords in
bold. Unused keywords don’t appear in the index.
The index keeps unused keywords after you remove topics that reference them. This way, you can
assign the keywords to other topics without having to read them.
NOTE:This procedure doesn’t remove keywords that have one or more subkeywords.

1)

In the Index pod, select a keyword. In the toolbar, click the Delete button

.

TIP:Select Tools > Reports > Unused Index Keywords to identify unused keywords.

Apply conditional build tags to an index
1)

In the Index pod, select a keyword.

2)

Click Edit > Tags > Apply > New/Multiple.

3)

Select tags or click Check All.

4)

Click OK.

Automatic indexing with the Smart Index wizard
Create an index automatically
Use the Smart Index wizard to search the content of topics. Select from suggested keywords.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
NOTE: Close third-party files before running the Smart Index wizard.

1)

Select Tools > Smart Index Wizard.

2)

Select the search criteria.

Find New And Existing Index Keywords
Add keywords based on topic content and existing index entries.
Add Existing Index Keywords To Topic(s)
Search topics for keywords already used and link the keywords to the topics.
Use Custom Search Settings
Select Settings, and set custom search options. In the Smart Index Settings dialog box, you can
define an effective language to find index keywords. For example, if you define the project
language as French and the paragraph language is English, the Smart Index uses English dictionary to identify keywords for the paragraph.NOTE: This option is applicable for English language
only.
In the Settings area of the Smart Index Settings dialog box, you can select options to include as
keywords in the index. For example, capitalize or mixed words, phrases, words in a phrase or
words not in the dictionary.
In the Other Settings area, you can select options to exclude as keywords from the index. For
example, select verbs or adverbs to exclude and include adjectives or nouns as keywords.
3)

Select items to search for index keywords.

4)

To specify words or phrases to ignore, select Always Ignore or select Phrases. Edit, add, or
delete entries.

5)

To capitalize the first letter of the keyword, select Capitalize All New Index Keywords. (You
can change the case later in the Index pod.)

6)

Click Next.

7)

Select Confirm Adding Index Keywords For Each Topic.
To add keywords without confirmation, select Automatically Add Index Keywords For All
Topics, and click Finish.

8)

(Optional) Select filter options for the search.

Folder
Search topics in a specified folder.
Status
Search topics by status.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries

7

Check Only New Topics (That Have Not Been Smart Indexed)
Search only non-indexed topics.
9)

Click Next. Suggested keywords appear for the first topic.

10) Select, deselect, rename, or remove keywords.
To skip to the next topic, click Skip. Click Options to add verbs, synonyms, and existing index
keywords.
NOTE: The Sentences Containing box shows the suggested keyword in the context where it is

found. The Info field indicates whether the selected keyword is new or existing.
11) Click Next, and click Close in the Results dialog box.
The new keywords appear in the Index pod.
Notes:
•

You can change the case of keywords and subkeywords.

•

You can link keywords to destinations other than topics.

•

Index keywords are different from See Also keywords.

Specify keywords to ignore
You can create a list of words or phrases that the Smart Index wizard ignores. This list is the Always
Ignore list.
When the Smart Index wizard searches topics, it checks the Always Ignore list. If it finds an exact
match, it ignores that match as a potential keyword.
1)

Select Tools > Smart Index Wizard.

2)

Click Always Ignore.

3)

Do one of the following:
•

To add a word, click New and enter text.

•

To edit a word, select it. Click Edit and enter text.

•

To delete a word, select it. Click Delete.

The list is stored as a WLF file in the project folder.
NOTE:The words and phrases that you enter are not case sensitive unless they are uppercase words or

mixed-case words. In these instances, the Smart Index wizard must find an exact match before
suggesting a new keyword.
RELATED LINKS:
Change project settings
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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Specify common words to ignore
You can create a list of common words (such as a) that the Smart Index wizard ignores. This list is
the Stop list.
The Stop list can be only 512 characters long. Every word in the Stop list contains one added unseen
character. If the character limit is reached mid-word, the entire word is not compiled.
1)

Select Tools > Smart Index Wizard.

2)

Click Always Ignore.

3)

Click the Stop List tab.

4)

Do one of the following:
•

To add a word, click New and enter text.

•

To edit a word, select it. Click Edit and enter text.

•

To delete a word, select it. Click Delete.

The list is stored as an STP file in the project folder.
Version-control projects may have more options.
RELATED LINKS:
Change project settings

Specify custom phrases
For greater control over the index keywords (words and phrases) suggested by the Smart Index
wizard, create a custom phrase list. This list of keywords is unique to the project. For example, you
can include product names.
When the Smart Index wizard searches topics, it checks the phrase list. If it finds a match in a topic
that is not a keyword in the topic, it suggests the item as a keyword.
1)

Select Tools > Smart Index Wizard.

2)

Click Phrases.

3)

Click New.
•

To add a phrase, click New and enter text.

•

To edit a phrase, select it. Click Edit and enter text.

•

To delete a phrase, select it. Click Delete.

The list is stored as a PHR file in the project folder. You can edit this file in a text editor, such as
Windows Notepad.

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NOTE:The words and phrases that you enter are not case sensitive unless they are uppercase words or
mixed-case words. In these instances, the Smart Index wizard must find an exact match before
suggesting a new keyword.

Look up synonyms for indexing
NOTE:This option is available only in English.

1)

Select Tools > Smart Index Wizard.

2)

Click Next twice.

3)

Select a keyword.

4)

Click Options. Select Synonyms.
The keyword appears in the Word box.

5)

(Optional) Click Antonyms to see antonyms for the keyword.

6)

Under Categories, select the best match for the word.

7)

Under Synonyms, select a word to add as a keyword. Click Add To Topic.

8)

Click Close.

TIP:To view synonyms and antonyms for additional words, type in the Word box and click Look Up.

Version-control projects may have more options.

Multiple indexes
Create multiple indexes
You can create multiple indexes in the same project. New indexes are added to the Index folder. With
multiple indexes, you can right-click any index and select Set As Default to set the index as default
index. You can right-click an index and select Rename to rename the index as well.
You can copy and drag keywords across multiple indexes.
1)

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Do one of the following:
•

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the Index folder. Select New Index.

•

Click the Create/View Index File button. Click New.

2)

Type a name in the text box.

3)

(Optional) To copy an existing index, select Copy Existing Index. Click the browse button
to navigate to the index.

4)

Click OK.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Merge indexes
Follow this procedure to merge the indexes within a project.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, open the Index folder.

2)

Double-click an index.

3)

In the Index pod, select a keyword where you want to insert the merged index.

4)

Click the Insert Index Placeholder button

5)

From the Select Index menu, select the index to insert.

6)

Click OK.

.

The merged index appears with the New Index icon
7)

.

Double-click the icon, and click View.
The merged index appears in the Index pod.

RELATED LINKS:
Automatic indexing with the Smart Index wizard
Create binary indexes (HTML Help)
TOCs and indexes in Microsoft HTML Help
Merging Help projects

TOCs and indexes in Microsoft HTML Help
Assign custom TOC icons (HTML Help)
1)

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click a book or page. Select Properties.

2)

Click the Advanced tab.
Under Image, Auto indicates that the book or page uses the standard icon.

3)

From the pop-up menu, select an icon.
You can assign other icons to books and pages after you add the bitmap file (BMP) to your
project.

4)

(Optional) Select Mark As New to display the standard icon with a red star. The star indicates
to users that the TOC item contains new information.
NOTE: The Mark As New option is available if the primary layout is Microsoft HTML Help.

5)

Click OK.

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Version-control projects may have more options.
NOTE:The Table Of Contents pod displays all books and pages with the standard icons regardless of the

selection you make at the Advanced tab. After you generate the project, you can view icons in the
Contents pane.

Create binary contents files (HTML Help)
Use binary contents files for large projects to reduce opening time.
IMPORTANT:Do not merge projects that use binary contents files.

1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click a table of contents in the Table Of Contents folder.
The Table Of Contents pod appears.

2)

Select Output > Open > Outputs Setup.

3)

Expand the Single Source Layouts folder.

4)

Right-click a layout. Select Properties.

5)

Click Edit.

6)

Click the TOC Styles tab.

7)

Select Binary TOC.

8)

Click OK.

9)

Generate the project.

Version-control projects may have more options.

Create binary indexes (HTML Help)
Microsoft HTML Help projects require binary indexes in certain cases:

258

•

When projects have topic keywords. Topic keywords are saved in the HTML files that reference them.

•

When HTML projects are merged. When you merge projects, each CHM file remains in its
own project, but keywords from each index file are combined into the master project.
Distribute each CHM file along with the master CHM file.

1)

Make sure that Microsoft HTML Help is the primary layout.

2)

Select Project > File > Project Settings.

3)

In the General tab, select Binary Index.

4)

Click OK.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
5)

Add topic keywords (marked with a key icon

6)

Merge subprojects if needed.

7)

Generate and view the project.

).

Version-control projects may have more options.
RELATED LINKS:
Merging Help projects
Generate, view, and publish output

Customize a TOC (HTML Help)
Select a custom font for displaying book and page titles, and synchronize books and pages with topic
content. Use raised or sunken edges to give a three-dimensional look.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click a layout for HTML Help output.

2)

Select Properties.

3)

Click Edit next to Advanced Settings.

4)

Click the TOC Styles tab.

5)

Set style options:

Border
Add a border around the table of contents.
Dialog Frame
Add a frame around the table of contents.
Plus/Minus Squares
Display plus and minus icons that open and close books.
Always Show Selection
Display the topic selected from the Contents tab (even if this tab is not the left-pane focus).
Folders Instead Of Books
Display folder icons instead of book icons.
Single-Click To Open Book
Enable books to open with one click.
Raised Edge or Sunken Edge
Create a three-dimensional appearance.

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Lines Between Items
Add lines between books and pages.
Lines From Root
Displays lines connecting books and pages starting at root.
6)

Specify a font.

7)

Set window, frame, and other options:

8)

•

To display the topic in a custom window, select the window name from Default Window.

•

To display the topic in a custom frame, select the frameset name from Default Frame.

•

To use custom book and page icons, select a BMP file from Custom Image File. Make
sure that you include the image path, such as C:\Program Files\Adobe RoboHelp[version]\My.bmp.NOTE: For custom book and page icons, create an icon strip. See the
MSDN Library on the Microsoft website.

Click OK.

Version-control projects may have more options.NOTE: The binary TOC option is recommended only
for large Help systems. It requires compiled HTML Help and doesn’t support customization or external
TOC files.

Customize an index (HTML Help)
The index type for the HTML Help project determines the index properties:
Index file keywords
For index file keywords in non-binary indexes, you can customize the keyword fonts. Click the
Index tab in the HTML Help viewer.
Merged indexes
If merging indexes from CHM files, select the Binary Index option.
Topic keywords
If your index includes topic keywords, create a binary index.

260

1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click a layout for HTML Help output.

2)

Select Properties.

3)

Click Edit.

4)

Click the Index tab. Set properties:

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
Default Window
Select the custom window to display topics. Custom windows can link only to index file
keywords.
Default Frame
Select a custom frame to display topics. Custom frames can link only to index file keywords.
Select Font
Select a font name and size.
Version-control projects may have more options.

Add TOC controls (HTML Help)
When a user opens a topic, the table of contents appears.
If a topic is in a subfolder, copy the contents of the file into the subfolder before adding the control.
1)

Open a topic in the Design view.

2)

Click where you want to add the table of contents.

3)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Table Of Contents. The Contents control appears in the
Design Editor.

4)

To test the control, generate the project. The Table Of Contents control displays the same table
of contents as in the final output.

Version-control projects may have more options.
TIP:You can link other contents files in your project. Copy the HHC file into the project if you want to

select the HHC file with the TOC control.

Add index controls (HTML Help)
If your project does not support a tri-pane design, you can add an index control to a topic to make
the index file available. The index appears when the topic is opened with the index control.
1)

If the topic is in a subfolder, copy the index file (HHK) to the subfolder.

2)

In the Design Editor, open the topic with the control.

3)

Click where you want to add the index.

4)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Index.
The index control appears.

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7

To test the index control, compile the project. The index control displays the same index as in the
final output.
Version-control projects may have more options.
TIP:You can use other index files in your project. Copy the HHK file and associated files (topics, images,

multimedia) to select the HHK file with the index control.

Link keywords and TOC items to custom windows and frames (HTML Help)
Custom windows can display context-sensitive Help and links from index keywords, TOC books,
and TOC pages.
1)

Create a custom window or frame.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

In the Table Of Contents pod, right-click a book or page. Select Properties.

•

In the Index pod, right-click an index file keyword. Select Properties.

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

4)

From the Window pop-up menu, select a custom window.

5)

From the Frame pop-up menu, select a custom frame.

6)

Click OK.

Version-control projects may have more options.
NOTE:Microsoft HTML Help doesn’t support links to custom windows from the topic, only links to

pop-ups.
RELATED LINKS:
Link to a pop-up
Automatic indexing with the Smart Index wizard

Glossaries

Create glossary terms

262

1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click a glossary in the Glossary folder.

2)

In the Glossary pod, type a term in the Term box.

TOCs, indexes, glossaries
3)

Click the Add Term button (plus sign) or press Enter.
The term appears in bold, indicating that it doesn’t have a definition.

4)

In the Definition For panel, type a definition.
You cannot use formatted text, tabs, or returns.
TIP:For terms and definitions to appear within topics, add expanding glossary hotspots.

5)

If needed, enable the Glossary tab in the single-source layout wizard so that it appears in the
output. Add at least one term and its definition to enable the glossary checkbox in the
single-source layout wizard.

NOTE:(Microsoft HTML Help) When you distribute the final output, include an HHActiveX.DLL file
with the CHM file. This DLL file is the ActiveX® control that supports online glossaries. This file must

be copied to and registered on end-user Windows systems.

Import glossary terms and definitions
TIP:Before importing a glossary file (GLO), print a detailed report of both glossaries. The reports can

help you determine which terms exist in both glossaries and compare definitions.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, select a glossary in the Glossary folder.

2)

Select Project > Import > Glossary.

3)

Click the browse button

4)

Do one or more of the following:

5)

to navigate to a GLO file.

•

For definitions in the external glossary to overwrite matching terms, select Replace
Existing Glossary Definitions.

•

Select one or more terms in the Terms In Imported Glossary list. Click Add.

•

To import all terms, click Add All

.

Click OK.

Test and print glossaries
Test the glossary in the output
1)

Make sure that the Glossary pod is enabled.

2)

Generate a layout.

3)

Click View Result.

4)

Click Glossary.
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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
5)

Select terms and view their definitions.

Print a glossary
1)

Click the Glossary pod.

2)

In the toolbar, click Print.

3)

From the pop-up menu, select the information to print.

Overview
Print all terms.
Detailed
Print all terms and definitions.
4)

Click Properties and Page Setup to specify print options.

5)

Click OK.

Remove terms from the glossary
Removing terms doesn’t remove expanding glossary hotspots. Remove hotspots separately.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click a glossary in the Glossary folder.

2)

In the Glossary pod, select a term from the list.

3)

In the toolbar, click Delete.

RELATED LINKS:
Glossary hotspots

Change glossary definitions
NOTE:If you change a definition that is used as an expanding glossary hotspot, update the project by

running the Glossary Hotspot wizard.
1)

In the Glossary pod, select the term to change.

2)

Edit the definition text.

Create multiple glossaries
You can create multiple glossaries in the same project. New glossaries are added to the Glossary
folder.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries
You can copy and drag terms across multiple glossaries.
NOTE:You cannot delete the default glossary.

1)

Do one of the following:
•

In the Project Manager pod, right-click the Glossary folder. Select New Glossary.

•

Click the Create/View Glossary File button

. Click New.

2)

Type a name in the text box.

3)

(Optional) To copy an existing glossary, select Copy Existing Glossary. Click the browse
button to navigate to the glossary.

TIP:Click the Start Glossary Hotspot Wizard button

in the toolbar to mark existing glossary terms

in topics.

Merge glossaries
1)

In the Project Manager pod, open the Glossary folder.

2)

Double-click a glossary.

3)

Click the Import Glossary button

4)

Click the folder button

5)

If needed, deselect Replace Existing Glossary Definitions.

.

. Select the glossary to merge. Click Open.

Select this option to replace existing definitions in the glossary with definitions from the
merged glossary.
6)

Select terms from the imported glossary list. Click the single right arrow to merge them. Click
the double right arrow to merge all terms.
NOTE:Select terms in the current project list and click the Left Arrows to deselect terms selected

for merging.
7)

Click OK.

The merged glossary terms appear in the Glossary pod.
RELATED LINKS:
Glossary hotspots

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7

Glossary hotspots
About expanding glossary hotspots
The Glossary Hotspot wizard finds glossary terms within topics and marks them in the topics. You
can mark all terms to convert to expanding hotspot when you generate or preview output.
Notes:
•

Expanding glossary hotspots require Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. If they are used in a style,
they require Internet Explorer 5.0 or later. Netscape Navigator doesn’t support expanding
glossary hotspots.

•

The Glossary panel is not supported in Oracle Help. Definitions appear inline instead of in a
hotspot.

•

The glossary appears in the printed documentation and appears at the end of the page.

•

Control the hotspot appearance by modifying the glossary term and character style in the
Styles editor (accessible from the Stylesheets button in the Product Manager pod).

•

The Output Generator With Glossary Restyling script restyles the glossary as popups or tooltips and generates output for a selected layout. See About ExtendScript Toolkit support.

Add expanding glossary hotspots
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Drag a term from the Glossary pod into a topic.
Use this method if the term doesn’t occur in the topic, or if the term isn’t in an ideal place
to expand.

•

In the Glossary pod, click the Glossary Hotspot Wizard button

.

The Glossary Hotspot wizard finds glossary terms within topics and marks them in the
topics. You can mark all terms to convert to expanding hotspot when you generate or
preview output.
Preview a hotspot by double-clicking it in the Design Editor.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries

Update expanding glossary hotspots
The Glossary Hotspot wizard inserts markers for the terms defined in the selected glossary. It doesn’t
insert definitions for terms in the topic. When you generate a preview or output, RoboHelp adds
definitions for the terms. As a result, topics always have the updated definitions for marked terms.
1)

Choose Project > Open > Pods> Glossary and click Glossary Hotspot Wizard.

2)

Select options. In the Select Term menu, select an individual term or all terms.

Confirm Marking Terms For Each Topic
Select to choose which terms in topics are marked to expand as glossary hotspots.
Automatically Mark Terms For All Topics
Tell the Glossary Hotspot wizard to mark all glossary terms it finds in topics to expand to glossary hotspots.
Case-Sensitive
Makes search case sensitive.
Mark Only The First Instance Of Term In Topic And Unmark Subsequent Instances
Select this option to turn the first marked instance of a term into an expanding glossary hotspot
when you preview or generate output.
3)

Click Next.
Select a term to mark in a chapter.

4)

To assign the new definition to the term, select the box next to the term that does not match.

5)

Click Next. Repeat steps for each topic that the Glossary Hotspot wizard displays.

6)

Click Finish.

Test expanding glossary hotspots
1)

In the Topic List pod, right-click the topic containing the hotspot.

2)

Click View.

3)

Click the glossary term in the topic.

4)

Click the term again to close the hotspot.

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TOCs, indexes, glossaries

7

Unmarking expanding glossary hotspots
Unmark hotspots using the Glossary Hotspot wizard
1)

Choose Project > Open > Pods> Glossary and click Glossary Hotspot Wizard.

2)

Select Confirm Adding Definitions For Each Topic.

3)

Select a folder and status to search.

4)

From the Select Term menu, select the term to remove.

5)

Click Next.

6)

As each topic appears, deselect the check boxes to remove expanding glossary hotspots.

7)

Click Finish.

Unmark hotspots in Design view
1)

Open the topic in the Design view. Select the term.

2)

Right-click and select Remove Expanding Text.

You can click the definitions of marked glossary terms in the Glossary Definition Viewer but you
cannot edit the term definition. NOTE: When you upgrade a glossary from an older version, all the local
changes are lost.

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Linking, navigation, and search
Navigation basics
Navigation options
The following navigation options are available for use in Help projects.
Hypertext links
Open the link destination.
Pop-ups
Display an HTML topic in a pop-up window rather than in the default viewer. Pop-ups can be
linked only to another HTML topic or to bookmarks.
Link controls
Clickable objects that open a list of related topics. Types of link controls are See Also, Related
Topics, or Keyword Links.
Breadcrumbs
These links appear on a Help page and outline the position of the page in the table of contents,
or the directory structure of the project.
Browse sequences
The sequence of a series of topics. You define the order of topics in the sequence.
Searches
Find topics that contain search keywords. The search results appear as links in the Search tab
of the navigation pane. The search keywords are highlighted in the topic pane.
In-topic navigation bars
Navigation bars added to a layout using WebHelp as the output type.
Expanding hotspots, drop-down hotspots, and twisties
Text links that expand to display additional information, but not other topics. These hotspots
are available in browsers that support Dynamic HTML (DHTML).

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8

Text-only pop-up
A window that displays only text, not topics or web pages. Text-only pop-ups are useful for
definitions or details. Unlike regular pop-ups, a text-only pop-up resides in the topic that
contains it. It’s not a separate topic.
Image maps
An image in an HTML topic that contains graphical links to other topics. Clickable areas in the
image are hotspots.
Image links
A link in an image that takes users to a destination or opens a pop-up. Creating image links is
like creating text links.
Bookmarks
A link that takes users to a specific place in a topic.
WinHelp topic control
(Microsoft HTML Help only) A clickable object that opens a WinHelp system.
You specify many of these features through settings in the Properties > Navigation dialog box for the
specific layout:
Show Navigation Pane Link In Topics
Select to include a link to the navigation pane in topics that are opened through the
context-sensitive Help calls.
Add Breadcrumbs Links
Select to add breadcrumbs in the topic pages.
Show Merged TOC In Child Project
Select to view the merged TOC in the child project.
Format
Click to change the format of breadcrumbs.
Show Context In Search Result
(WebHelp, FlashHelp) Select to display the context of topics in search results.
Enable Highlight Search Result
Select to highlight the search results in Topics. Select the color to highlight the search results.
Add About Box
Set up information that appears in a dynamic window when users click the image in the main
toolbar.
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Linking, navigation, and search
Example of About box

Browse Sequences
Create browse sequences before enabling them.
Detail
Change the text displayed for the in-topic navigation bar elements.
Search Input Field In Toolbar
Include a search field in the main toolbar.
Synchronize Table Of Contents
Synchronize the TOC with the topic in the right pane so that users see where they are in the
structure.
•

To synchronize the TOC automatically, click the pop-up menu and select Automatically.

•

To add a button that users can click to synchronize the TOC, click the pop-up menu and
select Manually.NOTE: If you use custom skins, provide a button icon in the WebHelp Skin
Editor.

About breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are navigational links displayed in web pages of the Help system. These links outline
the position of the page in the table of contents or the directory structure of the project. You can
define breadcrumbs in a master page or a topic. They can also be configured at run time to appear
on the top or bottom of a page.
The user can click a portion of the breadcrumb trail to go directly to a page. For example, if the trail
is Home > Installation > Hardware Requirements, the user can click Installation to go directly to the
Installation page.
Breadcrumbs are displayed in merged projects. The breadcrumb trail for a page in a merged project
shows the position of the page with respect to the merged project and the master project.
For example, suppose the master project MultiCuisine contains the project AsianCuisine. AsianCuisine in turn contains the project JapaneseRecipes. The breadcrumb trail for the topic “Common
Japanese Ingredients” is as follows:
Home > MultiCuisine > AsianCuisine > JapaneseRecipes
Breadcrumbs are generated only in WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro, HTML
Help, and AIR Help. For all other layouts, breadcrumbs are not generated, even if placeholders are
present.

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8

Add breadcrumbs to topics
1)

Select Output > Open > Outputs (SSL).

2)

Double-click the WebHelp/WebHelp Pro/FlashHelp/FlashHelp Pro layout, and do the
following:
•

(WebHelp) In the Navigation pane, select Add Breadcrumbs Links, and click Format.

•

(WebHelp Pro/FlashHelp/FlashHelp Pro) Click Next. Select Add Breadcrumbs Links
and click Format.

3)

In the Layout area, select the placement and alignment for the breadcrumbs.

4)

In the Text area, select or specify a name for the link to the main Help page, which appears on
every topic page.

5)

Select a separator for the Breadcrumbs.

6)

Type a label that precedes the breadcrumbs trail. For example, you can add the static text "You
are here" before the breadcrumb trail.

7)

Preview the layout and formatting of breadcrumbs in the Preview pod.

8)

Select a background color.

9)

(Optional) Select Use Topic Level Format to use the default format settings.

10) (Optional) Click Format to change the default font settings.
11) Click OK, and then click Finish.
In the generated WebHelp, all the topic pages show a breadcrumb trail reflecting the TOC hierarchy.
RELATED LINKS:
Insert a placeholder

Create text links
You can create links with most items you see in the Project Manager and TOC Composer. These
items include topics, bookmarks, URLs, baggage files, newsgroups, FTP sites, files (such as PDF)
associated with other programs, and remote topics.

Use Design Editor to create text links

272

1)

In the Design Editor, select the insertion point for the link.

2)

Click the Insert Hyperlink button

.

Linking, navigation, and search
3)

Select an option from the Link To menu. Specify the source location in the box.

4)

If Display In Frame is selected, select an option from the pop-up menu.

Display In Frame
If the destination is a frame, this option defines the frameset for displaying the destination
content. You can select the frame type or enter custom frame information. This option is
unavailable for linking to topics.
Display In Auto-sizing Popup
Displays the destination topic in a pop-up window rather than in the viewer or browser. The
window size adjusts to the content. If you have a long topic, use a custom-sized pop-up.
Display In Custom-sized Popup
Displays the destination topic in a pop-up window. To manually size the window, type a
number in the Width and Height fields. If the text goes beyond the pop-up's height or width,
the pop-up includes scroll bars. This option is available only for linking to topics.
5)

Add tool tip text to appear when you hover over the link.

6)

Select a local topic, bookmark, frame, or URL that exists in your project as the link destination.
To filter the list, click the triangle.

Drag to create links
1)

In Design Editor, select the item in the topic for the hotspot. Select text, an image, or a multimedia object.

2)

In the Project Manager pod, open the folder containing the destination item (such as a URL in
the URLs folder, or a topic in a custom folder).

3)

Locate and select the destination item.

4)

(Optional) Click the TOC tab to display the TOC Composer or the Project tab to display the
Project Manager.

5)

Drag the destination item from the Project Manager pod or Topics List pod onto the selected
item in the Design Editor.

NOTE:Topics with information types are not supported as links.

RELATED LINKS:
Image maps

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8

Link to a pop-up
You can create a link that displays an HTML topic in a pop-up rather than in the default browser or
viewer. A pop-up supports HTML formatting, images, Dynamic HTML, link controls, and other
HTML features of the destination topic. When a user clicks the link, the pop-up opens and sizes to
fit either the content of the topic or dimensions that you specify.
A pop-up can be used only to link to a topic or bookmark within the project.
1)

In the Design Editor, place the cursor where you want a link, or select text or an image to define
a hotspot.

2)

In the toolbar, click the Insert Popup button

3)

Select Hyperlink Options.

4)

Select a size option. If you choose Custom-Sized Pop-up, enter values in points in the Height
and Width boxes.NOTE: Scrolling inside auto/custom pop-ups may not work in Multiscreen
HTML5 output on some devices.

5)

Under Select Destination (File Or URL), select a topic

6)

Click OK.

.

, bookmark

, or frameset.

NOTE:A link within a pop-up to another pop-up doesn't work in the HTML Help viewer or in Internet
Explorer.

Exclude pop-ups from full-text searches
1)

Create a small HTML Help project to contain the pop-up topics.

2)

Generate the project to create a CHM file.

3)

Link to the pop-up topics in the second CHM file. (Do not merge the two Help systems.)

4)

Distribute both CHM files to users.

RELATED LINKS:
Text-only pop-ups

Bookmarks
Use bookmarks to create incremental links within a topic. You can link to a bookmark from within
the topic itself; from any other topic in your project; or from an index entry, TOC entry, or image
map. The Bookmark icon appears next to bookmarked objects. To view bookmarks from the
Project Manager, click the plus sign next to a topic.

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Create bookmarks
1)

Click left of the location for the bookmark.

2)

Do one of the following:

3)

•

Click the Insert Bookmark icon

•

Select Insert > Links > Bookmark.

.

Enter a name, without spaces, using any combination of letters and numbers.

After you save the topic, bookmark icons appear indented under topics listed in the Project Manager
pod and next to topics in the Topics List pod.

Create links to bookmarks
1)

Open the destination for the link. To create a link within a topic, create a bookmark in the
topic.

2)

In the Design Editor, select the link location and then click the Insert Hyperlink button

3)

Under Select Destination (File Or URL), select the bookmark to link to.

4)

Click the View icon

.

to test the link.

NOTE: Bookmarks are grouped with their topics.

Rename bookmarks
1)

Open the topic with a bookmark. Select the bookmark, right-click it, and select Bookmark
[bookmark name] Properties.

2)

Edit the name and click OK.

3)

Unassign and reassign the map ID for the renamed bookmark.

4)

If the bookmark is used in context-sensitive Help, edit the map ID.

Locate bookmarks
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select Insert > Links > Go To Bookmark.

3)

Select a bookmark to locate.

4)

Click Go To.

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8

Remove bookmarks
1)

Remove all links to the bookmark.

2)

Select the bookmark icon in the topic. In the toolbar, click the Delete button.

RELATED LINKS:
Edit a map ID

Link images and multimedia
Add links to multimedia clips
You can include links to image, video, sound, and other multimedia files.
1)

In the Design Editor, place the cursor where you want the link, or select text or an image to
create a hotspot for the link.

2)

Click the Insert Hyperlink button

3)

In Link To, click the triangle button

4)

Select the file to link. Click Open.

.
and select Multimedia.

Add links from images and multimedia
Topics can include multimedia as links, sound or video clips, local or external HTML topics, bookmarks, web or FTP sites, e-mail, or newsgroups.
1)

In the Design Editor, click the multimedia object or the image to link.

2)

Click the Insert Hyperlink button

.

•

To link from multimedia, in Link To, click the triangle button

and select Multimedia.

•

To link from images, select the destination. Images can contain only one link.

TIP:Link from a sound or video object in the topic by right-clicking the object and selecting Insert

Hyperlink.

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External links
Link to external topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects)
1)

In the Design Editor, select a link location.

2)

Click the Insert Hyperlink button

3)

In Link To, click the triangle button

.
to select Remote Topic.

Link to external files
1)

Choose a link location in the Design Editor.

2)

Enter text.

3)

Highlight the text and click the Insert Hyperlink button

4)

Click the triangle button

5)

Browse to a file, open it, and copy it into the project folder.

6)

Generate the file to test links to external topics.

.

next to Link To and then select File.

WebHelp projects
The external file must be distributed in the WebHelp folder.
Microsoft HTML Help projects
The external file must be distributed with the CHM file.
NOTE:The external CHM file must be in the same folder as the project CHM file.

Link to WinHelp topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects)
Add WinHelp topic controls to link to a topic in a WinHelp file from an HTML topic.
1)

In the Design Editor, click a location for the control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > WinHelp Topic.

3)

Set the button options.

4)

Click Next. Select the WinHelp file and topic.

5)

Click Next. Set font options for the button label.

6)

Click Finish.

7)

To test the project, generate it.
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8

Link to e-mail addresses, FTP sites, newsgroups, and web addresses
1)

In the Design Editor, choose a location for the link or select text or an image to define a hotspot.

2)

Click the Insert Hyperlink button

3)

In Link To, click the triangle button

.
and then do any of the following:

•

To link to e-mail, select Email.

•

To link to FTP sites or newsgroups, select FTP or Usenet News.

•

To link to intranets or websites, select Web Address.

Link View
Use Link view to view and navigate project links.

Navigate in the Link View pod
The icon in the center of the Link View pod represents the current topic. Lines on either side of the
icon represent inbound and outbound links. Each line is color coded to denote the type of link.

278

1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Link View. Link View appears as a document in the Doc Pad.

2)

Select the pod (workflow pane) from which to drag topics. Do any of the following:
•

To display topics from the Project Manager, select Project > Open > Pods > Project
Manager.

•

To display topics from the TOC Composer, select Project > Open > Pods > TOC.

•

To display topics from the Index Designer, select Project > Open > Pods > Index.

3)

Select a topic from Topics For, and then drag it into the center of Link View. Click the previous
and next buttons to view the connected links.

4)

To view another topic's links, in Link View, drag a topic on top of the one in the center of the
group to display all links to and from it.

Linking, navigation, and search

Change the appearance of links in the Link View pod
Change icon sizes
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Link View.

2)

Click the Use Small Icon button

.

NOTE:The tool tip text indicates the action you can perform on the icons.

Set Link View scroll features
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Link View.

2)

Do any of the following:
•

To scroll the topic with the linked topics, click the Keep Topic Elastic button

•

To scroll hyperlinks only, click the Keep Topic Centered button

•

For large projects, click the Display Limited Links button

.

.

.

Set options in the Link View pod
Click the icons to see different types of links.
•

The current topic is in the center and has a blue border.

•

Inbound links appear on the left.

•

Outbound links appear on the right.

Define use of the Link View window.
Icon Size
Sets the size of the icons used to display topics. You can use small or large icons.
Center Topic Placement
Positions the center with inbound and outbound links.
Move Center Topic With View
Positions the topic to scroll with the links in the window.
Keep Center Topic Centered
Keeps the center topic stationary while links move with the scroll bar.

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8

Link maintenance and repair
Update and remove links
Open the topic containing the link. Do any of the following:
•

To update the link, right-click the link, select Hyperlink Properties, and make changes.

•

To remove a link, right-click the link and select Remove Hyperlink.

•

To remove the link and the text, select the text and press Delete.

Manage broken links
To identify broken links, use the Broken Links folder in the Project Manager. It displays the names
of deleted or missing topics that are referenced in a project.
1)

Select these options from the Tools menu to identify and fix broken links:

Show Topic Links
Displays a topic in Link View.
Show Topic References
Identifies references for one topic. Use this option to determine whether the topic is referenced
in a TOC or index and whether other topics link to it.
Enable BugHunter
For context-sensitive topics in Microsoft HTML Help systems. Use this option to diagnose
problems that can occur when linking HTML Help systems to Windows applications.
Resolve Broken Links
Identifies missing or deleted topics that caused broken links. Use this option to determine
where the broken links originate and to restore topic links.
Edit Topic References
Lets you look up references for topics in a project. Use this option to determine where references originate and to modify them.
Edit External Topic References
Identifies external topics (such as remote links or URLs) that are referenced in a project. Use
this option to modify or remove them from the project.

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Fix broken links
1)

Select Project > Navigation > Topic References > References To Selected Topic.
•

To fix a link, first select a link. Then click Edit, and edit or remove the hyperlink.

•

To fix a TOC item, index keyword, or image map, first select the item. Then click Edit,
and select a valid destination to repair the broken link.

•

To remove TOC entries, select the TOC item and click Delete. The book or page is
removed from the table of contents.

NOTE:If you use version control in a multi-author environment, some files might link to topics that have

been moved, renamed, or removed by another author. If you don't have the latest version of the files,
they appear as broken links.

Identify and update topic references
Identify topic references
1)

From the Topics List pod or the Project Manager pod, select a topic.
•

To show references for a single topic, right-click the topic and select Show > Topic References.

•

To show references for all topics in the project, select Tools > Edit Topic References. On
the right, select a topic. The left view shows all topic references.

Update topic references
1)

Select Project > Navigation > Topic References.
•

To fix broken links, in References To Selected Topic, select the link to repair. Click Edit
or remove the link.

RELATED LINKS:
Change an image map

Identify and update external topic references
1)

Select Project > Navigation > External Topic References.

2)

Do any of the following:
•

To identify external references, select the topic.

•

To fix broken links, in References To Selected Topic, select the link. Click Edit and make
changes.
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•

8

To fix or remove TOC items and entries, in References To Selected Topic, select the item.
Click Edit and select a destination, or click Delete.

NOTE:You cannot change index keywords from this dialog box.

RELATED LINKS:
Fix broken links

View and test hyperlinks
View hyperlinks and identify browse sequences
In the Design Editor, right-click and select Show Topic Links. Or, use the procedure that follows.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Link View. The Link View pod appears.

2)

Drag topics from the Project Manager pod into the Link View pod.

3)

Click the Project Manager pod.

4)

Open the HTML Files (Topics) folder or a custom folder, and select a topic to view.

5)

Drag the topic into the Link View pod over the center Link View icon

6)

Release the mouse button to display links.

.

Test links in a topic
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Topic List. The Topic List pod appears.

2)

Right-click the topic and select View.

3)

Click links to test them.

RELATED LINKS:
Browse sequences

Link controls
About link controls
Link controls are navigational alternatives to the TOC and index. A link control works like a link and
can appear as text, a button, or an image.
NOTE:When you update a topic, make sure that its link controls are up-to-date. Deleting a topic or

changing a topic title, topic content, or filename can affect link controls.
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Link controls function in the following ways:
•

Direct users to related topics and information. Link controls can save users time spent
searching.

•

Organize information for different kinds of users.

•

Manage topic content by keeping information needed by multiple topics in a single topic and
providing access to it from several places with link controls.

•

Manage topic layout by inserting link controls as objects rather than as long lines of links.

Types of link controls
Related Topics
Displays a list of topics that you specify. You change the related topics list by topic, according
to user need. Related Topics controls require more maintenance than other link controls. If
you add or remove topics, make sure that you add or remove the topics in each Related Topics
control.
See Also
Displays a list of topics that you group into a logical category. All topics assigned to identical
See Also keywords appear in a list when users click See Also. See Also controls require less
maintenance than other controls because you define the group of topics in one location (not
in each topic). Make sure that you update the See Also control when you add or remove topics.
Automatic updates occur in each topic containing the control.
Keyword Links
Controls that let you use index keywords for navigation within topics. Indexes group related
topics based on keywords. When a user clicks an index keyword, an associated topic list
appears. If you add or remove an index keyword in the index or in topic properties, the control
updates within each topic that contains it. Keyword Link controls are usable with main-level,
or parent-index keywords.
Keyword link properties
Assign index file keywords and topic keywords from the index file to Keyword Link controls.
Keywords In Project
Display all keywords available for the control.
Keywords In Control
Display keywords assigned to the control.

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8

Add
Select the keyword from Keywords In Index. Select Add.
Delete
Select the keyword from Keywords In Control. Select Delete.
For HTML Help projects:
Set Remote Keywords Use keywords from other CHM files.NOTE: While similar to the Related Topics
control, the See Also control has the added feature of being able to leave out of its list, the topic where
it is placed. In addition, it can be automatically updated in each topic containing the control. This
means that the control can be copy/pasted among associated topics.

Add Related Topics controls
TIP:Changes you make to titles or filenames are not applied to the Related Topics control.

1)

In the Design Editor, click a location for the control.

2)

Click the Insert > Related Topics.

3)

Choose an option to show related topics as a button, which can be a label or an image, or to
show related topics as text.

4)

From Topics In Project, select a topic and click Add. Continue to add all topics you want to
appear as related topics.NOTE: The URL box displays the location of the topic file linked, and
Title shows the title of the topic page.

5)

(Optional) Click Change to update the topic name in Related Topics.

6)

Choose options to display in a Topics found dialog or in a pop-up menu.

7)

Select an option to display the selected topic in a frame or new window.

8)

Select display and font options.

9)

Click Finish and then click the View button

to test.

NOTE:(Microsoft HTML Help) If the topic contains a Related Topics control, the links might not work
properly because of a known Microsoft HTML Help bug. Consider using See Also controls, Keyword
Link controls, or standard HTML links.

Related Topics wizard
Use the Related Topics wizard to change how a link for a Keyword Link or Related Topics control
appears: as a button with text or an image, as plain text, or as a hidden control that works with scripts.

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Button
Defines how a control appears in a topic.
Label
Displays a control as a square gray button with black text. The text in the box displays on the
button. You can edit the label.
Image
Displays a control as an image. The image filename appears in the box below this option. (You
can't add a text label to an image or edit the label in RoboHelp.) To select an image, click the
Browse button , and then select an image from the dialog box. Save the image as a Windows
bitmap (BMP) and icon (ICO) file.
Text
Displays a control as a text link (Example: More information).
Hidden (For Scripts)
Hides the control. Used for a topic to which you add a script. The control isn't visible in the
topic. Work with a developer to configure a script.
(HTML Help Projects Only) If No Topics Are Associated With Any Of The Keywords, Disable
The Button
If you create a Keyword Link control and then remove all the keywords assigned to the control,
the control is disabled when a user opens the topic.
Choose Topic From
Defines how the list of topics is displayed when a user clicks a link control.
Topics Found dialog
Displays the list of topics in a Topics Found dialog box. The topic appears when a user selects
a topic and then clicks Display.
Popup Menu
Displays the list of topics in a pop-up menu. Users select a topic to open it.
Frame
Specifies a frame in which to display a topic when the keyword is clicked. Custom framesets
appear in the list.

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8

For HTML Help projects using See Also or Keyword Link controls:
If no topics are associated with any of the specified keywords, disable the button
Disables the control if there are no topics associated with the control keywords. For example,
if you create a Keyword Link control and then remove all the keywords assigned to the control,
the control is disabled when users open the topic.

Create, assign, and add See Also keywords and controls
Create and assign See Also keywords
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Double-click the See Also folder in the Project Manager pod. The See Also pod appears.

•

Type the See Also keyword in the text box. Click the plus sign.

•

Click the Add New See Also Keyword button
Enter.

icon. Type the new keyword and press

The keyword appears in bold, indicating that no topics are associated with it.
2)

3)

To assign topics to the See Also keyword, click the Topic List pod and do one of the following:
•

To add the keyword to multiple topics, select a topic, drag it into the lower pod, and
repeat for all topics you want to assign.

•

To add the keyword to individual topics, click the Topic List pod, select a topic, click the
Properties button , and select See Also. Type the keyword to assign to the topic and
click Add.

Add a See Also control to the new keyword.

See Also pod
New See Also Keyword
Create a See Also keyword.
Add Keyword
Add the See Also keyword entered in the box.
New Keyword Topic
Assign a keyword topic.
Find Topic
Find topics based on search criteria.

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Set See Also Keywords in the See Also wizard
The See Also wizard appears when you try to insert a See Also control in a topic (Insert > See Also).
See Also Keywords In Project
Display a list of all available See Also keywords.
Add
Select the name from See Also Keywords In Project to add.
Delete
Select the name from See Also Keywords In Control to delete.
See Also Keywords In Control
Display See Also keywords assigned to the control.
For HTML Help projects:
Set Remote See Also Keywords
Use See Also keywords from other CHM files.
Set keywords in a remote CHM file
NOTE:HTML projects only.

The CHM file is copied to the project folder. Keywords are referenced only from the CHM file.
CHM File Name
Enter the remote CHM file to reference.
a)

Click the Browse button

to browse for remote CHM files.

Keyword
Enter the keyword to reference. Type the name exactly as it is used in the CHM file.
Add
Add a keyword to Remote Keywords In Control.
Delete
Remove keyword from Remote Keywords In Control.
Remote Keywords In Control
Display the keywords insert.

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8

Set See Also keywords in a remote CHM file
NOTE:HTML projects only.

Use See Also keywords in the Help project that are used in other CHM files. The CHM file is copied
to the project folder. See Also keywords are not copied.
CHM File Name
The remote CHM file
Browse button
Click to browse to the remote CHM file.
See Also Keyword
Type the name of the See Also keyword exactly as it is used in the CHM file.
Add
Add the See Also keyword to the Remote See Also keywords in the control field.
Delete
Remove the See Also keyword from the Remote See Also keywords in the control field.
Remote See Also Keywords In Control
Display the See Also keywords to insert into the control.
Add See Also controls

288

1)

Create See Also keywords.

2)

In the Design Editor, click a location for the control.

3)

Click Insert Help Control

4)

Select See Also.

5)

Select the link options.

6)

Under See Also Keywords In Project, select a See Also keyword.

7)

Click Add. Repeat for all keywords you want to add. Click Next.

8)

Select display and font options.

9)

Click Finish. To test the control, generate the project.

.

Linking, navigation, and search

Change, reuse, or remove link controls
1)

In the Design Editor, open a topic containing the link control.
•

To change a control, double-click the control and change its properties.

•

To reuse a control, right-click the control and select Copy. Right-click in the destination
topic and select Paste.

•

To remove a control, select the control and click Delete

.

Text-only pop-ups
Work with text-only pop-ups
Text-only pop-ups are short text passages, such as definitions, that appear when a user clicks a linked
term. You can insert a text-only pop-up anywhere except in topic headers and footers. For longer
text passages, or if you need graphics, use a regular pop-up.
RELATED LINKS:
Link to a pop-up

Create text-only pop-ups
1)

In the Design Editor, select the text.

2)

From the Insert menu, select Text-Only Popup.

3)

Type the pop-up text directly into the window.

Edit text-only pop-ups
1)

2)

Right-click the text-only pop-up and select Text Popup Properties.
•

To edit the text, type in the Popup Text box.

•

To edit background color, fonts, and margins, click in the appropriate box and make the
changes. Your selections apply to text-only pop-ups you create in the future.

To test, click the View button

and select the text-only pop-up.

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8

Remove text-only pop-ups
1)

Right-click the pop-up and click Remove Text Popup.

Test text-only pop-ups
Test before generating
1)

From the Design Editor, open the topic containing the text-only pop-up.

2)

Click the View button

3)

Click the text-only pop-up.

.

Test after generating
1)

Click the View Primary Layout icon

. If you are prompted to generate, click Yes.

2)

Navigate to the topic containing the text-only pop-up.

3)

Click the text-only pop-up.

Browse sequences
Create or edit browse sequences
Use browse sequences to provide a path for your readers to move through a series of topics. When
working with browse sequences, keep in mind the following:

290

•

You cannot include HTML files or external topics from other Help systems in browse
sequences.

•

A single topic can belong to multiple browse sequences.

•

Each type of Help displays browse sequences differently. In WebHelp layouts, you can enable
or disable browse sequences at a project level. In both WebHelp and Adobe AIR layouts, you
can select the browse sequences that you want to display. If the layout defines content categories, you can select browse sequences for each content category. For information about how to
enable or disable browse sequences and select them for content categories, see Configure the
Adobe AIR layout and Generate WebHelp output.

Linking, navigation, and search
Create browse sequences automatically
An automatically created browse sequence replaces existing browse sequences.
1)

Create the table of contents.

2)

Select Tools > Browse Sequence Editor.

3)

Click Auto-Create Using TOC.

4)

Enter the number of levels from the TOC hierarchy that you want to include in the browse
sequence, and click OK.

5)

Click OK. If the Enable Browse Sequence dialog box appears, click Yes.

Create browse sequences manually
1)

Select Tools > Browse Sequence Editor.

2)

Click New and then name the browse sequence.

3)

From Available Topics, select the folder containing the topics you’re adding.

4)

Add topics to the browse sequence.

5)

•

To move a single topic, select the topic and click Add, or click the Add Browse Sequence
button to move it.

•

To move a group of topics, select the folder containing the topics and click the Add All
Browse Sequence button .

Click OK. If the Enable Browse Sequence dialog box appears, click Yes.

Remove a topic from a browse sequence
1)

From the Browse Sequence list, select the topic and click Remove.

Rename or remove a browse sequence
From the Browse Sequence list, select the browse sequence.
•

To remove it, click Remove.

•

To rename it, click Rename and enter the new name.

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8

View and test browse sequences
Identify topics associated with browse sequences
1)

Select Tools > Browse Sequence Editor.

2)

Under Browse Sequences, click the plus sign
topics.

next to each browse sequence to display the

Test browse sequences
Topics that belong to multiple sequences appear within the browse sequence that is listed first in
Link View.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Link View. The Link View pod appears.

2)

Click the Project Manager tab.

3)

In the Project Manager, open the HTML Files folder and select a topic.

4)

Drag the topic into the Link View pod.
When a yellow line appears around the Link View icon
links to and from the topic.
If the topic is part of a browse sequence, the Previous
below it.

5)

, release the mouse button to display
and Next

Click the Previous and Next buttons to test the browse sequence.

View sequences for a single topic
1)

Select a topic.

2)

Click the Properties button

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

.

Test browse sequences in a browser or view

292

1)

Verify that browse sequences are enabled.

2)

Click the Generate button

3)

Click View Result and click through the browse sequence.

to generate.

buttons appear above and

Linking, navigation, and search
Identify the browse sequences a topic is assigned to
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Click the Properties

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

button.

RoboHelp output search
RoboHelp offers a variety of options through which you can add search metadata, optimize the
contents of a project for search, and configure the search experience of end users.

RoboHelp search basics
RoboHelp supports these features for search in the output:
Multiple language search
RoboHelp search supports multiple languages at the project, topic, and paragraph level. For
example, suppose users search for a German word in an English topic with an embedded
German paragraph. If RoboHelp finds the German word, it displays the English topic with the
German word highlighted.
Chinese/Japanese/Korean (CJK) search
WebHelp and FlashHelp output in RoboHelp supports keyword search, which means a user
query is broken into individual words and then each word is looked up in the project content.
Breaking a search query into individual words is not easy for Chinese/Japanese/Korean
languages because those languages do not clearly mark word boundaries.
The search functionality with WebHelp, FlashHelp, AIRHelp, and browser-based AIRHelp
output recognizes CJK content in search queries, so that the results you get are more
useful.NOTE: RoboHelp looks up every contiguous sequence of CJK characters as a whole and
shows only those topics that match the entire search query in the same sequence.
To search for multiple CJK words, separate the words in the following ways:
•

Use logical operators AND or OR
RoboHelp looks up each CJK word and then shows results depending on the operator used.

•

Use space
RoboHelp does a phrase search if you use space to separate words.
NOTE: Support for CJK search does not impact indexing of content in RoboHelp Server.

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Substring search
(WebHelp/Pro, FlashHelp/Pro) If you enable this feature, a search for "log" returns topics
containing the words "catalog" and "logarithm." Substring search takes longer than
whole-string search.
NOTE: In merged projects, substring search works when enabled in both the master project and

child projects.
Phrase search
To search for a phrase, users need to enter it in quotation marks in the search box. If the search
term is "color swatch," RoboHelp returns all topics with the phrase "color swatch".
AND search
(WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, and AIR Help) By default, RoboHelp performs OR search when a
user types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. This means that RoboHelp finds all topics that have any of the words specified in the Search box. If you select the
Allow AND Search In Output option in SSL settings, RoboHelp performs AND search when a
user types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. RoboHelp finds only
the topics that have all the words specified in the Search box. AND search can be used in
combination with phrase search.
In SSL settings, you can also specify whether or not AND search should be enabled by default.
In addition, when AND search is supported in the output, end users have the option to enable
or disable it.
NOTE: In merged projects, child projects inherit the setting of the parent project. In projects with

DUCC (content categories), the setting applies to all content categories.
Boolean operators in search
(WebHelp) Users can narrow down the scope of search by combining search terms using the
Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT.
Ranking of search results
RoboHelp ranks search results based on their relevance. For example, if a word appears in the
title of a topic, its rank is higher than the word in the topic keyword list. A topic with the word
appearing in heading 1 ranks higher than the word appearing in heading 2 and is displayed first
in the search results.

Add search metadata
Search metadata comprises synonyms, topic keywords, and Stop Words.
To add or edit search metadata, do the following:

294

1)

Select Edit > Search Metadata.

2)

Do the following:

Linking, navigation, and search
Synonyms
Select this option to define synonyms to allow for variations in search terms. For example, you
can define "cursor," "pointer," and "mouse" as synonymous terms. If the search term is "mouse,"
RoboHelp returns all topics containing the word "cursor," with that term highlighted. For more
information, see Change project settings.
Topic Keywords
Select this option to associate words or phrases to the current topic. Typically, you choose
words or phrases that are relevant to the topic but are not found in the topic contents. For
example, you can choose to associate the keyword "formatting" to a topic about fonts, styles,
and point sizes. If the end user enters "formatting" as a search term, RoboHelp displays that
topic even though it doesn't contain the word "formatting." When ranking search results,
RoboHelp gives more weight to keywords than to search terms found in the body of a topic.
For more information, see Change project settings.
NOTE: Keyword search is not available in Microsoft HTML Help (CHM).

Stop Words
Select this option to add common (minor) words, such as “a” or “the” in the Stop List file
ProjectName.stp. RoboHelp ignores these words to display optimal and relevant search results.
For more information, see Change project settings.

Optimize content for search
RoboHelp supports many ways to optimize the content for search:
Make Office and PDF files searchable
(WebHelp/Pro, FlashHelp/Pro) Users can search for baggage files (such as PDF, Word, and
Excel files) in published output. To appear in search results, these baggage files must be referenced in a topic through a hyperlink.
NOTE: You must have iFilter for Microsoft and PDF installed on to enable baggage file search.

Exclude unreferenced topics from search
The Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output option in layout properties ensures that
search results are displayed only from topics that are referenced in the following project
components:
•

TOC

•

Index

•

Browse sequences

•

Default topic

•

CSH map IDs
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8

•

See Also keywords

•

Related Topics keywords

•

Hyperlinks

Exclude specified baggage file types from search
(Multiscreen HTML5, WebHelp, FlashHelp, and AIR Help) The Exclude Baggage File Types
From Search option lets you exclude baggage files of specified types from search. For example,
you can exclude all Excel files in your projects from search.
NOTE: In merged projects, configure this search setting for each project.

Exclude unreferenced baggage files from search
The Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search option ensures that search results
display baggage files only if they are referenced from topics through hyperlinks and the index
and TOC selected in layout properties. If the Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
option is selected, RoboHelp considers only referenced topics; otherwise, it considers all topics
in the project.
See the following table to find the layouts that support the Exclude Unreferenced Topics From
Output and Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search options:

SSL
Multiscreen HTML5

Exclude Unreferenced Topics From
Output option

Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files
From Search option

Yes

Yes

Adobe AIR
Output type: Adobe AIR
Application

Yes

Yes

Adobe AIR
Output type: Browser based
Help

Yes

Yes

WebHelp

Yes

Yes

WebHelp Pro

Yes

Yes

FlashHelp

Yes

Yes

FlashHelp Pro

Yes

Yes

Microsoft HTML Help

Yes

No

Printed Documentation

No

No

eBook

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SSL

Exclude Unreferenced Topics From
Output option

Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files
From Search option

XML Output

Yes

No

Oracle Help

Yes

No

JavaHelp

Yes

No

Configure search experience
You can configure the search experience of end users in the following ways:
Show Total Number Of Search Results
(WebHelp and AIRHelp) Using this option, you can specify whether the total number of
results for a search string entered by users should be displayed in the output. By default, this
search option is enabled in both upgraded and new RoboHelp projects.
NOTE: In merged projects, child projects inherit the setting of the parent project.

Show topic context in search results
By default, the search results list shows the first 60 characters of each topic to give context. You
can disable the display of context by using the SSL dialog box.
NOTE: Only WebHelp/Pro and FlashHelp/Pro support context in Help results. In Flash Help/Pro,

the context appears as a tool tip.
Customizable search results list
(WebHelp/Pro) By default, ten search results appear at a time. In these two outputs, the Search
pane contains an option for the maximum number of search results to show in a list.
Hide Rank column in search results
For WebHelp and WebHelp Pro output, you can hide the Rank column in search results to
allocate more space for displaying search results. The Hide Rank Column In Search Results
option is available in the Search tab of WebHelp layout properties. See Generate WebHelp
output and Generate WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro output.

External content search
External content search enables authors to display content from specified URLs based on terms that
users are likely to search. You can create a list of URLs related to a project and, for each URL, provide
a set of search terms, a title, and, a description. When a user's search query contains any of these
search terms, RoboHelp returns the title and description of the corresponding URL in the search
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8

results. When the user clicks it, the contents are displayed in the Topic Pane. The URL returned in
search results has the same rank as the keyword specified in topics.

Set up and manage external content search
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > External Content Search.

2)

Use the following options to set up and manage external content search:

Add
Click Add and specify search terms (separated by a comma, space, or semicolon) and the URL
for the external content. Adding a title and a description is a good idea. Select any CBTs you
want to apply. Click OK to save the entry in the SearchOptions.xml file in the project folder.
Edit
Select the entry you want to edit and click Edit. Modify the details and click OK.
Import
Click Import and select the SearchOptions.xml file from a project to import the external
content search settings of that project into the current project.
Export
Click Export and select a folder to export the SearchOptions.xml file. Exporting the SearchOptions.xml file from one project to another is useful when two projects need to allow searching
similar external content.
Search
Specify a string to search for a particular entry. This option is useful when a project has many
entries defined for external content search.

Enable external content search
You can enable external content search in the following layouts SSLs:

298

•

Multiscreen HTML5

•

WebHelp

•

FlashHelp

•

Adobe AIR

•

WebHelp Pro

Linking, navigation, and search
•

FlashHelp Pro

1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout in which you want to generate output
and select Properties.

2)

Depending on the layout, do the following:
•

(Multiscreen HTML5) Click a screen profile. In the Search tab, select Enable External
Content Search.

•

(Adobe AIR) Click Search and select Enable External Content Search.

•

(WebHelp) Click Search and select Enable External Content Search.

•

(WebHelp Pro) Select Enable External Content Search.

•

(FlashHelp and FlashHelp Pro) Click Next and select Enable External Content Search.

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9

Multimedia and special effects
Images
Image basics
Image file formats
GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)
An 8-bit color format that can display 256 colors and is useful for images with a limited range
of color. GIF images support the transparent attribute. They are best for grayscale photographs, cartoons, small icons, buttons, bars, lines, and bullets. They can be interlaced and
animated.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)
JPEG format is commonly used to display photographs and other continuous-tone images in
HTML documents. If you use images with 256 colors or more, use JPEG format. JPEG files
have either a .jpeg or .jpg filename extension.
BMP (Windows Bitmap)
The standard bitmap image format intended for Windows, used in WinHelp applications.
Bitmap images support up to 24-bit color. When you import WinHelp projects into HTML,
the bitmaps are converted into GIF or JPG format. You can use bitmaps and icon formats (ICO
files) when you add link controls or HTML Help controls (custom buttons.)
MRB (Multi-Resolution Bitmap)
A Windows Help image format that contains an image saved in different screen resolutions in
a single file. The program imports these files from WinHelp projects and converts them into
GIF images.
WMF (Windows Metafile)
A vector graphics format intended for Windows systems. WMF files are commonly used as clip
art for word-processing applications. The program imports these files from WinHelp projects
and converts them into GIF images.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
A bitmap image format like GIF. The most recent versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer support PNG.

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Multimedia and special effects
Tips:
•

Create a stationery watermark effect by displaying background colors and images from the
Borders And Shading dialog box.

•

When you select an image, the Cable Drum button appears . Use it to link topic items (such
as images, text, and tables) with another topic item, and assign a Dynamic HTML effect to the
connection.

•

When you import a Microsoft Word file or an HTML file, all images are imported with the file
(images must be in anchored frames.)

NOTE:If you generate WebHelp Pro or WebHelp output, use GIF or JPEG files.

Locate images
Use the Graphics Locator to scan hard drives and folders for image files, view thumbnails, and copy
files.
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click the Graphics Locator

2)

Select the graphic file format to search for.

3)

Enter the path for the search or browse to a new location.

4)

Click Search.

.

Copy an image
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click the Graphics Locator button

2)

Select an image from the Image Files list.

3)

Browse to a destination.

4)

Click Copy File.

.

View an image
To view an image, you associate the filename extension with an application:
1)

In the Project view, select the Images folder.

2)

Right-click an image.

3)

Click View.

4)

Select File > Options.

5)

Click the Associations tab.

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9

6)

Click Add next to File Associations. Enter a filename extension.

7)

Click Select. Browse to the application to use for editing and viewing the file type.

Add an image to a topic
You can insert files with the following filename extensions: .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, or .bmp.NOTE:For
Web-based Help, use GIF or JPEG files.
1)

In the Design Editor, select a location for the image.

2)

In the toolbar, click the Insert Image button

3)

Do either of the following:

.

•

Click the Browse button

to browse to a file.

•

If the image file is in the project, select a folder from the Images In Project Folders pop-up
menu. Select All Folders to see all images in the project.

4)

Click OK.

•

For an image used in the project, drag it from the Project Manager\Images folder into the topic.

•

To add predefined images, click the Gallery tab in the Image dialog box, select a category, and
select the image. To add it to the project, click OK.

•

You can paste screen captures into the Design Editor without using a third-party image-editing
tool. The images are saved as either GIF or JPEG files. Press Alt + PrtScr to capture the active
screen.

Tips:

Add a RoboScreenCapture image to a topic
Simultaneously create and add images.

302

1)

Move the cursor to a desired location in the Design Editor of a topic.

2)

Click the Insert ScreenCapture button
dialog box appears.

3)

Enter a filename for the new image.

4)

Select a file format.

5)

Click OK. RoboScreenCapture opens and RoboHelp is minimized.

6)

Select Capture > Active Window or any desired capture. The new image appears in the blank
area.

7)

Click Save

.

on the Object toolbar. The Insert ScreenCapture

Multimedia and special effects
8)

Close RoboScreenCapture. The Image dialog box of RoboHelp for HTML appears.

9)

(Optional) Resize the image or place borders around it.

10) Click OK.
Remove an image from a topic
•

To remove an image from a topic, in the Design Editor, select the image. Click the Delete
button. The image remains in the Images folder.

•

To remove an image from a project, delete the file from all topics. The image is removed from
the Images folder.

Edit an image in RoboHelp
1)

In the Design Editor, select the image to edit.

2)

Right-click the image and choose Image Properties.

3)

Set options:

Text Wrapping
Select the alignment of the image with the surrounding text.
NOTE:If text wrapping occurs around an image, then the image cannot be aligned. If text

wrapping is set to None, then the image, or the line it is on, can be aligned.
Screen Tip
Enter text to display when the user hovers the cursor over the image. Typically, the screen tip
text is the image title.
ALT Text
Enter the text to display when the image cannot be displayed (perhaps because users have
disabled images in their browsers). Typically, ALT Text (alternative text) should contain a
crisp description of the image.
Size
Click to set the dimensions of the image in pixels. In the Size dialog box, select Maintain Aspect
Ratio to maintain the height to width proportion.
Margins
Click to specify the space between the image and the text. You can specify the same width for
the margin on all sides or a different width for left, right, top, and bottom margins.

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9

Borders
Click to add a border to the image and specify a style.
Edit an image with RoboScreenCapture
1)

In the Design Editor, select the image to edit.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Edit > View > Image.

•

Right-click and select Edit with RoboScreenCapture.

3)

Edit the image.

4)

Click Save. NOTE: See RoboScreenCapture Help for more information.

Image maps
Create an image map
1)

In the Design Editor, open a topic containing an image.

2)

Right-click the image. Select Insert Image Map.

3)

Select Rectangle, Circle, or Polygon.
The cursor becomes a cross hair

.

4)

Draw a clickable area within the image border.

5)

In Link To, click the triangle pop-up menu
URL) or another destination.

6)

In Screen Tip Text, enter text to display when users hover the mouse over the image map.

7)

Click OK.

. Select a file under Select Destination (File Or

TIP:The Project Manager saves the image map with the image in the Images folder. A plus sign at

the left side of the Image button indicates an image map: . Click the plus sign to see a list of all
hotspots in the image map. Hotspot links appear with the Hotspot icon .
8)

To test, click the View button in the toolbar. Click the hotspot.

Change an image map

304

1)

In the Design Editor, open the topic containing the image map.

2)

Double-click the hotspot.

Multimedia and special effects
3)

In Link To, click the triangle pop-up menu
URL) or another destination.

. Select a file under Select Destination (File Or

4)

Select OK. If prompted, select OK to copy the file into the project.

5)

To test, click the View button

in the toolbar. Click the hotspot.

RELATED LINKS:
Link to a pop-up
W3C compliance

Adobe Captivate demos
Follow these procedures to integrate content created using Adobe Captivate and update the source
from within RoboHelp. You can launch Adobe Captivate from within RoboHelp and create demo
topics. You can also insert SWF and HTML5 output of Adobe Captivate demos in existing topics.
Demo or demonstration is a recording mode in Adobe Captivate. For more information, see Using
Adobe Captivate.
When an Adobe Captivate demo is added in the project, you can open the source from within RoboHelp and edit it.

Create an Adobe Captivate demo
Create an Adobe Captivate demo from within RoboHelp.
1)

Select Project > New > Topic > Adobe Captivate Topic.

2)

Specify a name for the Adobe Captivate project that will be created.

3)

In the Title box for the Demo topic, type the topic name.

4)

In the File Name box, specify a filename with the extension .htm.

5)

Click OK.

6)

Create the demo.
NOTE:You cannot access RoboHelp while Adobe Captivate is open.

7)

Save the demo and close Captivate.

8)

To test the demo, select or open the host topic, and click View

9)

Open the topic and add additional information, such as a header, footer, background color, or
title text.

.

NOTE: You can select the Adobe Captivate demo inserted in the topic and cut and paste it into

another topic if required.
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Multimedia and special effects

9

Insert an Adobe Captivate demo
You can link to the demo topic from other topics in the project, from books and pages in the TOC,
and from index keywords. When users click the link, the demo starts.
1)

In RoboHelp, open the topic where you want to insert the demo.

2)

Place the cursor where you want to insert the demo.

3)

From the Insert menu, select Adobe Captivate Demo. The Adobe Captivate Demo dialog box
appears:
•

If the demo SWF file is already in the project, select it from the Multimedia In Project
Folders list.

•

If the file is outside the project folder, click the Browse button , navigate to the SWF
file, and click Open. At the prompt, click Yes to copy the file to the project folder.

•

If Adobe Captivate HTML5 output of the demo is available, browse and select the .htm
file.
NOTE: RoboHelp adds the .htm file as a baggage file and uses the extension .cpz. If you have

not specified the SWF file along with the HTML5 output file, RoboHelp adds a placeholder
SWF for use in Design Editor. This means that you can’t edit the demo from within RoboHelp. The HTML5 output of the demo is used only in project output generated using the
Multiscreen HTML5 layout.
4)

Click OK. An object in the topic indicates where the file was placed.

5)

To test the demo, click View

.

Import an Adobe Captivate Demo
You can import an Adobe Captivate demo as a new topic in your RoboHelp project.
1)

Select Project > Import > Document > Adobe Captivate Demo.

2)

Specify a title for the new topic that you want to create for the demo.

3)

Specify the path of the HTML5 output for the demo.

4)

Specify the path of the SWF output for the demo.

Notes:

306

•

If you have specified an HTML5 output path and skipped specifying the corresponding SWF
output path, RoboHelp adds a placeholder SWF for use in Design Editor. This SWF is
non-editable.

•

If the SWF being imported has any FLV file embedded in it, RoboHelp does not import the
FLV file. Add the FLV as a baggage file. See Add files to the Baggage folder

Multimedia and special effects

Edit an Adobe Captivate demo
1)

Open the topic containing the Adobe Captivate demo, or in the Project Manager, expand the
Multimedia folder.

2)

Right-click the demo. Select Edit.
NOTE: If you have inserted an HTML5 output file and skipped inserting the corresponding SWF

file, RoboHelp adds a placeholder SWF for use in Design Editor. This SWF is non-editable.
3)

Make the changes.

4)

Close Adobe Captivate.

NOTE:When you preview an Adobe Captivate demo in RoboHelp, a prompt may ask you to update the

file in the project. This prompt appears if you saved the Adobe Captivate demo outside RoboHelp to the
default Adobe Captivate location. (The default location is C:\Documents and Settings\[user
name]\My Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects\.) Update the file to apply the changes made
outside RoboHelp.

Multimedia
Add multimedia
1)

Select a location in the topic for inserting the multimedia.

2)

Select Insert > Media > Multimedia.

3)

Choose either Offline (local folder) option to insert multimedia file from a local folder or
Online (URL) option to embed an online video using its URL.

4)

If you choose multimedia option as Offline (local folder), do one of the following:

5)

•

To add a new file, click the Browse button
Select Yes.

, and navigate to the file. Double-click it.

•

To add an existing file, select it from the Multimedia In Project Folders list.

If you choose multimedia option as Online (URL), input the source URL (in embed code) of
the online video as explained in the note below. For embedding Youtube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion videos, you can alternatively provide the http URL instead of the source URL.
NOTE: The source URL of the video can be copied from the embed code of the online video.

Consider this embed code as an example: <iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAxxJKa3PDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>. Here, the source URL required to embed the video is:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAxxJKa3PDo. This source URL is different from the http
URL of the video.
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Multimedia and special effects
6)

9

Set options:

Text Wrapping
Sets the alignment of the multimedia object with the surrounding text.
Screen Tip
Replaces the multimedia file with a text label if users disable multimedia in their browsers.
7)

You can set the appearance settings. The settings you specify affect how the embedded video
appears in the published web output.

Size
Specifies the size of the embedded video.
If you are adding a QuickTime video, you need to add 16 pixels to the size of the video. This
means, that if your video is 320 x 240, you will need to define the Size (in the Appearance
drop-down described above), as 336 x 256.
Margin
Specifies left, right, top, and bottom margins in inches.
Border
Sets a border around the video object.
Player Settings
Specifies the video settings related to player controls, playback, and sound in the published
output. The following options are available:
Auto:
Show player controls on hover. This option is available only when embedding an online video.
Always:
Show player controls always.
Never:
Never show player controls.
Show annotations when available:
Show annotations if they are available in the embedded multimedia. This option is available
only when embedding an online video.
Full Screen:
Show multimedia in full screen.
Autoplay:
Auto play multimedia when you open the topic that contains it.
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Multimedia and special effects
Loop:
Loop multimedia ‘n’ times till the user stops it manually. Choose Infinitely or specify a value
for ‘n’ for finite looping. It should be noted that finite looping option is available only for
window media video (wmv) multimedia type, while infinite looping option is available for all
multimedia types except window media video (wmv).
Mute:
Start the video in mute mode, which can later be changed manually.
Initial Volume:
Specify the initial volume of the video, which can later be changed manually. This option is
available only for HTML5 video files.
8)

Click OK.

9)

Create a link to the multimedia file near the object with a note prompting users to select the
link if they cannot access the multimedia file.

10) To test or preview, click View Item button in Project > View.
IMPORTANT:The player settings that you specify, depend on the output video type (such as .mov or .qt)
for offline videos. For online videos, the settings will depend the on settings made available by the
provide (such as youtube.com or vimeo.com.
NOTE:Some file formats do not work properly in compiled Microsoft HTML Help files.

The following are the allowed multimedia file types:
•

Video files: *.avi, *.asf, *.asx, *.mpg, *.mpeg, *.mpg4, *.mpe, *.mov, *.qt, *.ra, *.rm, *.rpm,
*.wmv, *.wvx

•

HTML5 video files: *.mp4, *.ogg, *.ogv, *.webm.
.ogg, .ogv, and .webm formats are supported only for Multiscreen HTML5 SSL. These formats
are not supported in Internet Explorer. Refer to the following table for more information about
browser requirements for playing videos in generated Multiscreen HTML5 output:

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9

Internet Explorer

FireFox

Chrome

Safari

Ogg

Not supported

3.5+

5.0+

Not supported

MPEG 4

9.0+

Not supported

5.0+

3.0+

WebM

Not supported

4.0+

6.0+

Not supported

Where:
Ogg represents Ogg files with the Theora video codec and the Vorbis audio codec
MPEG4 represents MPEG 4 files with the H.264 video codec and the AAC audio codec
WebM represents WebM files with the VP8 video codec and the Vorbis audio codec
TIP:For wider compatibility with multiple browsers on multiple devices, use MP4 video files. MP4

videos are also supported in EPUB 3 eBook output.
Notes:
•

(Only for Firefox) MP4 videos in Multiscreen HTML5 output are displayed in the size 400 x 300
pixels by default. You can specify a different video size if necessary.

•

(Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9)To view MP4 videos in Multiscreen HTML5 output, make
sure that Windows Media Player is installed.

•

MPEG video files: *.mpg, *.mpeg, *.mpg4, *.mpeNOTE: MPEG 4 files with H.264 video codec
and AAC audio codec are natively supported by most browsers.

•

Windows media files: *.avi, *.asf, *.asx, *.wma, *.wmv, *.wax, *.wvx

•

QuickTime files: *.qt, *.mov

•

Real files: *.ra, *.rm, *.rpm

•

Audio files: *.asf, *.asx, *.mp3, *.mp4, *.wav, *.au, *.mid, *.rmi, *.ra, *.rm, *.wma, *.wax

•

Flash files: *.swf

•

Flash video files: *.flv, *.f4v

•

Adobe Captivate files: *.swf

If you use the multimedia file in other topics, add it by dragging the file from the Multimedia
folder.NOTE: Multimedia content might have dependencies such as Flash or video/audio players that
you need to install before you can view or hear them.

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Multimedia and special effects

Change multimedia
1)

Double-click the multimedia object. The Multimedia dialog box appears.

2)

Make the changes.

3)

Click OK.

4)

To test, click the View button

in the toolbar.

Remove multimedia from topics
1)

Click to select the multimedia object.

2)

Click the Delete button.

TIP:Click Undo

.

to restore a multimedia object you removed.

Dynamic HTML and special effects
Dynamic HTML (DHTML) combines the capabilities of multimedia and scripting to create visual
and 3D effects. The effects you insert perform an action or move in response to user input (such as
a mouse click). Keep in mind the following details when working with DHTML:
•

Mouse rollover effects include Drop Shadow, Font Change, Glow, and Rock 'n Roll.

•

Page-load, page-click, or trigger activation effects include Blur, Elastic, Fade In/Fade Out, Flip
Horizontally/Vertically, Fly In/Out, Gray, Show/Hide, Spiral, and Rock 'n Roll.

•

Some effects can be combined.

•

For best results, use DHTML with Internet Explorer 5.0 and later.

•

Dynamic effects in styles are not supported in W3C-compliant output. If you validate the code
for W3C compliance, the report can indicate errors.
NOTE: HTML files support DHTML effects in IE and non-IE browsers, but XHTML does not

support all instances of DHTML effects.
RELATED LINKS:
Apply conditional build tags to content

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9

DHTML basics
Add DHTML effects to a topic
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor and select an element. Do one of the following:
•

Select text.

•

For paragraph-based effects, click inside the paragraph.

•

For positioned boxes, select the text box so you see gray boxes on its edges.

2)

Select Insert > DHTML > Effects > Effects.

3)

From the When list, select the event for initiating the effect.

4)

From the What list, select the effect you want to apply.

5)

From the Settings list, adjust the properties.

The DHTML effect appears with light gray hash marks

.

TIP:To ensure that you apply the effect to the correct topic, use the Design tag list.

Apply DHTML effects to multiple paragraphs
1)

In the topic, click where you want the text box.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box.

3)

Right-click the box, and select Text Box Properties. Set properties.

4)

Type text in the box.

5)

Click to select the box.

6)

Select Insert > DHTML > Effects > Effects.

7)

From the When list, select the event for initiating the effect.

8)

From the What list, select the effect you want to apply.

9)

From the Settings list, adjust the properties.

Update DHTML effects in a topic
Update Dynamic HTML (DHTML) effects by resaving topics in either of these two situations:

312

•

You add or modify a style to include a Dynamic HTML effect. In this case, resave all topics
attached to the style sheet so that they include code for creating the effect.

•

You’re able to open a project in a version of RoboHelp earlier than version 8.0.

Multimedia and special effects
You can resave the topics at the prompt or update them later by clicking the Design tab and selecting
Tools > Scripts > Update DHTML.
Change or remove DHTML effects
1)

Open the topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select the topic with the effect that you want to change. Select Insert > DHTML > Effects
> Effects.

•

Select the element to remove, and then select Insert > DHTML > Effects > Remove
Effects.

TIP:The EPUB output does not support DHTML effects. To exclude DHTML effects from the EPUB

output, you can use CBTs.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate EPUB and Kindle Book output
Generate EPUB and Kindle Book output

Dynamic hotspots
About DHTML hotspots
DHTML hotspots display information when clicked.
Expanding hotspot
When clicked, displays additional text next to the hotspot.
Drop-down hotspot
When clicked, displays additional information below the hotspot.
Add DHTML hotspots
1)

Open the topic in the Design view. Select the text to use as the hotspot.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

For expanding hotspots, select Insert > DHTML > Expanding Text. In the Expanding
Text Editor, type the text to appear in the hotspot. Click outside the window to close the
editor.

•

For drop-down hotspots, select Insert > DHTML > DropDown Text. Enter text or images
in the drop-down box. Click outside the Drop-down Text Editor.
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Multimedia and special effects
3)

Click the View button

9
to test.

TIP:Format DHTML hotspots differently from surrounding text to make them noticeable to readers.

Remove hotspots
NOTE:Content inside a hotspot is removed when you remove the hotspot.

1)

Right-click a hotspot. Select Remove Expanding/Drop-Down Text.

Change formatting of DHTML hotspots
Change the formatting in a single topic or change for all topics using a style sheet. For multiple style
sheets, modify each style sheet attached to the topics that use hotspots.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Style and Formatting

2)

Do one of the following:
•

To change formatting in a single topic, choose Available In and select the name of the
topic to change.

•

To change formatting in all topics using a style sheet, choose Available In and select the
external style sheet.

3)

Under Styles, select the hotspot style to change.

4)

Click Modify.

5)

Click Format and select the attributes to change.

6)

Click OK. Click Close.

Triggers and targets
About triggers and targets
Triggers are text or images that have a special DHTML effect applied. When users click text or an
image that's assigned a trigger, a target appears. To open DHTML effects using triggers, first assign
a trigger to text or an image. Then connect the trigger to a target and assign a DHTML effect. When
working with triggers and targets, keep in mind the following details:

314

•

Triggers and targets must reside in the same topic.

•

To indicate that an item is clickable, change the font color and underline, or add text to an
image.

Multimedia and special effects
Trigger and target images

Assign a trigger to text or images
1)

Select the text or image to assign as the trigger.

2)

Select Insert > DHTML > Trigger > Trigger. A cable drum icon
the text.

3)

Connect the trigger to an image or text.

appears. Hash marks shade

Connect triggers to text
1)

Select the text to use as the target.

2)

Select Insert > DHTML > Effects > Effects.

3)

Under When, select 1st Trigger Activation.

4)

Select What (the effect that occurs the first time the user clicks the trigger), and then select
property settings.

5)

Select 2nd Trigger Activation and set the properties.

6)

Click OK. A plug icon

7)

Click the trigger and drag to connect the trigger to the target text. To connect the trigger to
multiple text targets, hold down the Shift key and click the trigger. Continue to hold the Shift
key and drag the mouse to the next target text.

appears next to the text, indicating that it is a target.

Connect triggers to images
1)

Click the trigger image once to display the green cable drum icon

.

2)

Click the cable drum icon and drag to connect the image to the target image. A green line
shows the connection between the trigger and target.

3)

From the menu, select a DHTML effect.

4)

To connect to another target, hold the Shift key and click the trigger again. Continue to hold
the Shift key and drag to the next image.

5)

From the menu, select a DHTML effect for the target image.

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9

Removing triggers
1)

Right-click the topic item assigned to a trigger and select Remove DHTML Trigger.

Marquees
Add marquees
A marquee is a moving text message.
•

To place a marquee around existing topic content, select the topic content and set marquee
properties.

•

To set marquee properties first, click the marquee destination in the topic. Set marquee properties, and enter the marquee content.

NOTE: XHTML does not support Marquees.

Set or change marquee properties
1)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box > Marquee.

2)

Right-click the marquee, select Marquee Properties, and specify or change marquee properties.
•

In Amount, select the rate at which the marquee moves. Higher number indicates faster
speed.

•

In Delay, select the duration in milliseconds for display.

•

In Behavior, specify how the marquee moves.

Scroll
The marquee moves continuously across the window.
Slide
The marquee slides across the screen.
Alternate
The marquee bounces from the starting direction to the opposite window border.
•
3)

316

In Repeat, specify repetitions of the marquee. Select Continuously to repeat the marquee
as long as the topic is open.

Click the View button

to test.

Multimedia and special effects

Delete marquees
1)

Place the cursor on the marquee boundary.

2)

Click the left mouse button.

3)

Click Delete

.

HTML comments in topics

Insert an HTML comment
1)

Open a topic in Design Editor.

2)

In Design view, insert the cursor and select Insert > HTML > Text Box > Comments.

3)

In the Comment Editor, type your comment using the following format:

<!--a comment -->

4)

Click OK.

View an HTML comment
1)

Open a topic in Design view or HTML view.

2)

Select Edit > Show/Hide > Comments.
Comments appear as green callouts in Design view and as green text in HTML view.

3)

(Design view) Move the cursor over the callout. The comment appears in a text pop-up note.

Iframes
Use iframes (inline frames) to insert PDF files or HTML files within an HTML topic. If you want to
show a PDF file or an accessible URL link in an HTML page, you can insert an iframe and display
the required files within the selected HTML page.

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Multimedia and special effects

9

Insert an iframe
1)

Select Insert > HTML > Text Box > Iframe.

2)

Double-click the iframe.

3)

Specify a name. Click the browse button

4)

(Optional) Click the Border tab to set border options.

5)

Click OK.

to select a URL, HTML file, or PDF file to link.

NOTE: You can view the inserted file in the preview as well as in the generated Help.

Edit an iframe

318

•

Double-click the iframe to change the name, the linked item, or the border.

•

Drag the frame handles to resize the frame.

Conditional text

Conditional text
Conditional text basics
Conditional text lets you generate subsets of the content within a project for various purposes or
audiences. You can create conditional build tags to exclude content from output, and then assign
those tags to topics or elements within topics.

Customize printed output
Online documentation often contains elements that are not useful in a printed manual, such as text
describing online features. You can tag these elements as conditional text and exclude them from the
output. If the manual is a subset of the online documentation, you can apply a conditional build tag
to the topics and topic content to include. Then apply another tag to the other elements. When you
generate the project, you can exclude the online-only tag.

Target custom content to specific audiences
Sometimes topics pertain to products, experience levels, or types of users. Using conditional text,
you can reduce the amount of information you deliver to each group. You can also eliminate notes
explaining small differences between products.

Deliver versions of an application
To deliver demo, trial, and shareware versions of the application, you can omit topics in each
version.

Design and test conditional text
1)

Determine the types of output needed, such as printed manuals or online tutorials; consider
current and future requirements. Determine whether versions for different skill levels are
required.

2)

Determine which conditional build tags to apply to each output type. All untagged components are included in the output. Determine whether to apply multiple tags to topics, for varied
output types. For example, to deliver a manual for testers of beta software, tag the beta-specific
topics with a tag such as Beta. Tag the other topics with a tag such as Printed. Then you can
include beta-related topics first, and exclude them later.

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Conditional text

10

3)

Use the Topic Properties report or the Conditional Build Tag report to review the tags applied
to each topic.

4)

Determine whether to apply a conditional build tag to the entire topic or to one or more areas
within a topic. For example, if you are creating a printed manual, exclude text that mentions
an online glossary.

5)

Decide on tag names and colors, especially if the project is large and requires multiple output
types. Define tag names that describe the output, such as Print or Online. Tag colors help you
differentiate conditional text areas within a topic.

6)

When updating a project, determine whether to delete content that is made obsolete by
single-sourcing and conditional output. For example, a project contains text (such as “for
advanced users”) or images that explain which content applies to which users. You can delete
these elements or use conditional text to hide them in the output.

7)

Determine which TOCs or pages of a TOC to include in the output, as you apply each tag.

8)

Determine which indexes to include in the output. You can create multiple indexes in a project
and include each one in the appropriate output.

9)

Test the conditional tags by generating the output and viewing the results. Exclude combinations of tags you applied to topics, TOCs, or indexes. You can also preview topics, without
generating, to experiment with conditional areas.

RELATED LINKS:
Preview conditional text areas

Workflow to implement conditional text
1)

Create a conditional build tag.

2)

Apply the tag to a combination of topics, topic content, TOCs, and indexes.

3)

Define the tags to exclude from and include with the output.

4)

Define the conditional build expression to include or exclude tagged topics.
The expression uses Boolean logic operators (OR, AND, NOT) to form phrases that exclude
content marked with a tag.

5)

Generate the output.

Managing links to excluded topics
If you exclude content from output, broken links can occur in topics that reference the excluded
content. RoboHelp manages most of these links as described in the following table.

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Conditional text

Type of link

Result

Browse sequence

An excluded topic doesn’t appear in the browse sequence

Image maps

If an image with an image map is excluded from output, the image map is
removed.

Index

An index keyword that is linked to a topic that is excluded doesn’t appear in the
Index pane.

Link control

A link control (such as a Related Topic or Keyword Link) that references an
excluded topic doesn’t display the topic.

Table of contents

A TOC book or page that is linked to an excluded topic doesn’t appear in the
Contents pane.

Conditional build tags
Create a conditional build tag
1)

In the Project ribbon, click Tag

.

2)

In the New Conditional Build Tag dialog, type a name for the tag.

3)

Assign a color to the tag by clicking the Build Tag Color button . In the color box, click a
color to select it, or click Custom Color to define a new color. If you do not assign a color to
the icon, RoboHelp assigns a unique color to the icon by default.
RoboHelp uses this color when you apply this tag to content. For details, see Apply conditional
build tags to content

NOTE:Two default tags are provided in all new projects: Online and Print. You can change their color,

rename them, or apply them to topics or topic content.

Apply conditional build tags to content
Content that has a conditional build tag applied appears with diagonal hash marks in the color specified for the tag. If a project is generated using a conditional build tag expression, the topic doesn’t
display the content to which the tag applies. The color of the diagonal hashing differentiates tagged
areas. For a folder, no hash marks appear. You can display hash marks for topics inside a folder.

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Conditional text

10

Notes:
•

Remove text references to excluded topics, such as links. Hotspots are not active for excluded
topics.

•

You can apply a conditional build tag to topics in the TOC pod.

•

To show or hide conditional text, go to the Edit ribbon and in the Show/Hide drop-down
choose Conditional Areas.

Verifying tags applied to topics
The Used area of the Conditional Build Tag Properties dialog box lists the topics using a tag. The
Level column shows how a tag is applied:
<Topic>
Applied to a topic.
<Content>
Applied to topic content.
<Both>
Applied to both topic and content.
The File column lists the file containing the tagged information.
1)

Right-click a conditional build tag in the Conditional Build Tag pod and click Properties.

Apply conditional build tags to a topic
1)

In the Pod drop-down (Project, Edit, or Review ribbons) choose Topic List.

2)

Select the topic.

3)

In the Edit ribbon, click the Apply drop-down and select a tag.

Apply conditional build tags to multiple topics

322

1)

In the Pod drop-down (Project, Edit, or Review ribbons) choose Topic List.

2)

Select multiple topics.

3)

Click the Properties icon

4)

In the Conditional Build Tags (Topic Level Tags) pod, select a tag. Click OK.

in the Project toolbar, and then click Advanced.

Conditional text
Apply conditional build tags to topic content
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select topic content.

3)

In the Edit ribbon, click the Apply drop-down and select a tag.

When you apply a conditional build tag to content in a topic, the content is overlined with the tag
color defined when you Create a conditional build tag.
Apply multiple conditional tags to topic content
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select topic content.

3)

In the Edit ribbon, click the Apply drop-down and select New/Multiple.

4)

Select tags or click Check All. Click OK.

When you apply multiple conditional build tags to content in a topic, the content in overlined with
the tag colors defined when you Create a conditional build tag.
If you apply multiple tags on the same content, then the color of the final over-line is a combination
of each applied tag color.
Apply conditional build tags to a folder, index, or TOC
1)

Do one of the following:
•

To apply tags to a folder, select a folder in the Project Manager pod.

•

To apply tags to an index, click the Index folder in the Project Manager pod. Select a
keyword or subkeyword.

•

To apply tags to a TOC, click the Table of Contents folder in the Project Manager pod.
Select a book or a page. If you apply tags to the entire TOC, the TOC is unavailable in the
output. If you apply them only to pages in the TOC, the TOC is available. The tagged
pages are not.

2)

In the Edit ribbon, click the Apply drop-down and select New/Multiple.

3)

Select tags or click Check All. Click OK.

Apply conditional build tags to placeholders
1)

Do one of the following:

•

Select a placeholder placed in a master page and select Edit > Tags > Apply.

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Conditional text
•

10

Right-click a placeholder in the master page and select Apply Conditional Build Tag > [new
tag].

NOTE: You can apply conditional build tags on snippet instances as well but not on snippets.

Preview conditional text areas
To check the format of a topic with a conditional text area, preview it using a conditional build tag
expression you have already defined. You can also define a conditional build tag expression while
previewing the topic.
1)

Open a topic in the Design Editor.

2)

Select Edit > View > View Item.

3)

Do one of the following:
•

To preview an existing expression, choose it from the Conditional Build Tag Expression
menu.

•

To define and preview a new expression, click Define, and select tags to exclude from the
output. Click OK.

TIP:To remove the conditional build tag expression from the preview, select None from the Conditional

Build Tag Expression menu.

Hide and view conditional text
Items with conditional build tags applied appear in the Design Editor with an overline in the color
specified for the tag.
Conditional text is always visible in the Design Editor, but you can hide the overline.
1)

In the View section of the Edit tab, click the Show/Hide drop-down.
The Conditional Areas list item is a toggle option.

2)

To hide the conditional text, deselect the option.
NOTE: The icon to the left is deselected.

To show the conditional text, select the option.
NOTE: The icon to the left is selected.

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Conditional text

Remove conditional build tags
1)

Do one of the following:
•

To remove conditional build tags from a topic, select one or more topics in the HTML
files folder of the Project Manager pod.

•

To remove conditional build tags from topic content, open a topic in the Design Editor.
Select topic content.

•

To remove conditional build tags from a TOC, click in the TOC pod. Select one or more
books or pages.

•

To remove conditional build tags from an index, click in the Index pod. Select a keyword
or subkeyword.

2)

Click Edit > Tags > Apply > New/Multiple.

3)

Deselect tags or click Clear All. Then click OK.

4)

To remove conditional build tags from a project, click Project. Expand the Conditional Build
Tags folder, click a tag, and select Delete. Then click OK.
TIP:Before removing a conditional build tag from a project, run a project report to determine the

topics affected.

Rename conditional build tags
1)

Right-click a tag in the Conditional Build Tags pod.

2)

Select Rename, and enter a new name in the box.

3)

Press Enter. Topics using this tag are updated with the new name.

TIP:Make sure that the conditional build expression is updated with the new build tag name before you

regenerate the project.

Conditional build tag expressions
Define conditional build tag expressions
An expression is a set of instructions. Expressions specify topics to include or exclude from the
output. You can define a basic expression that excludes tags, or a complex expression with Boolean
operators, such as AND, OR, NOT.
Users cannot access topics or TOCs that are excluded from output. Index keywords and TOC entries
do not appear. RoboHelp removes links to the topic and removes the topic from link controls. It
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10

removes links to bookmarks inside areas tagged as excluded. Tags applied to topic content do not
affect TOC, index, or link controls.
Make sure that you have a single-source layout in which to store the expression. If needed, create a
layout or modify a default layout.
TIP:You can bypass build tags and generate output including all topics in the project whether build tags

have been applied or not. Select None in the Conditional Build Tag list, in the Options wizard, while
generating the project.
Create a conditional build tag and apply it to topics or topic content.
1)

In the Project ribbon, click the Tag drop-down and choose Named Expression.
The Define Conditional Build Tag Expression dialog is displayed:
Define the conditional build expressions

A
Select from the list of available expressions.
B
Rename the selected expression.

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Conditional text
C
Create a new expression.
D
Delete the selected expression.
E
From the list of current conditional build tags, choose the tags to include and exclude from the
expression.
F
Use the AND, OR, and NOT boolean operators create an expressions. See Advanced conditional build tag expressions.
G
List of available conditional build tags
H
List of tags to exclude
I
Boolean operators used to create an expression using the Advanced option
J
Clear the expression built created using the Advanced option
2)

When you first open the dialog, no build expression is currently selected.

3)

To create a new expression, build the expression using the Basic or Advanced options and click
Save.

4)

To edit an available expression, choose the expression from the Expression drop-down and
click Update.

5)

Click Save.
If you are creating a new expression, you are prompted for a name.

Advanced conditional build tag expressions
If you define advanced conditional build tag expressions using Boolean operators, use these guidelines for customizing output. You can also let the program create them for you using the basic
method.

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10

Desired Result

Action

All topics to which one tag has been applied

Use the tag name. For example: Tag1

All topics to which multiple tags have been applied

Use AND with the tag names. For example: Tag2 AND
Tag3

All topics to which any combination of tags has been
applied

Use OR with the tag names. For example: Tag3 OR Tag4

All topics except those topics to which one tag has been
applied

Use NOT with the tag name. For example: NOT Tag2

All topics except those topics to which multiple tags have
been applied

Use NOT in combination with AND with the tag names.
For example: NOT Tag1 AND NOT Tag2 AND NOT
Tag4

NOTE:Topics and topic text to which you have applied no conditional build tag are included in the

output.

328

Context-sensitive Help

Context-sensitive Help
About context-sensitive Help
A context-sensitive Help (CSH) topic provides information about the user interface of an application relative to the task a user performs. For example, CSH topics provide details about fields and
controls in dialog boxes, descriptions of windows or screen objects, and explanations of messages.
The user accesses a CSH topic by pressing F1, clicking a Help button, selecting from a menu, or
clicking a question-mark icon.
The process of creating and implementing context-sensitive Help typically involves the content
author and the application developer. To specify context-sensitive topics, the author creates map IDs
and map files. When a user accesses context-sensitive Help, a map number and Help file name are
sent to the Help engine. The engine matches the map number to a topic ID and an HTM filename so
that the correct topic appears.
The final step in the process is to test the context-sensitive Help. RoboHelp HTML provides several
tools you can use in addition to testing context-sensitive Help in the application.
Window-level topic
Describes windows, dialog boxes, and messages in an application. Each window-level topic is
in HTM format and stored in a file with the extension .htm. It can contain text formatting,
links, images, and other features. These topics are more detailed than field-level topics because
they describe the user interface components. Users access these topics by pressing F1, clicking
Help buttons, and selecting from menus.
If a custom window is not included with the application Help, context-sensitive topics appear
in the HTML Help viewer.
Field-level (What's This?) topic
(WinHelp and Microsoft HTML Help projects) Briefly describes a field. A user accesses the
topic by clicking a question-mark icon, and then clicking a field in a dialog box. In RoboHelp,
field-level topics are called What’s This? topics.NOTE: WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp,
FlashHelp Pro, and AIR Help do not support What’s This Help. WebHelp window support is
available only with the context-sensitive Help API (Application Programming Interface).
Airplane Help
Offline Help unsupported by an Internet connection. To use RH_ShowHelp, associate the
offline Help system with the function RH_AssociateOfflineHelp. This step tells the
function how to operate if no Internet connection is available. Individual calls to
RH_ShowHelp must specify offline Help. Both RH_ShowHelp and
RH_AssociateOfflineHelp are in the support files. Use airplane Help to provide

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11

back-up Help when an Internet connection fails.NOTE: RH_ShowHelp is a programming function that a developer uses to display a help topic using rules found in RoboHelp's CSH API.

Author and developer roles in creating context-sensitive Help

Author

Developer

Writes the Help topics that describe how to use
application components such as windows, dialog boxes,
fields, and controls.

Builds the components (windows, dialogs, fields,
controls) that make up the application.

Imports map files and assigns map IDs to each
context-sensitive Help topic. Communicates to the
developer any unclear assignments or changes in
assignments.
or
Creates map files and assigns map IDs to each
context-sensitive Help topic. Exports map files to the
development environment when complete and notifies
the developer of any changes.

Generates the map files that contain the map IDs and
gives them to the author.
or
Obtains map files that contain the map IDs from the
author.

Generates the project to include the context-sensitive
Help topics with the output.

Writes code that calls the correct Help topics from
within the application (based on map IDs included in
the map files).

Tests the context-sensitive topics in the application.
Repairs errors in the Help system.

Notifies the author when changes are made to the
application (or map files) so that the Help project can be
updated and regenerated. Repairs errors in the
application code.

On the Authoring home page of Peter Grainge’s website, you can find information about four
methods of calling WebHelp:
•

Using URLs

•

Using map IDs

•

Using map IDs in merged WebHelp

•

Using topic IDs

Map files and map IDs
RELATED LINKS:

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Context-sensitive Help
Author and developer roles in creating context-sensitive Help
Information for developers

About map numbers, map files, and map IDs
Map number
A numeric value associated with a topic ID. Map numbers and topic IDs are saved in map files.
Map numbers are used with applications to specify a topic for calling context-sensitive Help.
Whether application developers use map numbers, topics IDs, or both depends on the
programming language they use.
Map file
A text file containing topic IDs and map numbers. You associate map IDs and map files with
topics. As author, if you receive a map file from your developer, assign a map ID from the map
file. If you manually create a map file, either auto-generate or manually create the map ID. A
project can include multiple map files. Map files use the extensions .h, .hh, and .hm. The
default map file is BSSCDefault.h.
Map ID
A string that pairs a topic ID with a map number. For example:
#define ID_SetupScreen 101
•

ID_SetupScreen is the topic ID.

•

101 is the map number.

•

ID_SetupScreen 101 is the Map ID.

An Icon indicates the status of a map ID:
•

Blue icons

indicate that map IDs match topics.

•

Yellow icons

•

Locked icons (blue or yellow) indicate that the map ID is in a map file that is locked.
It cannot be assigned or unassigned.

indicate that map IDs do not match any topics.

Create map IDs, auto-generate map IDs, or import map files to use map IDs. A unique map ID
must be assigned to each topic ID. Assign a map ID to a Help topic to display the Help topic in
context-sensitive Help.
Mapping table
A mechanism that maps fields and controls in dialog boxes to map numbers. The mapping
table is programmed into the application to provide context-sensitive Help functionality.

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11

Managing map files
Create a map file
Map files are text files that include a map ID list. Map filenames use the .h extension. When creating
filenames, use underscores instead of spaces, and avoid using these illegal characters: \ / : * ? < > | #
", $, &, [ ]
Authors or developers can create the map file. If the developer creates the map file, the author then
imports it.
NOTE: RoboHelp also supports dynamic context-sensitive mapping of dialog boxes and topics. This

approach eliminates the need for technical authors to manually keep track of map IDs. See Dynamic
editing of context-sensitive topics.
TIP:You can lock a map file to make it read-only.

1)

Open the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Right-click the Map Files folder.

4)

Choose New Map File.

5)

Enter a name.

6)

Click OK. The file is added to the Map Files folder.
NOTE: Obsolete files potentially contain map numbers used for updated files.

Import a map file
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Click Project > Import > Map File.

•

Expand the context-sensitive Help folder in the Output Setup pod.

2)

Navigate to the map file. Make sure that it’s unlocked.

3)

Double-click the map file to add it to the project Map Files folder.

Export a map file

332

1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

2)

Right-click the Map Files folder.

3)

Select Export Map Files.

Context-sensitive Help
4)

Select the programming languages to save the map files to.

5)

Specify a location for the map file. Click OK.

TIP:When you export a map file, the original file remains in your project.

Lock or unlock a map file
Locked map files are read-only files. Do not add, remove, or change map IDs in locked map files. Do
not modify the file if Remove Unused Map IDs is selected. If you do, you can possibly lose changes
in the files. Imported map files are locked by default.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup.

2)

Expand the Map Files folder (or a custom folder in the Map Files folder).

3)

Right-click the map file.

4)

Select Properties.

5)

Select the Locked option. To unlock the file, deselect the Locked option.

6)

Click Close.

Remove an obsolete map file
Obsolete map files sometimes contain map numbers used for updated files. These map numbers can
dynamically call a wrong topic. Delete unused map files to prevent this issue.
1)

Open the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Expand the Map Files folder.

4)

Select the map file.

5)

Click Delete.

Remove an unused map ID
Your map files must be unlocked to use this option. To remove unused map IDs:
•

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder in the Output Setup pod.

•

Right-click the Map Files folder.

•

Select Edit.

•

Do the following:

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11

Map Files
Select the map files from which to remove unused map IDs.
Select All
Click to remove unused map IDs from all map files.
Clear All
Click to deselect all map files and not remove unused map IDs.

Managing map IDs
Create a map ID
1)

Open the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Expand the Map Files folder.

4)

Double-click All Map IDs.

5)

In Map File, click the Down Arrow and select a map file to store the map ID.

6)

Click the Create/Edit Map ID button

7)

In Topic ID, type a word or phrase to identify the topic.

8)

In Map Number, type a number.NOTE: You can create individual map IDs per topic or
auto-generate using the Auto Map button. See Auto-generate a map ID

.

Edit a map ID
You can assign or unassign topic map IDs, create new map IDs and files, and automatically map
(auto-map) IDs. You can sort the topics by column.
1)

Open the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Right-click the Map Files folder.

4)

Select Edit Map IDs.

5)

Choose from the following options:

Map File
List available map files (including imported map files).

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Context-sensitive Help
<All Map Files>
Display all map IDs.
<Project Map File>
Display map IDs in the default map file BSSCDdefault.h. The map IDs for deselected map files
reside in BSSCDefault.h.
Map file icon
Click to open the New Map File dialog box and create a custom map file. Map numbers for
custom map files are numbered automatically.
Map #
Display the map number of the topic ID. Map numbers reside in map files (.h, .hh, .hm).
Topic
Display the topic assigned to the map ID.
Hide Used IDs
Show unassigned map IDs.
New icon
Create a map ID. The ID is appended to the map file selected in Map File.
Edit icon
Edit the selected map ID.
Delete
Remove the selected map ID. Before removing the ID, click Unassign to prevent a broken link
to the topic.
Options
Customize topic auto-mapping.
Assign
Assign the selected topic to the selected topic ID. This button is available when a topic is
selected on the right and a map ID is selected on the left.
Unassign
Disassociate the map ID from the topic on the right.
Auto Map
Assign a map ID in the custom or default map file (BSSCDefault.h). Select a map file and a
topic. Click Auto Map. This button is available only when you select <Project Map File> or a

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11

custom map file. If you auto-map a map ID and a map file is not selected, the map ID resides
in the default map file (BSSCDefault.h).
•

The program assigns the topic title or filename as the topic ID and assigns a map number.
Click Options to customize auto-mapping.

•

You cannot assign multiple topics to a map ID. You can assign multiple map IDs to a
topic.

Topic
Lists the project topics. To filter the list, click the triangle
Folder, or a custom folder.

. Select All Folders, Top Level

Properties icon
Show all topic IDs assigned to the topic.
Preview icon
Display the topic.
NOTE:If you assign a map ID to a bookmark, you see a misleading error message indicating

that the file does not exist. Disregard the warning. The topic does exist.
Reassign a map ID
Update the map ID if the Help topic doesn’t open, if the wrong topic opens, or if the developer
changed the application that in way that affects the map IDs.
1)

Select a map file under Map IDs in the Edit Map IDs dialog box.

2)

Click Create/Edit Map ID.

3)

Do one of the following:

•

Reassign the map ID. Under Map ID, select the map ID. Click Unassign. Select another topic
and click Assign.

•

Change the topic ID or map number. Double-click the map ID and change the desired value.

Auto-generate a map ID
You can generate map IDs using a custom map file or the default map file (BSSCDefault.h). Before
you generate map files, check with the developer to determine naming conventions.

336

1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

2)

Expand the Map Files folder.

3)

Double-click All Map IDs.

Context-sensitive Help
4)

In Map File, click the triangle button.

5)

Select a map file.

6)

Set options for naming and numbering map IDs. By default, the application assigns the topic
title or filename as the topic ID and assigns a map number.

7)

In the Topic field, select the topic.

8)

Click Auto Map to create a map ID.

9)

If necessary, double-click the map file to edit it.

10) Provide a copy of the map file to the developer.
Generate a map ID
The IDs reside in the map file you select from the Edit Map IDs dialog box.
1)

Click Options in the Edit Map IDs dialog box.

Prefix Map IDs With
Select to enter a value at the beginning of each map ID.
Make Uppercase
Select for uppercase auto-generated map IDs.
Start Numbering With
Select to enter a starting number for map numbers.
Notes:
•

Setting these options does not affect existing map IDs.

•

By default, the application assigns the topic title or filename as the topic ID and assigns a map
number.

•

Auto-generating map IDs is available when you select <Project Map File> or a custom map file.
If you auto-map a map ID and do not select a map file, the map ID resides in the default map
file (BSSCDefault.h).

•

You cannot assign multiple topics to a map ID. You can assign multiple map IDs to one topic.

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Context-sensitive Help

11

Assign a map ID to a topic
NOTE: RoboHelp also supports dynamic context-sensitive mapping of dialog boxes and topics. This

approach eliminates the need for technical authors to manually keep track of map IDs. See Dynamic
editing of context-sensitive topics.
1)

Open the Output Setup pod.

2)

Expand the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Expand the Map Files folder.

4)

Double-click All Map IDs.

5)

In Map File, click the Down Arrow and select the map file that contains the map ID.

6)

Select the map ID to assign.

7)

Select the topic.

8)

Click Assign.

9)

Click Close.

10) Generate the project.
11) Test the window-level topics with the application.
Unassign a map ID
1)

Open the topic.

2)

Click the Properties button

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

4)

Click Assigned Map IDs.

5)

Select the map ID to unassign.

6)

Click Edit Map IDs.

7)

Click Unassign.

8)

Click Close.

9)

Generate the project.

.

10) Test the window-level topics with the application.
NOTE:If you assign map IDs to bookmarks and remove the bookmarks from the topics, manually unas-

sign map IDs from the bookmarks.

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Context-sensitive Help

Dynamic editing of context-sensitive topics
RoboHelp supports dynamic editing of the context-sensitive topic associated with an application
dialog box. If no topic is associated with the dialog box, you can either dynamically map an existing
topic with the dialog box or create a new topic and then map it with the dialog box.
NOTE: To use this feature, you must open the application from within RoboHelp. Also, the application

must implement context-sensitive help using the RoboHelp 9 Context-Sensitive Help API. Currently,
only C++ APIs on Windows are supported.

Usage scenarios
Mapping dialog boxes with Help topics requires close collaboration between developers and technical authors. Normally, developers define map IDs for dialog boxes in the code and communicate
them to technical authors. Technical authors then manually associate the map IDs with Help topics.
Dynamic context-sensitive mapping of dialog boxes and topics eliminates the need for technical
authors to manually keep track of map IDs. Instead, technical authors can open the application and
associate the relevant Help topic dynamically with a dialog box.
This feature also greatly facilitates Help integration testing and troubleshooting. Technical authors
can readily test whether all dialog boxes are mapped to the correct Help topics. When a mismatch is
found, they can quickly fix it and associate the dialog box with the correct Help topic.

Map an application dialog box with a topic
1)

Open the Help project for the application in RoboHelp.

2)

Click Tools > CSH > Open CSH Help.

3)

Browse and select the executable file (.exe) for the application. Click Open.

4)

Once the application has launched, browse to an application dialog box with context-sensitive
Help mapping. Press F1 or click the Help button.

5)

In the CSH Options dialog box in RoboHelp, select a map file from the Project Map File
pop-up menu.
NOTE: The CSH Options dialog box appears only if you launched the application from within

RoboHelp using Tools > CSH > Open CSH Help.
6)

Do one of the following:
•

If you want to map an existing topic in the RoboHelp project with the dialog box, select
Map To Selected Topic and select a topic for the mapping from the right pane.

•

If you want to create a new topic and map it with the dialog box, select Map To New
Topic.
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Context-sensitive Help

7)

11

•

If you want to edit the contents of the topic currently mapped with the dialog box, select
Edit Mapped Topic.

•

If you want to remove the current mapping between the dialog box and a Help topic,
select Remove Mapping.

Click OK.

Information for developers
The API shares parameters with HTML Help and WinHelp. You can create custom dialog
boxes.NOTE: "Custom dialog boxes" refers to the feature that the projects using these APIs have to create
their own dialog boxes based on their requirements.
Call your Help projects with the function RH_ShowHelp. The source code for this function is
contained in the support files which you import into your development project. Languages
supported are Visual Basic, C/C++, JavaScript, and Java. The files are in C:\Program
Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\CSH API. The files are:
•

CSH API\RoboHelp_CSH.vb (Visual Basic)

•

CSH API\RoboHelp_CSH.cpp (C/C++, dependent on the .h)

•

CSH API\RoboHelp_CSH.h (C/C++, dependent on the .cpp)

•

CSH API\RoboHelp_CSH.js (Web pages - HTML/JavaScript)

•

CSH API\RoboHelp_CSH.java (Java applications)

RH_ShowHelp has four parameters as shown in the following table:

Parameter

340

Description

hParent

Handle to calling dialog HTML Help Only: This parameter closes the Help dialog when
the calling window is closed.

a_pszHelpFile

Help Source (depends on the Output type)
For Webhelp/FlashHelp: "Path to project start page"
For Webhelp Pro: "http://<ServerName>/roboapi.asp"
For HTML Help: "Path to .CHM file". To specify a dialog, use ">WindowName" at the
end of the parameter.

uCommand

Constants:
HH_DISPLAY_INDEX Displays Index pane and default topic.
HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH Displays Search pane and default topic.
HH_DISPLAY_TOC Displays Contents pane and default topic.
HH_HELP_CONTEXT Opens topic associated with map ID in dwData parameter.

Context-sensitive Help

Parameter
dwData

Description
To obtain the map ID, export the map file for the programming language. Use
HH_HELP_CONTEXT in the uCommand parameter.

Program Help for Visual Basic applications
This information is for developers connecting context-sensitive Help topics to Visual Basic applications.
1)

Open the project in Visual Basic.

2)

If the map files were created in RoboHelp, ask the Help system author to export the map files
from RoboHelp to Visual Basic.

3)

Include RoboHelp_CSH.vb with your project. The function RH_ShowHelp is defined in
RoboHelp_CSH.vb.

4)

Add a reference to the Microsoft Internet Controls.

5)

To launch the Help system, call RH_ShowHelp with uCommand set to
HH_DISPLAY_INDEX, HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH, or HH_DISPLAY_TOC and dwData set
to "0".

6)

Set the value of the Help source parameter (according to the Output type) in a string variable
called StrPathAndWindow as follows:
NOTE: In the following examples, the API shares the same parameters regardless of output type.
The only change made is the location of the Help file.

WebHelp/FlashHelp
Stores the full path to the start page and a dialog name in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. An example of this string is "C:\Program Files\MyApplication\WebHelp\MyStartPage.htm>MyWindow.”
WebHelp Pro
Stores the full path to the server and a window name in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. Check with the web administrator to determine whether the project name is
required. (The project name is required if the Auto-Merge option in the RoboHelp Server
Configuration Manager is set to Off.)
An example of this string is
http://<servername>/robohelp/rest/search?project=<project-name
>&quesn=<search-query>

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Context-sensitive Help

11

HTML Help
Stores the full path to the CHM file and a dialog name in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. An example of this string is “C:\Program Files\MyApplication\MyHelp.chm>MyWindow.”
TIP:Do not hard-code the string variable StrPathAndWindow.

7)

To call a Help topic, call the function RH_ShowHelp with a_pszHelpFile set to
StrPathAndWindow, uCommand set to HH_HELP_CONTEXT, and dwData set to the
map ID of the topic.

RH_ShowHelp syntax
RH_ShowHelp syntax
RH_ShowHelp(hParent As Long, a_pszHelpFile As String, uCommand As Long, dwData
as Long) As Boolean

Example:
To open the topic mapped to number 1:
Public cshObject as new RoboHelp_CSH .RH_ShowHelp Me.HWND, StrPathAndWindow,
cshObject.HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 1;

Notes:
•

In WebHelp Pro projects, the new context-sensitive Help API is supported only with RoboHelp Server.

•

Create one global RoboHelp_CSH object to use for all context-sensitive Help calls.

Airplane Help for Visual Basic applications
If using Airplane Help, associate offline Help before making function calls.
Syntax
Public Function RH_AssociateOfflineHelp(pszPrimaryHelpSource As String,
pszBackupHelpSource As String) As Boolean

Example
strOnline = "http:// www.mycompany.com/roboapi.asp?project=myproject"
strOffline = "C:\Program Files\My App\WebHelp\StartPage.htm"
Public cshObject as new RoboHelp_CSH ' Should be global object
cshObject. RH_AssociateOfflineHelp strOnline, strOffline

342

Context-sensitive Help

Program Help for Visual C++ applications
This information is for developers connecting context-sensitive Help topics to C++ applications.
1)

Open the project in the C++ IDE.

2)

Add RoboHelp_CSH.cpp and RoboHelp_CSH.h to the project.

3)

Link the wininet.lib and Hmlhelp.lib libraries to the application. Look for the Hmlhelp.lib
library in the CSH API subfolder of the installation folder.

4)

If you are using Microsoft Visual C++ with MFC, set the RoboHelp_CSH.cpp file so that it
doesn’t use precompiled headers.

Prevent RoboHelp_CSH.cpp from using precompiled headers
Visual Studio 6
1)

Select Project > Settings.

2)

Select Robohelp_Csh.Cpp.

3)

On the C/C tab, change Category to Precompiled Headers.

4)

Select Not Using Precompiled Headers.

5)

Click OK.

Visual Studio .NET
1)

Right-click Robohelp_Csh.Cpp. Select Properties.

2)

In the C/C folder, select Precompiled Headers.

3)

Select Not Using Precompiled Headers.

Function calls from Visual C++ applications
NOTE:Connect context-sensitive Multiscreen HTML5, Responsive HTML5, WebHelp, WebHelp Pro,

FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro, or HTML Help topics to Visual C++ applications.
NOTE: You can call the context-sensitive help from other languages too. Visual C++ is given as an

example here.
RH_ShowHelp syntax
int RH_ShowHelp(HWND hParent, const char * a_pszHelpFile, unsigned int uCommand,
DWORD dwData)

343

Context-sensitive Help

Parameter

11

Data type

Description

hParent

HWND

Handle to calling the dialog box HTML Help Only: Close
the Help dialog box with the calling window.

a_pszHelpFile

const char *

Help source For Webhelp/FlashHelp: "Path to project start
page" For Webhelp Pro: "http://[ServerName]/roboapi.asp"
* For HTML Help: "Path to .CHM file"
To specify a dialog box, use ">WindowName" at the end of
this parameter.

uCommand

unsigned int

Constants:
HH_DISPLAY_INDEX Displays Index pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH Displays Search pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_TOC Displays Contents pane and default
topic.
HH_HELP_CONTEXT Opens topic associated with map
ID in dwData parameter.

dwData

DWORD

To obtain the map ID, export the map file for the
programming language. Use HH_HELP_CONTEXT in the
uCommand parameter.

RH_OpenHelpTopic Syntax
Call "RH_OpenHelpTopic” function to open a Help Topic in WebHelp or FlashHelp.
int RH_OpenHelpTopic(const TCHAR * a_pszHelpMainPage,
const TCHAR * a_pszTopicRelPath);

Parameter

Data type

Description

a_pszHelpMainPage

const char *

Help source For Webhelp/FlashHelp: "Path to project start
page" . To specify a window, append ">WindowName" at
the end Path to the project start page.

a_pszTopicRelPath

const char *

Relative path of the topic corresponding to the main page.

TIP:To open to the default topic, make a Help call that sets uCommand to HH_DISPLAY_INDEX,
HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH, or HH_DISPLAY_TOC, and dwData to "0". In WebHelp Pro systems,
default window settings for default navigation buttons override the HH_DISPLAY constant.

344

Context-sensitive Help
Call a context-sensitive Help function for AIR Help
NOTE: The AIR Help API is provided for many languages including JAVA, VC.NET, CS.NET, VB,

VB.NET. The following example shows how to invoke the AIR Help API using Visual C++.
Call RH_AIR_ShowHelp function to show AIR Help Application.
int RH_AIR_ShowHelp(const TCHAR * a_pszViewerPath,
const TCHAR * a_pszHelpId,
const TCHAR * a_pszWindowName,
unsigned long ulMapNum,
const TCHAR * a_pszMapId,
const TCHAR * a_pszTopicURL);

Parameter

Data Type

Description

a_pszViewerPath

const char *

Path to the installation directory of AIR Help Application.

a_ pszHelpId

const char *

(Optional) ID of help content to be viewed in Viewer. It is
specified in .helpcfg file.

a_pszWindowName

const char *

(Optional) Customized output window name.

ulMapNum

unsigned long

Context-sensitive map number

a_pszMapId

const char *

(Optional) Context-sensitive map ID. If specified it takes
priority and ulMapNum is ignored.

a_pszTopicURL

const char *

(Optional) URL of the topic to appear. If specified, this
parameter takes priority over ulMapNum and a_pszMapId.

The return value is 0 for a successful result and non-zero if any error occurs.
RH_GetAIRAppPath
Call RH_GetAIRAppPath function to get AIR Help Application.
TCHAR * RH_GetAIRAppPath(const TCHAR * a_pszAppId,
const TCHAR * a_pszPublisherId);

Parameter

Data Type

Description

a_pszAppId

const char *

Help app ID, specified in RoboHelp during AIR
generation.

a_pszPublisherId

const char *

ID corresponding to the digital certificate used for signing
the AIR application.

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Context-sensitive Help

11

The return value path of the AIR application. The user can call the function free() to free up the
memory.NOTE: Data Type can also be const wchar * for Unicode enabled applications.
Call a context-sensitive function for Responsive/Multiscreen HTML5 Help, WebHelp, FlashHelp,
or FlashHelp Pro
The following example assumes the full path to the WebHelp/FlashHelp start page and a dialog box
name are stored in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. An example of this string is
“C:\\Program Files\\MyApplication\WebHelp\MyStartPage.htm>MyWindow.” Do not hard-code
this string.
NOTE:Export the map files to the location.

Example:
To open the topic mapped as number 1:
RH_ShowHelp(GetSafeHwnd(), strPathAndWindow, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, (DWORD)1);
NOTE:If using airplane Help, associate the offline Help before making calls.
NOTE: If using Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5 Help, you can also use the functions RH_ShowMul-

tiscreenHelpWithMapId andRH_ShowMultiscreenHelpWithMapNoto call HTML5 help
topics using MapId and Map number, respectively. The source code and documentation for these functions is contained in the support file RoboHelp_CSH.cpp located at C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe
RoboHelp [version]\CSH API\. You need to import this support file into your C/C++ development
project to use these functions.
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro
1)

Call the function.
The following example assumes the full path to the server and a window name are stored in a
string variable called StrPathAndWindow. The project name is required if the Auto-Merge
option is set to Off. The value of this string is
http://<servername>/robohelp/rest/search?project=<project-name
>&quesn=<search-query> for getting the URL for a given keyword.
For getting the context-sensitive information, the URLs are
http://servername>/robohelp/rest/robowindow?wtype=ctx
&context=<id>[&area=<area_of_publishing>&type=project_type>]
or
http://servername>/robohelp/rest/robowindow?wtype=prj&window=<
windowname>[&area=<area_of_publishing>&type=<project_type>]

346

Context-sensitive Help
NOTE:Export the map files to the location.

Example:
To open the topic mapped to number 1:
RH_ShowHelp(GetSafeHwnd(), strPathAndWindow, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, (DWORD)1);

2)

Run and test the Help call.

NOTE:If using airplane Help, associate the offline Help before making calls.

Call a context-sensitive function for HTML Help
1)

Call the function.
The following example assumes the CHM file and a window name are stored in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. The value of this string indicates the path to the CHM file,
such as C:\Program Files\MyApplication\MyHelp.chm>MyWindow.
Example:
To open the topic mapped as number 1:

RH_ShowHelp(GetSafeHwnd(), strPathAndWindow, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, (DWORD)1);

2)

Run and test the Help call.

Notes:
•

If using airplane Help, associate the offline Help before making calls.

•

In WebHelp Pro projects, the Help API is supported only with RoboHelp Server or RoboEngine 3.0 or later.

Overriding the default MFC Help Handler
This topic is for Visual C++ developers who create MFC-based applications.
•

As stated in the RoboHelp_CSH.h header file, the wininet.lib and Hmlhelp.lib libraries must
be linked into the application. The Hmlhelp.lib library can be in the CSH API folder in the
RoboHelp installation folder.

•

Include the RoboHelp_CSH.cpp file in your project.

•

To use the RoboHelp API instead of the default MFC Help handler, override the WinHelp
function in your mainframe class. By default, Visual Studio calls this class CMainFrame, and
you can use the class wizard inside Visual Studio to create the function override.

•

After overriding the function and including RoboHelp_CSH.h, replace the contents of the
function with this code. (Set the path to your Help file properly. The example shows RoboHelp
Server-based Help.)
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Context-sensitive Help

11

NOTE: Modify the path to server-based Help according to your project. In this example, the path

applies to RoboHelp Server Help. See the rest of the API documentation to determine parameter
values for each command and specify secondary windows for context-sensitive Help calls.
CWaitCursor wait;
if (IsFrameWnd()) {
// CFrameWnd windows should be allowed to exit help mode first
CFrameWnd* pFrameWnd = (CFrameWnd*)this;
pFrameWnd->ExitHelpMode();
}
// cancel any tracking modes
SendMessage(WM_CANCELMODE);
SendMessageToDescendants(WM_CANCELMODE, 0, 0, TRUE, TRUE);
// must use top level parent (for the case where m_hWnd is in DLL)
CWnd* pWnd = GetTopLevelParent();
pWnd->SendMessage(WM_CANCELMODE);
pWnd->SendMessageToDescendants(WM_CANCELMODE, 0, 0, TRUE, TRUE);
// attempt to cancel capture
HWND hWndCapture = ::GetCapture();
if (hWndCapture != NULL)
::SendMessage(hWndCapture, WM_CANCELMODE, 0, 0);
// Set the path to server-based help
CString csOnlineHelpPath = _T("http://myserver/RoboAPI.asp");
// Translate the nCmd from WinHelp commands to RoboHelp commands
unsigned int nRHCmd;
switch (nCmd) {
case HELP_CONTEXT: nRHCmd = HH_HELP_CONTEXT; break;
case HELP_CONTENTS: nRHCmd = HH_DISPLAY_TOC; break;
case HELP_CONTEXTMENU: nRHCmd = HH_TP_HELP_CONTEXTMENU; break;
case HELP_WM_HELP: nRHCmd = HH_TP_HELP_WM_HELP; break;
case HELP_FINDER: nRHCmd = HH_HELP_FINDER; break;
default: nRHCmd = nCmd; break;
}
// finally, run the RoboHelp Help engine
if (!RH_ShowHelp(pWnd->m_hWnd, csOnlineHelpPath, nCmd, dwData))
AfxMessageBox(AFX_IDP_FAILED_TO_LAUNCH_HELP);

Visual C++ developers using Visual Studio .NET

348

•

As stated in the RoboHelp_CSH.h header file, the wininet.lib and htmlhelp.lib libraries must
be linked into the application.

•

Include the RoboHelp_CSH.cpp file in your project.

•

To use the RoboHelp API instead of using the default MFC Help handler, override the HtmlHelp function in your mainframe class. By default, Visual Studio calls this class CMainFrame,
and you can use the class wizard inside Visual Studio to create the function override.

•

After overriding the function and including RoboHelp_CSH.h, replace the contents of the
function with the following code. (Set the path to your Help file accordingly. The example
shows server-based Help.)

Context-sensitive Help
CWaitCursor wait;
// Get the path to the Help system
CWinApp* pApp = AfxGetApp();
ASSERT_VALID(pApp);
// Set the path to server-based help
CString csOnlineHelpPath = _T("http://RoboHelp Server:port/robohelp/server");
PrepareForHelp();
// must use top level parent (for the case where m_hWnd is in DLL)
CWnd* pWnd = GetTopLevelParent();
// finally, run the RoboHelp Help engine
if (!RH_ShowHelp(pWnd->m_hWnd, csOnlineHelpPath, nCmd, dwData))
AfxMessageBox(AFX_IDP_FAILED_TO_LAUNCH_HELP);
NOTE:In WebHelp Pro projects, the new context-sensitive Help API is supported only with RoboHelp
Server or RoboEngine 3.0 or later.

Airplane Help for C++ applications
Syntax
void RH_AssociateOfflineHelp(const char * a_pszPrimaryHelpSource, const char *
a_pszBackupHelpSource)

Example
m_sOnline = "http://www.mycompany.com/roboapi.asp?project=myproject";
m_sOffline = "C:\Program Files\My App\WebHelp\StartPage.htm";
RH_AssociateOfflineHelp(m_sOnline, m_sOffline);
NOTE:To specify different window names for online and offline Help, you can map windows to RH_As-

sociateOfflineHelp. Follow this example for Visual Basic:
strOnline =
"http://www.mycompany.com/roboapi.asp?project=myproject>RemoteWindow1"
strOffline = "C:\Program Files\My App\MyHelp.chm>LocalWindow1"
Public cshObject as new RoboHelp_CSH ' Should be global object
cshObject. RH_AssociateOfflineHelp strOnline, strOffline
strOnline =
"http://www.mycompany.com/roboapi.asp?project=myproject>RemoteWindow2"
strOffline = "C:\Program Files\My App\MyHelp.chm>LocalWindow2"
cshObject. RH_AssociateOfflineHelp strOnline, strOffline
NOTE:WebHelp Pro context-sensitive Help API is supported only with RoboHelp Server or RoboEngine

3.0 or later.

Program Help for Java applications
This information is for developers connecting context-sensitive Help topics to Java applications.
1)

Open the project in your Java IDE (integrated development environment).

2)

Add RoboHelp_csh.java to the project.
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Context-sensitive Help
3)

11

Call the function defined in RoboHelp_csh.java using any needed parameters.

NOTE:Airplane Help is not supported in the Java API.

Function calls from Java applications
In the following examples, the API shares the same parameters regardless of output type. The only
change made is the location of the Help file.
public static boolean RH_ShowHelp(int hParent, String a_pszHelpFile, int
uCommand, int
dwData)

Parameter

Data Type

Description

hParent

int

Reserved for future versions. Use 0.

a_pszHelpFile

String

Help source For Webhelp/FlashHelp: "<Path to project
start page>" For WebHelp Pro:
"http://[ServerName]/roboapi.asp"
*Optional: Specify dialogs using ">WindowName" at the
end of this parameter

uCommand

int

Constants:
HH_DISPLAY_INDEX Displays Index pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH Displays Search pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_TOC Displays Contents pane and default
topic.
HH_HELP_CONTEXT Opens topic associated with map
ID in dwData parameter.

dwData

int

Topic map ID (defined in Edit Map IDs in RoboHelp). To
obtain the map ID, export the map file for your language
(use HH_HELP_CONTEXT in the uCommand parameter).

TIP:To launch the Help system (open to the default topic), make a Help call that sets uCommand to

HH_DISPLAY_INDEX, HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH, or HH_DISPLAY_TOC, and dwData to "0". In
WebHelp Pro systems, default window settings for default navigation button override the
HH_DISPLAY constant (however, the Help system still opens to the default topic).

350

Context-sensitive Help
Call a context-sensitive function for Multiscreen/Responsive HTML5, WebHelp, FlashHelp, or
FlashHelp Pro
1)

Call the function.

RoboHelp_CSH.RH_ShowHelp(0, StrPathAndWindow, RoboHelp_csh.HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 1);

Where the full path to the WebHelp/FlashHelp start page and a window name (optional) are
stored in StrPathAndWindow. (Never hard code this string.)NOTE: "Do not hard-code" here
suggests that it should be left as a variable which should be taken as input from the user in order
for the code to be reusable, for opening different help files.
2)

Run the application and test the Help call.

NOTE: If using Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5 Help, you can also use the functions RH_ShowMul-

tiscreenHelpWithMapId andRH_ShowMultiscreenHelpWithMapNoto call HTML5 help
topics using MapId and Map number, respectively. The source code and documentation for these functions is contained in the support file RoboHelp_CSH.java located at C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe
RoboHelp [version]\CSH API\. You need to import this support file into your Java development project
to use these functions.
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro
1)

Call the function.

RoboHelp_CSH.RH_ShowHelp(0, StrPathAndWindow, RoboHelp_csh.HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 1);

Where the full path to the RoboHelp server and a dialog box name (optional) are stored in
StrPathAndWindow. (The project name is required if the Auto-Merge option is set to Off in
the RoboEngine Configuration Manager.) Examples of this value are “http://RoboHelp
Server:port/robohelp/server” or “http://RoboHelp Server:port/robohelp/server?project=MyProject>MyWindow.”
To open the topic mapped as number 1:
RoboHelp_CSH.RH_ShowHelp(0, StrPathAndWindow, RoboHelp_csh.HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 1);

2)

Run the application and test the Help call.

Program Help for web pages
This information is for developers connecting context-sensitive Help topics to web pages.
1)

Talk to the Help author to determine the following:
•

Who provides the map numbers.

•

If the project has context-sensitive Help.

•

Where the Help system resides (locally or on a server).

351

Context-sensitive Help
2)

Open your web pages.

3)

Link the pages to RoboHelp_csh.js.

4)

Call the function contained in RoboHelp_csh.js wherever you call Help from the website.

11

Program Help for web pages (WebHelp/Pro)
TIP:Use the context-sensitive Help support files. These files allow developers to call built-in function-

ality.
The example below shows one way to declare a JavaScript function that displays a secondary dialog.
The ShowHelp function shows the specified topic in a custom window with the attributes defined
by the strHelpOptions variable.
var strHelpOptions = "location=no";
strHelpOptions += ",toolbar=no";
strHelpOptions += ",menubar=yes";
strHelpOptions += ",status=yes";
strHelpOptions += ",scrollbars=yes";
strHelpOptions += ",resizable=yes";
strHelpOptions += ",top=0";
strHelpOptions += ",left=0";
strHelpOptions += ",width=400";
strHelpOptions += ",height=400";
function ShowHelp(strUrl)
{
window.open(strUrl, "Help", strHelpOptions);
}

To use ShowHelp, place the above script between the </HEAD> and <BODY> tags in the HTML
file. Include an anchor tag like the following where users can get help:
Help!
This tag makes a hyperlink with the text Help! When an end user clicks the hyperlink, widget.htm
opens in a secondary browser.
Function calls from web pages
NOTE:This information is for developers connecting context-sensitive Multiscreen/Responsive HTML5

Help, WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, or FlashHelp Pro topics to web pages.
In the following examples, the API shares the same parameters regardless of output type. The only
change made is the location of the Help file.
NOTE: If using Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5 Help, you can also use the functions RH_ShowMul-

tiscreenHelpWithMapId and RH_ShowMultiscreenHelpWithMapNo to call HTML5 help topics using
MapId and Map number, respectively. The source code and documentation for these functions is
contained in the support file RoboHelp_CSH.js located at C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp

352

Context-sensitive Help
[version]\CSH API\. You need to import this support file into your HTML/JavaScript development
project to use these functions.
RH_ShowHelp syntax
function RH_ShowHelp(hParent, a_pszHelpFile, uCommand, dwData)

Parameter

Data Type

Description

hParent

var

Reserved for future versions of API. Use "0."

a_pszHelpFile

var

Help source For WebHelp: "<Path to project start page>"
(Can be local or on a server) For WebHelp Pro:
"http://[server name]/roboapi.asp"
*Optional: To specify a window, use ">WindowName" at
the end of this parameter

uCommand

var

Constants:
HH_DISPLAY_INDEX Displays Index pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH Displays Search pane and default
topic.
HH_DISPLAY_TOCDisplays Contents pane and default
topic.
HH_HELP_CONTEXT Opens topic associated with map
ID in dwData parameter.

dwData

var

Map ID of the topic displayed. To obtain the map ID, the
author can export the map file for a programming language
using HH_HELP_CONTEXT in the uCommand parameter.

RH_OpenHelpTopic Syntax
Call the "RH_OpenHelpTopic" function to open a WebHelp/FlashHelp topic.
function RH_OpenHelpTopic(a_pszHelpMainPage, a_pszRelTopicUrl)

Parameter

Data Type

Description

a_pszHelpMainPage

var

Help source for WebHelp/FlashHelp: "Path to project start
page". To specify a window, append ">WindowName" at
the end Path to the project start page.

a_pszRelTopicUrl

var

Relative path of the topic corresponding to the main page.

TIP:To launch the entire Help system (open to the default topic), make a Help call that sets uCommand
to HH_DISPLAY_INDEX, HH_DISPLAY_SEARCH, or HH_DISPLAY_TOC, and dwData to "0".

353

Context-sensitive Help

11

In WebHelp Pro systems, default window settings for default navigation buttons override the
HH_DISPLAY constant.
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp Pro
1)

Call the following API for getting the context-sensitive information from the server.
The following example assumes that you have stored the full path to your RoboHelp server and
a window name (optional) in a string variable called StrPathAndWindow. The project name is
required if the Auto-Merge option is set to Off in the RoboEngine Configuration Manager.
Examples of the value of this string are “http://RoboHelp Server:port/robohelp/server” or
“http://RoboHelp Server:port/robohelp/server?project=MyProject>MyWindow.”
NOTE:Ask your technical writer which windows to call. Also, if the writer creates the map files,

ask the writer to export the map files to the location.
For example:
To open the topic mapped as number 1:
<p>Click for Help (map number 1)</p>

2)

Run the application and test the Help call.

NOTE:In WebHelp Pro projects, the new context-sensitive Help API is supported only in RoboEngine

3.0 or later.
Call a context-sensitive function for WebHelp or FlashHelp
1)

Call the following API for getting the context-sensitive information from the server.
http://servername>/robohelp/rest/robowindow?wtype=ctx&context=
<MAP ID>
For example:
To open the topic mapped as number 1, change the <MAP ID> with 1.

2)

Run the application and test the Help call.

Program Help for .NET
.NET basics
Supports all forms of RoboHelp Server with .NET development:

354

•

Creates web services, WebForms, and WinForms.

•

Provides comprehensive support for .NET Framework.

Context-sensitive Help
•

Operates as a self-contained .NET web service.

•

Provides APIs to support Help development in Visual C .NET, C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET,
and ASP .NET.

•

Ensures that existing context-sensitive Help supports .NET requirements.

RoboHelp Server with .NET is designed to create applications for desktops, intranets, or the Internet
and to support the development of these applications.
Create server-based Help within the .NET environment and generate real-time analysis of end-user
activity in a Help system. Use with Visual C .NET, ASP .NET, Visual Basic .NET, or C# .NET to integrate Help systems.
Context-sensitive Help support files for .NET
Support files for programming context-sensitive Help allow you to import code and enter variables
instead of writing the code. The context-sensitive Help API for .NET supports Visual C++ .NET,
ASP .NET, Visual Basic .NET, and C# .NET.
The API shares parameters with HTML Help and WinHelp. Custom windows are supported.
Context-sensitive Help works without any modifications.
Import file for the corresponding language from the respective folders at:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\CSH API

C# .NET
C# .NET is an object-oriented language that enables C and C++ programmers to transition to the
new .NET environment while providing integration with existing applications. Components can be
converted into XML and run using any language on any operating system.
ASP .NET
ASP .NET is part of the .NET Framework for building web applications and XML web services. ASP
.NET pages use a compiled, event-driven programming model to generate markup such as HTML,
WML, or XML. It allows the separation of application logic and user interface. You can use any .NET
language, such as Visual Basic .NET or C# .NET, to create ASP .NET pages and AS P.NET XML web
services files containing server-side logic.
Make a Help call
Make sure that context-sensitive Help function calls specify the online Help in the individual calls to
RH_Showhelp. When a remote Help call is made, the online version of the Help system appears.
If connecting to the Internet is not possible, offline Help appears.

355

Context-sensitive Help

11

Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp or FlashHelp from C# .NET
1)

Include the RoboHelp_CSH.cs file in the project.

2)

Call the RH_ShowLocalHelp (hParent, strtHelpURL, strWndName,
nCommand, nData)function.

Parameter

Data Type

Description

hParent

Object

Handle of the parent window.

strHelpURL

String

Help source for WebHelp; specifies the path to the project start
page.

strWndName

String

Name of the window to be opened.

nCommand

Int

Class constants.

OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT
Opens the topic associated with the map ID in the
nData parameter
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_TOC
Displays the Contents pane and the default topic
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_INDEX
Displays the Index pane and the default topic
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_SEARCH
Displays the Search pane and the default topic
nData

Int

Displays the map ID of the topic. To obtain the map ID, you can
export the map file for a programming language using
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT in nCommand.

Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro from C# .NET

356

1)

Open VisualStudio.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select File > New > Project.

•

Open a C# .NET project.

3)

Add a button named Help.

4)

Navigate to the context-sensitive Help supporting files in C:\Program Files\[RoboHelp Install
Folder]\CSH API\CS.NET.

Context-sensitive Help
5)

Copy the RoboHelp_CSH.cs file.

6)

Paste the files to the C# .NET project.

7)

Right-click the Reference folder. Select Add Reference.

8)

Select .Net tab > System.Web.Services.Dll.

9)

Click OK.

10) Right-click the Reference folder. Select Add Reference.
11) Select
c:\windows\system32\msxml2.dll

12) Select OK.
13) Double-click the Help button.
14) Copy C# .NET context-sensitive Help example code and paste into the code.
15) Add using RoboHelpAPI to the top of the document.
16) To test, compile, and run the project, select the Help button.
Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp or FlashHelp from ASP .NET
1)

Include the RoboHelp_CSH.cs file in the project.

2)

Call the RH_ShowLocalHelp (hParent, strtHelpURL, strWndName,
nCommand, nData)function.

Parameter

Data Type

Description

hParent

Object

Handle of the parent window.

strHelpURL

String

Help source for WebHelp; specifies the path to the project start
page.

strWndName

String

Name of the window to be opened.

357

Context-sensitive Help

11

Parameter
nCommand

Data Type
Int

Description
Class constants.

OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT
Opens the topic associated with the map ID in the
nData parameter
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_TOC
Displays the Contents pane and the default topic
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_INDEX
Displays the Index pane and the default topic
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_SEARCH
Displays the Search pane and the default topic
nData

Int

Displays the map ID of the topic. To obtain the map ID, you can
export the map file for a programming language using
OptionConstants.CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT in nCommand.

Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro from ASP .NET
1)

Open VisualStudio .NET.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select File > New > Project.

•

Open an ASP.NET project.

3)

Navigate to the context-sensitive Help supporting files in C:\Program Files\[RoboHelp Install
Folder]\CSH API\ASP.NET.

4)

Copy the RoboHelp_CSH.cs file.

5)

Paste the supporting files to the ASP.NET project.

6)

Right-click the Reference folder. Select Add Reference.

7)

Select .Net tab > System.Web.Services.Dll.

8)

Click OK.

9)

Add a button in the application.

10) Double-click the button.
11) Copy the ASP.NET context-sensitive Help example code. Paste it into the code.
12) In the code, add using RoboHelpAPI.

358

Context-sensitive Help
13) To test, compile and run the project. Select the Help button.
Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp or FlashHelp from Visual Basic .NET
1)

Include the RoboHelp_CSH.vb file in the project.

2)

Call the RH_ShowLocalHelp (hParent, strtHelpURL, strWndName,
nCommand, nData)function.

Parameter

Data Type

Description

hParent

Object

Handle of the parent window.

strHelpURL

String

Help source for WebHelp; specifies the path to the project start
page.

strWndName

String

Name of the window to be opened.

nCommand

Int

Class constants.

CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT
Opens the topic associated with the map ID in the
nData parameter
CSH_DISPLAY_TOC
Displays the Contents pane and the default topic
CSH_DISPLAY_INDEX
Displays the Index pane and the default topic
CSH_DISPLAY_SEARCH
Displays the Search pane and the default topic
nData

Int

Displays the map ID of the topic. To obtain the map ID, you can
export the map file for a programming language using
CSH_DISPLAY_CONTEXT in nCommand.

Call context-sensitive Help for WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro from Visual Basic .NET
1)

Open VisualStudio.NET.

2)

Do one of the following:

3)

•

Select File > New > Project.

•

Open a Visual Basic .NET project.

Copy the RoboHelp_CSH.vb file.

359

Context-sensitive Help

11

4)

Paste the supporting files to the ASP .NET project.

5)

Right-click the Reference folder. Select Add Reference.

6)

Select .Net tab > System.Web.Services.Dll.

7)

Click OK.

8)

Right-click the Reference. Select Add Reference.

9)

Select:

msxml2.dll

10) Select OK.
11) Add a button in the application.
12) Double-click the button.
13) Copy the Visual Basic .NET context-sensitive Help example code and paste it into the code.
14) To test, compile and run the project. Select the Help button.
Locate the RoboHelp Server with .NET samples
1)

Select the sample for the application language.

Name

Language

RoboHelp Server CSH.NET VC Sample

Visual C++ .NET

RoboHelp CSH.NET VB Sample

Visual Basic .NET

RoboHelp CSH.NET C# Sample

C# .NET

Specify the URL (WebHelp Pro)
1)

In code samples, find the string with the name:

m_strServer

2)

Assign the server address to m_strServer:

http://server.com/robohelp/rest

3)

Specify a project name.

m_strProject = P1

4)

360

Specify the window name in the variable m_strParamValue.

Context-sensitive Help
NOTE:STRPRIMARY specifies the primary Help system and STRBACKUP specifies local Help. For

Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++ .NET, and C# .NET the application is on the client, allowing both
online and offline Help systems. For ASP .NET, all information is on a Web server. Specify a WebHelp
Pro online Help system as a primary Help system and a WebHelp online Help system as a backup.
Web services provided in RoboHelp Server with .NET
RoboHelp Server provides the following two services using the REST web services.
Robowindow
Requests the server to get the window properties and context Help URL. See code details.
Search
Performs the sentence search and returns results. See code details.

Steps without using support files

WebHelp Pro
WebHelp Pro is an uncompiled output type that is RoboHelp Server-based and supports standard
Help features (such as TOC, index, and search). A browser is not required to view the output. In
addition, WebHelp Pro provides end-user feedback reports on how people are using your system
and other features available only with RoboHelp Server. WebHelp Pro projects require RoboHelp
Server for context-sensitive Help.
Display content
An ASP file is included for viewing content. The default hyperlink is http://<RoboHelp
Server>/Roboapi.Asp. You can pass a parameter to the ASP file:
•

project=Project_Name

•

context=MapNumber

•

url=URL

For example:
•

This URL displays default content from the server: http://<RoboHelp Server>/Roboapi.Asp

•

This URL displays the project_name project (merged with any other projects): http://<RoboHelp Server>/robohelp/rest/search?project=<project-name>&quesn=<search-query>

•

This URL displays content for map number 101: http://<RoboHelp Server>/ /robohelp/rest/robowindow?wtype=ctx&context=<id>&project=<project name>
361

Context-sensitive Help

11

Advanced window control
When opening context-sensitive WebHelp Pro from a browser, use the context-sensitive Help API
and support files.
WebHelp
Context-sensitive Help for Visual Basic applications
Use this information to connect context-sensitive WebHelp or WebHelp Pro topics to Visual Basic
applications.
The sample code here uses a function called Showhelp that opens a local or remote topic regardless
of the browser type.
The ShowHelp function has two parameters: strTopic takes a URL or local filename as a value,
and bIsLocal takes a Boolean value. It indicates whether the first parameter is a local filename
(TRUE) or remote URL (FALSE). If the file is local, ShowHelp tells the browser to find the file in
the Help subfolder of the application folder.
Public Function ShowHelp(strTopic As String, _
bIsLocal As Boolean) As Boolean
Dim strDir As String
If bIsLocal Then
' Get registry entry pointing to Help
strDir = App.Path + "\Help\"
End If
' Launch topic
Dim hinst As Long
hinst = ShellExecute(Me.hwnd, vbNullString, _
strTopic, vbNullString, _
strDir, SW_SHOWNORMAL)
' Handle less than 32 indicates failure
ShowHelp = hinst > 32
End Function

To call ShellExecute , declare the function. For example:
Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib _
"shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal lpOperation As String, _
ByVal lpFile As String, _
ByVal lpParameters As String, _
ByVal lpDirectory As String, _
ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

The ShowHelp function requires an explicit filename or URL. But for context-sensitive Help, it is
better to code the application to use context IDs rather than explicit topic names. Use the following
sample function, ShowHelpContext, which maps integer context IDs to topic name strings, then
calls ShowHelp to launch the topic.

362

Context-sensitive Help
Public Function ShowHelpContext(nContextId As Integer) As Boolean
Dim strTopic As String
Dim bIsLocal As Boolean
bIsLocal = True
Select Case nContextId
Case HH_GADGET_DIALOG
strTopic = "gadget.htm"
Case HH_WHATSIT_DIALOG
strTopic = "whatsit.htm"
Case HH_WIDGET_DIALOG
strTopic = "widget.htm"
Case HH_TECH_SUPPORT:
strTopic = "http://www.mycompany.com"
bIsLocal = False
Case Else
strTopic = "unknown-context.htm"
End Select
ShowHelpContext = ShowHelp(strTopic, bIsLocal)
End Function

..............................................................................................................................................
Using ShowHelpContext makes maintaining context-sensitive Help much easier because, if a
topic name changes, only one function must be modified. Declare context IDs (for
example,HH_GADGET_DIALOG) as constants that can be shared among the program modules that
use context-sensitive WebHelp or WebHelp Pro.
Const HH_GADGET_DIALOG As Integer = 1
Const HH_WHATSIT_DIALOG As Integer = 2
Const HH_WIDGET_DIALOG As Integer = 3
Const HH_TECH_SUPPORT As Integer = 4

Connect context-sensitive WebHelp and WebHelp Pro topics to Visual C++ applications
NOTE:This information is for developers who must connect context-sensitive WebHelp and WebHelp

Pro topics to Visual C++ applications.
The sample code provided here uses a function called ShowHelp that opens a local or remote topic
regardless of the browser type.
The ShowHelp function has two parameters: szTopic takes a URL or local filename as a value,
and bIsLocal takes a Boolean value. It indicates whether the first parameter is a local filename
(TRUE) or remote URL (FALSE). If the file is local, ShowHelp tells the browser to find the file in
the Help subfolder of the application folder.
BOOL ShowHelp(LPCTSTR szTopic, BOOL bIsLocal)
{
TCHAR szDir[MAX_PATH] = "";
if (bIsLocal)
{
// Get directory of application
DWORD dw = GetModuleFileName(AfxGetInstanceHandle(), szDir, MAX_PATH);

363

Context-sensitive Help

11

TCHAR* pchEnd = _tcsrchr(szDir, '\\') + 1;
ASSERT_POINTER(pchEnd, TCHAR);
*pchEnd = '\0';
// Append subfolder name
_tcscat(szDir, _T("Help"));
}
// Open topic
HINSTANCE hinst = ShellExecute(NULL, //no parent hwnd
NULL, // open
szTopic, // topic file or URL
NULL, // no parameters
szDir, // folder containing file
SW_SHOWNORMAL); // yes, show it
// handle less than 32 indicates failure
return hinst > (HINSTANCE)32;
}

.......................................................................................................................................
The ShowHelp function requires an explicit filename or URL. But for context-sensitive Help, it is
better to code the application to use context IDs rather than explicit topic names. Use the following
sample function, ShowHelpContext, which maps integer context IDs to topic name strings, then
calls ShowHelp to open the topic.
BOOL ShowHelpContext(int nContextId)
{
CString strTopic;
BOOL bIsLocal = TRUE;
switch (nContextId)
{
case HH_GADGET_DIALOG:
strTopic = _T("gadget.htm");
break;
case HH_WHATSIT_DIALOG:
strTopic = _T("whatsit.htm");
break;
case HH_WIDGET_DIALOG:
strTopic = _T("widget.htm");
break;
case HH_TECH_SUPPORT:
strTopic = _T("http://www.mycompany.com");
bIsLocal = FALSE;
break;
default:
strTopic = _T("unknown-context.htm");
break;
}
return ShowHelp(strTopic, bIsLocal);
}

...........................................................................................................................................
Using ShowHelpContext makes maintaining context-sensitive Help much easier because if a
topic name changes, only one function has to be modified. The context IDs (for example, HH_GAD364

Context-sensitive Help
GET_DIALOG) should be declared in a header file that can be shared among the program modules
that use context-sensitive WebHelp or WebHelp Pro. This can be the same file where the prototypes
for ShowHelp and ShowHelpContext are defined.
Programming HTML Help in applications
NOTE:Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

Window-level Help for Windows applications
•

To call a topic using a map number, make a call to the HTML Help API using the following
syntax:

HWND HtmlHelp(Window(), “c:\path\helpfile.chm”, HH_HELP_CONTEXT, Number);

•

To call a topic using a filename, make a call to the HTML Help API using the following syntax:

HWND HtmlHelp (Dialog(), “c:\path\helpfile.chm”, HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC,
"topicfile.htm");

What’s This? Help for Windows applications
The method for programming What’s This? Help depends on the way the context-sensitive Help was
created.
•

If the Help was created in RoboHelp as text-only topic files, see your software development kit
for details.

•

If the Help was created in What’s This? Help Composer, see Create What's This? Help.

NOTE:For more information, see the HTML Help API Reference at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms670068(VS.85).aspx.

Window-level Help for non-Windows platforms
•

Use WebHelp to display context-sensitive Help topics for C++ and Visual Basic applications,
Java applications, and Web pages. For more information, see WebHelp.

•

Use JavaHelp to display context-sensitive Help topics for Java applications. For more information, see Create context-sensitive JavaHelp.

•

Use Oracle Help to display context-sensitive Help topics for Java applications, or applications
written in other programming languages. For more information, see Create context-sensitive
Oracle Help.

NOTE:If you must use your HTML Help output as a backup to a WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp,

or FlashHelp Pro system that is on a server, use Adobe's airplane Help.

365

Context-sensitive Help

11

Context-sensitive HTML Help function call
Sample code:
HtmlHelp(hWnd,
/*Window handle of program or dialog*/
"CSHHelp.chm",
/*Name of the CHM file*/
HH_HELP_CONTEXT,
dwMapNumber);
/*Map number from map file*/

HtmlHelp(hWnd
Program or dialog box window handle. A window handle identifies a window so the HTML
Help engine discovers what application is performing the action.
CSHHelp.chm
Compiled HTML help file. It includes context-sensitive help. Give the developer this file for
use with the application.
HH_HELP_CONTEXT
This is the command sent to the HTML Help engine for window-level Help. (A command such
as HH_TP_HELP_WM_HELP is used for What's This? Help.)
Dwmapnumber
Map number from map file
Troubleshoot window-level Help
NOTE:Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

Problem

Wrong Help topic opens.

Error message

Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Processing C:\Project Folder\HelpProject.chm
Map Number: 2750
File: Folder_Name\Topic_Name.htm

Cause

Incorrect map ID.

Resolution

Update the map ID.
Generate the project and retest.

OR:
Cause

366

Wrong or outdated map file.

Context-sensitive Help

Resolution

Ensure everyone is using the correct map file.
If the correct map file is used, unassign the map ID for the topic.
Remove the old map file and import the new map file.
Assign new map IDs.
Generate and retest.

Problem

Topic is not displayed.

Error message

1. No message
2. Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Result: HH_HELP_CONTEXT called without a [Map] section
3. Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Processing C:\Folder Name\Project_Name.chm
Result: Cannot find 180010 in C:\Folder Name\Project_Name.chm

Cause

No assigned map ID.

Resolution

If the map file does not exist, the message "HH_HELP_CONTEXT called without
a [Map] section" appears.
For developer-supplied map files, import the map file. Assign the map IDs.
If the message "Cannot find 180010 in C:\Folder Name\Project_Name.chm"
displays, update the map ID.
Generate and retest.

Problem

Topic does not appear or wrong topic appears.

Error message

1. Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Processing C:\Project Folder\Project_Name.chm
Map Number: 1
File: Folder_Name\Topic_Name.htm
2. Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Processing C:\Project Folder\Project_Name.chm
Result: Cannot find 180010 in C:\Project Folder\Project_Name.chm

Cause

Wrong map number used in the call.

Resolution

Print the Map IDs report and give it to the developer.
Use this file to correct map number assignments.

Problem

Topic appears in wrong dialog box.

Error message

"HTML Help Author" opens and displays, "The window name 'window' passed to
HH_GET_WIN_TYPE has not been specified."

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Context-sensitive Help

11

Cause

Wrong dialog name used in the call or author did not inform the developer that a
custom window was created for the topics.

Resolution

Ensure the developer knows about the custom dialog.
Generate and retest after the application updates.

Problem

Topic is not displayed.

Error message

1. Message is not displayed
2. Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Result: HH_HELP_CONTEXT called without a [Map] section

Cause

Map file or map number is missing.

Resolution

For developer-supplied map file, restore or update the map file.
Generate the and retest.

Create context-sensitive JavaHelp
TIP:Use the context-sensitive Help API and support files to call built-in functionality, rather than

creating functions to display topics.
Context-sensitive JavaHelp requires custom code from your developer.
A printed copy of the .JHM file may help your developer.
Example:
public class ContextHelp
{
private HelpSet hs;
private HelpBroker hb;
public boolean ShowHelp(String strTopic, String strHelpSet){
if (hb == null) {
ClassLoader loader = getClass().getClassLoader();
URL url;
try {
url = HelpSet.findHelpSet(loader, strHelpSet);
hs = new HelpSet(loader, url);
}
catch (Exception e) {
return false;
}
hb = hs.createHelpBroker();
}
hb.setCurrentID(strTopic);
hb.setDisplayed(true);
return true;

368

Context-sensitive Help
}
}

Test context-sensitive JavaHelp
Testing context-sensitive JavaHelp involves authors and developers.
Compress The Project
Compile the project and create a .JAR file. Give the .JAR to your developer.
Test Context-Sensitive Topics
Test topics in the application to ensure they appear in the correct dialogs and windows.
Resolve Errors
Work with your developer to solve any problems.
Create context-sensitive Oracle Help
NOTE:This information is for developers who need to connect context-sensitive Oracle Help topics to

applications.
TIP:The context-sensitive Help API and support files let you call built-in functionality instead of having

to create the functions to display topics.
Oracle Help supports context-sensitive Help, but your developer must write and customize the code
to make it work.
A working example of a Java application with context-sensitive Help is shown below. To run the
example:
1)

Ensure that you have the Oracle Help for Java components and the Sun Java 2 SDK or later.

2)

Copy and paste the code below into a file called CSHDemo.java.

3)

Compile the file (for example, javac CSHDemo.java).

4)

Run the Java applet (for example, java .cSHDemo <Oracle Help Helpset file>). The Oracle
Help helpset file parameter is the fully-qualified path to the helpset file. As an example, if you
create an Oracle Help helpset file named "sample.hs" and saved it in "C:\myFiles," the
command to run this application with your helpset file would be:

java CSHDemo C:\myFiles\Sample.hs

Sample context-sensitive Java application
/*****************************************************************************
****
* Oracle Help Context-Sensitive Help Sample Application
*
* This application is intended to demonstrate a few methods for invoking
* context-sensitive Help with Oracle Help.
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Context-sensitive Help
*
* USAGE:
*

11

CSHSample <full path to helpset file>

*******************************************************************************
**/
import
import
import
import
import

oracle.help.Help;
oracle.help.CSHManager;
oracle.help.library.Book;
oracle.help.library.helpset.HelpSet;
oracle.help.navigator.Navigator;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.net.URL;
public class CSHSample extends Frame implements ActionListener
{
private Help helpObj;
private Book bookObj;
private CSHManager contextManager;
private MenuItem exitMenu;
private MenuItem contentsMenu;
private MenuItem searchMenu;
private MenuItem indexMenu;
// Constants set to TopicIDs from map file for Helpset passed in
// via command line.
public static final String LABEL = "what_is_a_label_htm";
public static final String FIELD = "what_is_a_text_field_htm";
public static void main(String[] args)
{
if (args.length != 1) {
System.err.println("Usage: CSHSample <full path to helpset file>");
System.exit(1);
}
Book bookObj = null;
String filename = args[0];
// Expects filename format to be: "file:/[<drive>:/]dir/<helpset_file>"
// e.g., "file:/c:/myPath/myHelp.hs"
if (filename.charAt(0) == '/')
filename = "file:" + filename;
else
filename = "file:/" + filename;
try {
bookObj = (Book) new HelpSet(new URL(filename));
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.err.println("CSHSample Error: " + e.getMessage());
System.exit(1);
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Context-sensitive Help
}
CSHSample sampApp = new CSHSample(bookObj);
sampApp.setVisible(true);
}
// Class Constructor
public CSHSample(Book bookObj)
{
super("CSH Sample Application");
setResizable(false);
setSize(300, 200);
// Create Help Objects
try {
helpObj = new Help(false, false);
contextManager = new CSHManager(helpObj);
contextManager.addBook(bookObj, true);
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.err.println("CSHSample:: Failed While Creating Help object");
e.printStackTrace();
System.exit(1);
}
/********************************************************************
* Add UI Components
*******************************************************************/
MenuBar menubar = new MenuBar();
Menu filemenu = new Menu("File");
exitMenu = new MenuItem("Exit");
filemenu.add(exitMenu);
exitMenu.addActionListener(this);
menubar.add(filemenu);
Menu helpmenu = new Menu("Help");
contentsMenu = new MenuItem("Help Contents");
contentsMenu.addActionListener(this);
helpmenu.add(contentsMenu);
indexMenu = new MenuItem("Topic Index");
indexMenu.addActionListener(this);
helpmenu.add(indexMenu);
searchMenu = new MenuItem("Full Text Search");
searchMenu.addActionListener(this);
helpmenu.add(searchMenu);
menubar.add(helpmenu);
setMenuBar(menubar);
Panel mainPanel = new Panel();
add(mainPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);

371

Context-sensitive Help

11

// Add label
Label label = new Label("Country:", Label.LEFT);
mainPanel.add(label);
// Set context help for component. TopicID = LABEL
// Pass the component with the associated TopicID to the CSHManager Object
contextManager.addComponent(label, LABEL, true, true);
// Add TextField
TextField field = new TextField(15);
mainPanel.add(field);
// Set context help for component. TopicID = FIELD
// Pass the component with the associated TopicID to the CSHManager Object
contextManager.addComponent(field, FIELD, true, true);
/********************************************************************
* End: Add UI Components
*******************************************************************/
addWindowListener(
new WindowAdapter()
{
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e)
{
setVisible(false);
System.exit(0);
}
}
);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
Object source = e.getSource();
if (source == exitMenu) {
setVisible(false);
System.exit(0);
}
else if (source == contentsMenu) {
// Show Help; Display Contents tab
Navigator[] navs = contextManager.getAllNavigators();
if (navs != null)
contextManager.showNavigatorWindow(navs[0]);
}
else if (source == indexMenu) {
// Show Help; Display Index tab
Navigator[] navs = contextManager.getAllNavigators();
if (navs != null)
contextManager.showNavigatorWindow(navs[1]);
}
else if (source == searchMenu) {
// Show Help; Display Search tab
Navigator[] navs = contextManager.getAllNavigators();
if (navs != null)
372

Context-sensitive Help
contextManager.showNavigatorWindow(navs[2]);
}
}
}
NOTE:Oracle Help uses topic IDs (in a map file) to make context-sensitive Help calls. You can change

the topic ID by editing the topic's META tag.

What’s This? Help

About the What's This? Help Composer tool
The What's This? Help Composer tool installs with RoboHelp. It supports both WinHelp authored
in RoboHelp for Word and Microsoft HTML Help.
This tool scans applications and generates projects. It reads program files and creates context-sensitive Help topics for all controls and fields in dialog boxes. It can add suggested text to each Help topic
to save authoring time.
Supported files for Microsoft HTML Help:
•

Program files (EXE)

•

Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL)

•

ActiveX controls (OCX)

You can add context-sensitive Help to any RoboHelp project. The result is a single text-only file
(Context.txt) that contains text used for each context-sensitive Help topic that you create.

What's This? Help and Microsoft HTML Help
Creating a What's This? Help project for Microsoft HTML Help does the following:
•

Creates a Context.txt file, which contains the context-sensitive topics.

•

Attaches the Context.txt file to the project.

•

Stores the Context.txt file in a database, updated when you edit the topics.

•

Saves Dialog.cid and Context.h files (contain topic IDs) in the project folder. The developer
uses these files.

•

Stores the Context.txt file in the What's This? Help Files folder, in the Context-Sensitive Help
folder. Double-click the Context.txt file to open the What's This? Help Composer for editing.
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Context-sensitive Help

11

NOTE:Deleting any of these files from Project Manager removes the What's This? Help project from

your HTML Help project.

Use What's This? Help Composer for context-sensitive Help
•

Open the HTML Help project, then select this file to open it in What's This? Help Composer.

•

Compiling the HTML Help project also complies the context-sensitive topics into your project,
as part of the CHM file.

•

See What's This? Help Composer's online Help system.

Create What's This? Help
1)

Open the RoboHelp project.

2)

Select File > New > What's This? Help Project.

3)

Select an application. This is the name of the executable file (.exe), dynamic link library (.dll),
or ActiveX control (.ocx).

4)

Click Browse. In Files Of Type, select the file format.

5)

Navigate to the folder that contains the application. Double-click the application file to select
it.

6)

Click Next. The name and location of the project file appear.
All What's This? Help Composer projects are titled "Context.txt" and are saved in the same
folder as the HTML Help project.

7)

Click Next. The names of all files containing dialog boxes for the application appear. These files
are in the same folder as the application (or they are called by the application). The files listed
are included in the What's This? Help project. You can remove unwanted files. If you are
unsure about what files to use, consult your application developer.

8)

Click Next. What's This? Help Composer can generate Help topics for default buttons such as
OK and Cancel.

9)

To include these topics, select Yes, Create Default Help Text For This Project.

10) Click Finish.
The application's files are scanned and a database of information is generated. After a few
moments, the new project opens in What's This Help Composer and a summary report
appears. You can view this report, copy it to the Windows clipboard, and print it.

374

Context-sensitive Help
11) When you finish working with the summary report, click OK.
All the components of the dialog boxes and windows are identified in the Dialog Boxes pane.
You can start authoring What's This? Help topics.
12) To return to RoboHelp and work on the HTML Help topics, save the What's This? Help project
and close the program.
Version-control projects may have more options.
Tips:
•

To work on the What's This? Help topics, open the Help project in RoboHelp, and then open
What's This? Help.

•

Before you start a What's This? Help project, consult your developer to determine details that
might affect the application files and the way you author topics.

Import What's This? Help projects
You can import existing What's This? Help projects intended for C and C++ applications into your
Microsoft HTML Help projects. You can use only one What's This? Help project with an HTML
Help project.
1)

Open the RoboHelp project.

2)

Select File > Import > What's This? Help Project.

3)

Navigate to the What's This? Help project file's (.chj) folder. Double-click to import it.

Version-control projects may have more options.
Notes:
•

All What's This? Help project files are saved in the project folder.

•

To update What's This? Help topics, edit the Context.txt file. This file is in the Project Manager,
in the Text-Only Topic Files folder (in the Context-Sensitive Help folder). This file cannot be
renamed.

•

To open your project in What's This? Help Composer, double-click the Context.txt file.

Open What's This? Help projects
1)

Open the project in RoboHelp.

2)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup.

375

Context-sensitive Help
3)

11

Select Edit > What's This? Help Project. The project opens in What's This? Help Composer.

NOTE:Only HTML Help systems that are intended for C or C++ applications are supported by What's

This? Help Composer.

Remove What's This? Help from a project
1)

Open the HTML Help project.

2)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup. The Output Setup pod appears.

3)

Open the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

4)

Open the Text-Only Topics folder.

5)

Select Context.Txt (the What's This? Help file).

6)

Click Delete

.

Version-control projects may have more options.
NOTE:You can restore a What's This? Help file. The What's This? Help project file (.CHJ) remains in
your project folder, and you can import it into your project to create a CONTEXT.TXT file. See
Importing What's This? Help projects into HTML Help projects.

Test What's This? Help with BugHunter
NOTE:BugHunter is for use with Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

1)

376

Before testing, verify that the following requirements are met:
•

The application used with the Help topics is available on the authoring system.

•

What's This? Help topics exist in the HTML Help project (CHM file).

•

The application is programmed to use HTML Help.

•

A copy of the map file is available for use in testing.

2)

Generate the HTML Help project so all the What's This? Help topics are included in the CHM
file. Copy the file into the same folder as the application.

3)

Select Tools > Tools > Enable BugHunter.

4)

Start the application and open a dialog box to test.

5)

Click the question mark icon

and click a field or control.

Context-sensitive Help
Test HTML Help API
Test map numbers and window-level topics with map IDs in Microsoft HTML Help projects. To run
the test, you must have access to the application. To recompile the CHM file after using this tool,
close the program and reopen the project.
Select A Compiled HTML Help File
Specifies the HTML Help (CHM) file to use.
Command
Test a map number or a topic. HH_DISPLAY_TOPIC requires the relative path and filename
in the HTML File field.
Dialog (Optional)
Identifies the custom window for topic content. Use only if you have a custom window for
displaying window-level Help topics.
HTML File
The HTML file to test for with HH_Display_Topic.
Map Number
The map number to test for HH_Help_Context.

Troubleshoot What's This? Help
NOTE:Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

Before you test What's This? Help with BugHunter, right-click in the BugHunter pane and select
Options > Display Options. Deselect Only Window-Level Help Messages.

Problem

Topic does not appear.

Error message

No message

Cause

Author did not create a text-only topic (for a field or control in a dialog).

Resolution

Create a text-only topic for the field or control in the dialog box.
For developer-supplied map files, import the file first, then create text-only topics.
Compile the project. Retest using the updated CHM file.

Problem

The wrong What's This? Help topic appears in a field or control.

377

Context-sensitive Help

11

Error message

Command: HH_TP_HELP_WM_HELP?HH_TP_HELP_CONTEXT_MENU
Processing: Project_Name.chm
Control ID: 1174
Help ID: 1003
File: Folder_Name/FileName.TXT

Cause

Developer incorrectly handled a message that requests What's This? Help.

Resolution

Provide the Map IDs report to the developer.
Text-only topics are indicated by Text-only Popup MapID.
Compile the project. Retest using the updated CHM file.

Problem

The wrong topic or no topic appears.

Error message

No message
or
Command: HH_TP_HELP_WM_HELP?HH_TP_HELP_CONTEXT_MENU
Processing: Project_Name.chm
Control ID: 1174
Help ID: 1003
File: Folder_Name/FileName.TXT

Cause

A map number in the map file is missing its matching topic ID.
or
A topic ID is matched to the wrong topic.

Resolution

If the problem is caused by a missing topic ID, correct the map file.
If the developer supplies the map file, update the map file.
For an auto-generated map file: Open the Context-Sensitive Text-Only Topics
dialog box. Select the map number. Enter the topic ID. Click Add/Update.
If the problem is caused by a topic ID matched to the wrong topic, remove the
text-only topic. Create one for the topic ID.
Compile the project. Retest using the updated CHM file.

Maintaining text-only topics (Microsoft HTML Help projects)
When changes are made to the application, update your text-only topics to reflect these changes. (If
you use What's This? Help Composer, most of these maintenance issues apply.)
Changes in the application affect the following:

378

•

The map files used in your project.

•

The content in your text-only topics that explain how to use the application's features.

•

The text-only topic files (.TXT) you create for What's This? Help.

Context-sensitive Help

Type of Change

Action

Obsolete features (dialog boxes, message boxes, and
windows are removed from the application).

Remove the text-only topics from the text-only files
(.txt).

Updated and improved features (a dialog box is
changed to include new controls, some fields are
removed).

Edit the content of the text-only topics so they
accurately explain how to use the features or if fields
were removed from dialog boxes.

New features (for example, new dialog boxes are
added).

Create new text-only topics.

New map files (for new features).

Import the map files into the project before creating
the text-only topics.

Updated map files (for new or existing features).

Update the existing map file by removing the
obsolete map file and importing the updated one.

Notes:
•

If you are creating text-only topics and window-level topics, avoid using the same map file for
both.

•

Each time you update your context-sensitive Help, test all topics that have been changed or
added.

Working with text-only topics
Create text-only topics
When creating text-only topic files for Microsoft HTML Help, you create topics and write content
in the same dialog box. If using map files from your developer, import them before you begin.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup. The Output Setup pod appears.

2)

Open the Context-Sensitive Help folder.

3)

Right-click the What's This? Help Files folder. Select Create/Import Text-Only Topic File.

4)

In File Name, enter a name for the topic file. If you imported a map file, use its name (Pizza.h
and Pizza.txt).

5)

Click Open.

6)

Select a topic ID for the first topic to create:
379

Context-sensitive Help
•

When auto-creating a map file In Topic ID, enter the topic ID.

•

When importing a map file, select the topic ID from the list.

11

Sample of Topic ID entries
7)

In Topic Text, enter topic content. This text appears in a popup when users request help for
the field or control:
Sample of Topic Text

1)

Click Add/Update.
Version-control projects may have more options.

Tips:
•

Topics or added code are not needed for OK, Cancel, Save, Open, and other buttons associated
with Windows dialogs.

•

HTML Help projects can include multiple .txt files.

Edit text-only topics

380

1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup. The Output Setup pod appears.

2)

Open the Context-Sensitive Help and What's This? Help Files folders.

3)

Double-click the topic file (.TXT).

4)

Select the topic from the Topic ID list.

5)

Edit the text in Topic Text.

6)

Click Add/Update.

Context-sensitive Help
Version-control projects may have more options.
TIP:You can edit map numbers in this dialog.

Test text-only topics
Testing text-only topics requires access to the application.
•

If you auto-generated map files, give these files to your developer.

•

When done testing, compile the Help. Provide your developer with the CHM file.

•

Install the latest version of the application, including the latest CHM file.

•

If installing the latest application from a network or CD, replace the existing CHM file with the
new copy when you compile. Copy the CHM file into the folder with the application EXE file.

•

Print a Map IDs report as a checklist for testing dialog boxes. Print the text-only topics file that
matches topic IDs to topics.

•

Use BugHunter to test application calls.

•

Use the Duplicate Map IDs to resolve problems with repeated map numbers.

Tips:

Remove text-only topics
You can remove text-only topics in Microsoft HTML Help projects when changes to dialog box
controls and fields affect context-sensitive Help.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup. The Output Setup pod appears.

2)

Open the Context-Sensitive Help and What's This? Help Files folders.

3)

Double-click the topic file (.txt).

4)

Select the topic to remove.

5)

Click Delete.

Version-control projects may have more options.
Tips:
•

If your developer provides updated map files, replace them before removing the topic.

•

Removing text-only topics leaves the topic ID and map number in the map file. You can
remove unused Map IDs if you no longer need them.
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Context-sensitive Help

11

Remove text-only topic files
Remove text-only topic files (.txt) from Microsoft HTML Help projects when you no longer need
them.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Output Setup. The Output Setup pod appears.

2)

Open the Context-Sensitive Help and What's This? Help Files folders.

3)

Select the topic file (.txt).

4)

Click Delete.

5)

Open the Map Files folder.

6)

Select the map file (.H) associated with the removed .txt file.

7)

Click Delete. The topic file and its map file are deleted.

Version-control projects may have more options.

Testing context-sensitive Help
Test with the Context-Sensitive Help tool
The Context-Sensitive Help tool simulates Help calls from an application.
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click CSH Test.

2)

Do one of the following:

3)

•

To test server-based Help, select Online.

•

To test local Help, select Offline.

Do one of the following:
•

For server-based Help, enter the server location and project name by using the following
syntax for FlashHelp Pro:

http://RoboHelp
Server/robohelp/server?project=MyProject&area=area-name&type=flashhelp

For WebHelp Pro, use the following syntax:
http://RoboHelp Server/robohelp/server?project=MyProject&area=area-name&ver=1

•

382

For local Help, click the Browse button, and select a Help file.

4)

(Optional) Enter a window name.

5)

Click the map file icon

and select a map file.

Context-sensitive Help
6)

Click the triangle and select a map number.

7)

Click Show Help.

If Help is working correctly, the topic associated with the map number appears.

Test with BugHunter for HTML Help
NOTE:Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

BugHunter is a troubleshooting tool to test context-sensitive Help topics and diagnose problems.
During testing, BugHunter captures and displays calls that the application makes.
NOTE: Before you start using BugHunter, you must launch Html Help Workshop once. To launch Html

Help Workshop, double-click the hhw.exe file in the Html Help Workshop install folder.
Use BugHunter for the following tasks:
•

Test Help buttons, F1 Help, or What's This? Help.

•

Track the causes of errors.

•

Copy data to the clipboard or annotate it and save it in a text file.

•

Discover why the wrong topic appears.

•

Determine if a particular map number is used.

•

Determine if a window-level Help topic has a map ID assigned.

Start and close BugHunter
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Tools.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

To start capturing data, choose Tools > Enable BugHunter.
The output dialog box displays capture data while the program is enabled. When you
activate Help in an application's dialog box, messages from BugHunter appear in the
output window. Right-click in the pane to copy, annotate, or save the data.

•

To clear the pane, right-click inside it and select Clear All. Data remains in the pane until
you clear it.

•

To stop capturing data, choose Tools > Enable BugHunter.

Interpret BugHunter data
BugHunter data resembles this example:

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Context-sensitive Help

11

C:\APPLICATION FOLDER\HELP_FILE.CHM, Custom Folder\Help_Topic_Name.htm,
HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 10253, Topic launched

Multiple lines of data resemble this example:
Project: C:\APP FOLDER\HELP_FILE.CHM
File: Custom Folder\Help _Topic_Name.htm
Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Map Number: 10253
Result: Topic launched

Interpret the data as follows:
Project
Application location. Filename of the HTML Help that contains the called Help topic.
File
Folder and subfolders where the .htm topic exists.
Command
The command name sent to HTML Help.
10253
Map number.
Result
Activity summary. “Topic launched” indicates that the topic map ID matches the application
code.
Customize the BugHunter pane
1)

Right-click inside the BugHunter pane and click Options.

View map numbers in hex format
1)

Select File > Options. Click the BugHunter tab.

2)

In Display options, select Map Numbers In Hex.

Test in the application
To test context-sensitive Help in the application, follow these guidelines:

384

•

If you auto-generated map IDs in RoboHelp, export the map files and provide them to the
developer. Update the application to use the map IDs, if it doesn’t already.

•

Generate the project. Provide the output files to the developer.

Context-sensitive Help
•

If you designed a custom window for displaying window-level topics, inform the developer.
The application requires coding to display topics this way.

•

Install the latest version of the application, or access the Web application. If you install the
latest build of the application from a network drive or CD, you can replace the output file with
the new copy each time you generate. Put the output files in the same folder as the application
EXE file.

•

Print the Map IDs report. Use it as a checklist for testing dialog boxes.

•

In the application, click Help or press F1 to verify that the correct Help topic opens in each
dialog box.

•

Update any map IDs that did not work and check the following:

•

Ensure that the correct map ID is assigned.

•

Ensure that the topic has a window assigned to it.

•

Generate the project to retest edited topics.

Context-sensitive Help terms
ALI file
A project file that is automatically created in the project folder when you add, update, or
remove map IDs. It shows the topic ID/topic match (for example: ID_ABCForm=ABC.htm).
CHM file
The file created when an author compiles a Microsoft HTML Help project. All the files in the
project, including context-sensitive Help topics and map files, are compressed and saved in
this file.
Header file
A developer's term used to see map files. Developers create header files, which are text files
containing a list of topic IDs and their corresponding map numbers. Header files use the .h,
.hh, or .hm extension. When a developer provides the author with header files, the author
needs to import the files into the project.
HHCTRL.OCX
(Microsoft HTML Help projects) The Microsoft ActiveX control that contains the HtmlHelp()
application programming interfaces. Developers ensure that HHCTRL.OCX is invoked when
users request Help.

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HH_HELP_CONTEXT
(Microsoft HTML Help projects) Using this HTML Help API command, calls can be made to
the application using the map number.
HTML Help API
(Microsoft HTML Help projects) The application programming interface for Microsoft
HTML Help that allows a Help window from an application to display. The HTML Help API
contains commands for developers to specify the type, style, and position of Help windows.
HTML Help translator
(Microsoft HTML Help projects) A mechanism in Microsoft HTML Help that looks up
context-sensitive Help topics when users request help in applications.
HTML Help viewer
(Microsoft HTML Help projects) The default window used to display compiled Microsoft
HTML Help (CHM files). Authors can also design a separate custom window to display
context-sensitive Help topics.
Prefix
Characters affixed to the beginning of topic IDs (for example, in the topic ID, Idd_Mytopicid,
"IDD_" is the prefix). Development tools that generate map files use a default prefix. When you
generate map files in RoboHelp, you can specify a prefix. Prefixes are not mandatory, but they
are useful for organizing topic IDs.
RH ShowHelp
RoboHelp API function used to call context-sensitive Help topics. You can call this function
for WebHelp Pro, WebHelp, and HTML Help.
Support files
(WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects) Adobe provides support files that allow developers to
import code and enter variables. Each supported language has a corresponding support file
with functions to use for calling WebHelp Pro or WebHelp projects and displaying individual
topics for context-sensitive Help.

Create Help for iOS and Android apps
RoboHelp provides an API that you can leverage to integrate Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5
output with iOS and Android apps. The API ships with the following:

386

•

Objective C (iOS) and Java (Android) source code for the API functions that you can include
in your app with or without customization

•

Sample apps demonstrating the usage of the exposed API

Context-sensitive Help
iOS versions 5 and later are supported. Android 2.2 (Froyo) and higher versions are supported.

Capabilities delivered
You can leverage the following capabilities using the mobile Help API:
•

Embed the Help into the app

•

Open the Help in the in-app browser or the default browser for the mobile operating system

•

Implement context-sensitive Help from mobile app screens

•

Host the Help on a server and link to it from within the mobile appNOTE: While linking to Help
hosted on an external server, ensure that your implementation conforms to Apple App Store
guidelines.

Broad steps to implement mobile Help
1)

Prepare your RoboHelp project for publication.

2)

Prepare context-sensitive Help and create relevant mappings.

3)

Generate Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5 output.

4)

Bundle the Multiscreen or Responsive HTML5 output with the app.

5)

Include the source files for the mobile Help API with the app.

6)

Call the API functions to implement the required Help calls in the app.

Available API functions
iOS
•

-(id) initForHelpPath: (NSString*)path;

•

-(void) setHelpPath: (NSString*)path;

•

-(void) setShowHelpInEmbeddedBrowser: (BOOL)bInEmbedded;

•

-(void) showFullScreenHelp:
(UIViewController*)presentingViewController;

•

-(void) showFullScreenHelp:
(UIViewController*)presentingViewController
ForMapNo:(NSInteger)ctxId;

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Context-sensitive Help
•

-(void) showFullScreenHelp:
(UIViewController)presentingViewController
ForMapId:(NSString)ctxId;

•

-(void) cleanUpResources;

•

-(void) setTitle: (NSString*)title;

•

-(void) setBackButtonText: (NSString*)text;

•

-(void) setSupportsIPhoneOrientation:
(UIInterfaceOrientation)orientation supports:(BOOL)supports;

•

-(void) setSupportsIPadOrientation:
(UIInterfaceOrientation)orientation supports:(BOOL)supports;

TIP:To understand how to use these API functions, refer to the comments in the code.

Android
The following code sample illustrates the available Java methods:
•

RoboHelpAPI(String url, View v)

•

void setHelpPath(String url)

•

void setShowHelpInEmbeddedBrowser(boolean bEmbedded)

•

void showFullScreenHelp()

•

void showFullScreenHelpForMapNo(int mapNo)

•

void showFullScreenHelpForMapId(String mapId)

•

void setTitle(String title)

•

void setBackButtonText(String text)

•

void setSupportsOrientation(boolean supports)

TIP:To understand how to use these API functions, refer to the comments in the code.

Sample app
RoboHelp ships with sample apps demonstrating the capabilities of the mobile Help API.

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11

Context-sensitive Help

389

Context-sensitive Help
iOS sample app demonstrating mobile Help API capabilities

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11

Context-sensitive Help

Android sample app demonstrating mobile Help API capabilities

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11

Context-sensitive help for filtered dynamic content
When you use dynamic content filters to create help output, you can create context-sensitive help
that will navigate the user directly to the filtered content. For example, if your content is
region-based and you can display contextual help filtered for a specific region. For details on how to
create and use dynamic content filters, see Generate dynamic content output.
NOTE: Dynamic content filters are supported for Responsive HTML5 and Mobile App outputs.

To create a context-sensitive help link to a filter, create a link with the following syntax:
<help topic url>?filter=<tag1>:<value1>,<tag2>:<value2>...

For example, to create a direct link to the following filter:
Dynamic filter

Create the following link:
<help topic url>?filter=Region:US,Audience:Print

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Context-sensitive Help

Reference
BugHunter tab of the Options dialog box (HTML Help)
Display options
Window-Level Help Messages captures messages only for window-level Help.
TIP:Clear this option to test What's This? Help.

Map Numbers In Hex
Displays map numbers in hexadecimal notation rather than decimal format.
Each Message On A Single Line
Displays output on a single line. Multiple lines organize the data by the type of information.
Example (single line)
C:\APPLICATION FOLDER\HELP_FILE.CHM, Custom Folder\Help_Topic_Name.htm,
HH_HELP_CONTEXT, 10253, Topic launched

Example (multiple lines)
Project: C:\APPLICATION FOLDER\HELP_FILE.CHM
File: Custom Folder\Help_Topic_Name.htm
Command: HH_HELP_CONTEXT
Map Number: 10253
Result: Topic launched

Color options
Select the color for displaying Help, error messages, prompts, annotations, and the window background color.

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12

Generating output
Single sourcing basics and more
About single-source layouts
Single-source layouts act as templates for different versions of the project output. RoboHelp
provides single-source layouts for each output type.
Typically, when generating a different version of the project (such as an online tutorial), you use
different settings for the output. You can save these settings in single-source layouts. After creating
the layout and defining output settings, generate, view, or publish output whenever needed, singly
or in batches.
Layouts save settings and preferences for each version of the project, helping to ensure consistency.
Conditional tags and conditional build expressions let you create different output for different
versions of a project.
RELATED LINKS:
Work with layout types

Layout types in RoboHelp
RoboHelp supports the following layout types:

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•

Responsive HTML5 layout

•

eBook layout

•

WebHelp layout

•

WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro layouts

•

Microsoft HTML Help layout

•

JavaHelp layout

•

Oracle Help layout

•

XML layout

•

Adobe AIR layout

Generating output

Specify the primary layout
A primary layout is the default layout that you set for the work environment. It lets you generate
output without specifying additional options. The primary layout contains settings for the output
type with which it is associated. It controls project windows, the table of contents properties, and
other project entities.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click a layout.

2)

Select Set As Primary Layout.
The primary layout is labeled in the Single Source Layouts pod.

NOTE: If you create new windows, the window type is based on the default layout. For more informa-

tion, see this article.

Create and edit single-source layouts
Create or duplicate single-source layouts
A duplicate layout retains the settings of the original.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, do one of the following:
•

To create a layout, click the Create Layout button

.

•

To duplicate a layout, click the Duplicate Layout button

2)

In the Layout Name box, type a name.

3)

For a new layout, select an output type from the pop-up menu.

.

NOTE:You cannot change the output type of a duplicated layout.

4)

Click OK.

5)

For a new layout, set options in the Properties dialog box that appears. Click Save.

Edit single-source layouts
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout.

2)

Select Properties.

3)

Set options. Click Save.

NOTE:You cannot change the Output Type of a layout. Create a layout instead.

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Rename a single-source layout
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout.

2)

Select Rename.

3)

Enter the name.

RELATED LINKS:
Work with layout types
Generate, view, and publish output

Remove single-source layouts
Removing a layout does not affect other parts of a project.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the single-source layout. It cannot be the primary
layout.

2)

Select Delete.

About excluding unreferenced topics from output
A project meant for single sourcing can include topics that are not relevant in all types of output
generated from the project. For example, a project with multiple TOCs includes topics that are not
relevant to the output that you generate based on a single TOC. In such a case, excluding unreferenced topics from the output ensures that users find only the relevant topics in navigation and
search.
RoboHelp considers a topic unreferenced if the topic is not referenced by the following project
components:
•

TOC

•

Index

•

Browse sequences

•

Default topic

•

CSH map IDs

•

See Also keywords

•

Related Topics keywords

The Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output option is available in Adobe AIR, WebHelp,
WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro, Microsoft HTML Help, XML Output, Oracle Help, and
JavaHelp layouts.
RELATED LINKS:
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Generating output
Output generation basics

Generate dynamic content output
The dynamic content feature in RoboHelp allows you to create output that your users can easily filter
based on parameters that you define using Conditional Build tags. For example, you can create a
filter that allows your users to filter the output by region (US, UK, or Canada) and by audience
(end-user, online, and print). Dynamic content also allows your writers to easily single-source
content with the help of Conditional Build tags.
With this feature a writer creates Conditional Build tags depending on the filter criteria that you
want to provide to your users. For example, you can create conditional build tags: US, UK, and
Canada for region and End-user, Online, and Print for audience.
When you generate the output using the filter, the filter tab is displayed that allows users to filter the
contents based on the criteria (tag/expression) selected in the filter in the output SSL.
Also, a user can then use the search functionality to find content within the filtered results.
NOTE: Dynamic content filters can be applied to Responsive HTML5 and Mobile outputs.

Tag content
To create a dynamic content filter in your output, you apply Conditional Build tags to the required
parts of your project on which you want your users to filter.
In a RoboHelp project, you can apply conditional build tags to:
•

Topics
NOTE: If you apply a tag on a topic, all the contents of the topic and any TOC, Index entry

pointing to it will inherit the tag in the output.
•

Content within topics such a text and images
It is recommended that you do not apply conditional build tags on text at a level below a paragraph. While the filter functionality will still work at any level of granularly, setting tags below
the paragraph level of text can cause behavior such as incomplete sentences.

•

Items in a TOC

•

Items in an Index

NOTE: You cannot apply conditional build tags to the glossary.

You can apply multiple conditional build tags to the same section of your content. For example, you
can apply the US and Canada tags to a topic that you want to target at your North American
customers. You can then tag an alternate topic to target your UK customers. In the output, a user
then has the option to filter content based on the region. You can also use an expression such as US
AND Canada to create a filter criteria titled North America.
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RoboHelp does not restrict the application of Conditional build tags. This implies that you can apply
tags to content in any combination. For this reason, when you apply tags, you need to keep in mind
how the output will display based on the output filtering mechanism.
Take the example of two tags US and Canada where you apply the US tag to a table and Canada tag
to the content in the table. If you mark the US tag to show and the Canada tag to hide in the output,
the content is displayed. This is because the content show property has overridden the table hide
property. However, if you mark a topic as show and a paragraph in the topic as hide, the paragraph
does not display.
For an example on how filtering works, see Use a dynamic content filter in the output.
Untagged content
When you use dynamic filters in a RoboHelp project, you are not required to tag all your content.
Any content that is untagged is unconditional. This implies that untagged content will display to the
user regardless of the filter.
Create a dynamic content filter
You can create one dynamic filter for each layout.
1)

In the Output tab, click a layout.

2)

In the layout settings dialog, check Use Dynamic Content Filter in the output and click
Customize.
The Dynamic Content Filter dialog is displayed.

3)

When you create a filter, you can define groups that include the filter criteria (tags and expressions).
For example, you can create a Region group that includes the US, Canada, and UK conditional
build tags.
You can also use expressions as criteria in a filter. For example, you can create a filter US AND
Canada and then provide your users with a North America criteria option in the output.
NOTE: You can add tags and expressions to your filter without including them in any group. This

implies that you can create a filter that does not include any groups. Or you can create a filter
that contains one or more groups and tags or expressions that are not included in any of the
groups.
IMPORTANT:You cannot create nested groups. This implies that a group cannot contain another

group.
4)

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To add a tag or expression to a group, click the Add Criteria and select the tags and expressions
from the Tags and Expressions dialog.

Generating output
NOTE: You can add one instance of a tag or expression in a dynamic filter. For this reason, if you

add a tag or expression to the filter, notice the tag or expression does not display in the Tags and
Expressions dialog.
When you add a tag or expression to a filter, the display name for the tag or expression
displayed in the filter is the name that you give when you create it. However, you can change
the display name in the filter for output display purposes. Also, the display name that you
specify in the filter does not change the name of the tag or expression in the project.
NOTE: You can also include special characters in the display name of the tag or expression, except

these characters: colon (:), semi-colon (;), comma (,), percent (%), ampersand (&), hash (#), and
equals (=).
5)

You can choose to filter content by default. This implies that when the output displays, the
content is filtered to a predefined criteria. To set the default tag or expression in the filter,
right-click the tag or expression and choose Select Default.

6)

To change the display name of tag or expression in the filter, right-click the tag or expression
and choose Rename.
NOTE: When you rename a tag, the status message that displays at the bottom of the Edit Filter

dialog displays the name of the tag and not the display name.
NOTE: Group names within a filter must be unique. Tag or expression display names within a

group must be unique. The check for unique display names is case-insensitive. For example, you
cannot create two display names End-User and END-USER within the same group.
7)

To allow your users to select multiple filter criteria in one group in the output, check Allow
multiple selection in output.

8)

Use the navigation arrows to move the groups, tags, and expressions within a filter.
For example, to move a tag out of a group, click the left arrow. This moves the tag to the same
level as the containing group and just above the group. Use the right arrow to move a tag that
is outside any group into the next group. You can also move the tags up and down in the group.
NOTE: You can also move the items by drag-and-drop.

9)

Click Save.

10) In the layout settings dialog, click Save and Generate.
Use a dynamic content filter in the output
This section uses an example to describe how to use the dynamic content filter in the output and
what to expect when you apply tags to the content and use the tags in the filter.
After you assign a dynamic content filter to a layout, you can generate the output for the layout.
The output now contains a filter icon. Click the filter icon to display the dynamic content filter
assigned to the current layout.

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IMPORTANT:If a tag is not assigned to any content in the output, the tag is not displayed in the filter.
So, if all the tags within a group are not displayed in the filter, the group is not displayed. Also, if a tag
is not used in the filter (as tag or as part of an expression), then this tag is removed from the content it
is applied on in the project.

By default, all the groups and criteria in the filter are unselected. This implies that all content is
currently displayed (unconditionally) since no filter criteria is currently applied. However, if you set
a default while creating the filter, the default group displays selected.
To filter the contents, you check and un-check the groups or criteria in the filter.
The following sections detail two scenarios to describe how the dynamic content filtering mechanism works:
Select one criteria (tag or expression) in a group
In Sales Builder filter, if you check US in the Region group:
•

All content marked with the US tag displays.

•

All content marked with a combination of the US tag and any other tag displays.
Content marked with the US and UK tag displays. But a topic marked with the UK tag is
hidden. Also, content marked with the UK and Canada tags will be hidden.

•

All content marked with tags in the Audience group are not displayed unless the content is
combined with the US tag.
Content marked with the US and PDF tag will display. But content marked with the PDF tag
is hidden. Also, content marked with the UK and Print tags is hidden.

•

All untagged content displays.

Select one criteria in one group and another criteria in a second group
In Sales Builder filter, if you check US in the Region group and Print in the Audience group:
Test the dynamic content filter
After you create and apply a dynamic content filter to the output, you can use Show Tagged Output
option to test your filters. This option generates the output with the tags displayed in the contents at
the applied locations. You can then select the filter criteria and test how your filter works.

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Generating output
Sample output with the enduser tag displayed

To generate the tagged output:
1)

To open the Outputs (SSL) pod, in the Pods drop-down, choose Outputs (SSL).
The Pods drop-down is available in the Project, Edit, and Review ribbons.

2)

In the Outputs (SSL) pod, right-click the Responsive / Mobile output and choose Show Tagged
Output.

The tagged output is generated.

Generate dynamic user-centric content (DUCC)
Generate Adobe® AIR® and WebHelp output as integrated Help systems with different content categories. Users select the content category that's relevant for them and navigate and search within the
content category. Each content category has its own TOC, index, and glossary. Creating dynamic
user-centric content is useful if end users have to quickly toggle between the content for different
roles, products, or variants. For example, queries that a call center agent handles sometimes pertain
to different areas of system administration (for example, user administration, site administration,
and content administration). The ability to view and search the system administration content as a
set of modular content categories accessible from the same interface works as a time-saver where you
handle queries in real time.
For information about how to create content categories, see Configure the Adobe AIR layout and
Generate WebHelp output.

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12

A. Content category definition in SSL B.Content category selection in the output

Generate native (ASPX) or HTML output for Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a popular web platform for small to large organizations. It is designed as a
centralized replacement for multiple web applications and supports various combinations of enterprise website requirements. It is typically associated with web content management and document
management systems.
RELATED LINKS:
PDF review
Manage comments and changes

Publish native (ASPX) Multiscreen output to Microsoft SharePoint
Using the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL, you can publish native (ASPX) output directly to a SharePoint
2010 or above document library or a SharePoint 2007 folder. When you view the published output
in a browser, the topics appear in the SharePoint chrome as a single continuous HTML page.
For step-by-step instructions, see Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output.
Notes:
•

402

(Only for Internet Explorer) If your content has an iFrame containing a PDF document,
readers may not be able to scroll down to the bottom of the page. To prevent this issue, ensure
that the Browse File Handlingproperty in SharePoint is set to Permissive.

Generating output
•

If you're unable to republish content to SharePoint with Site Member permission, ensure that you
have the Add and Customize Pages SharePoint permission.

•

Ensure that the topics/images you’re publishing to SharePoint don’t have double dots (..) in
their names. Otherwise, the publish operation will fail with a Bad Request error.

Publish HTML output to Microsoft SharePoint
WebHelp, FlashHelp, and Browser based Help (Adobe AIR SSL)
Publish HTML output to a SharePoint site using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. See
Generate WebHelp output, and Configure a server to host browser-based Help.

Work with layout types
Responsive HTML5 layout
Most web browsers support native optimizations for displaying content on small-screen devices,
such as smartphones and tablets. However, these generic optimizations are often insufficient for the
wide variety of devices that proliferate today.
The Responsive HTML5 SSLs helps you provide a reading experience that is optimized for specific
types of devices. You can add and configure different screen profiles for different sets of devices and
generate HTML5 output for these screen profiles. When users visit the landing page for the HTML5
output on their devices, they are automatically redirected to content optimized for their device.
HTML5 output optimized for different devices

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12

Screen layouts help you improve the reading experience even further by enabling you to choose and
customize the way in which the contents and output elements, such as navigation links, are to be
displayed on a device.
When you create a project, RoboHelp adds Responsive HTML5 layouts to the project. The default
Responsive HTML5 SSLs contains screen profiles for popular devices, such as iPad, iPhone, Kindle
Fire, and Samsung Galaxy Tab. These screen profiles are mapped to predefined screen layouts.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output
Screen profiles
Screen layouts
Media rules and attributes in styles
Media queries

Supported browsers
The primary target platforms for the output generated using the Responsive HTML5 SSL are
Android OS and Apple iOS.
HTML5 output is supported in the following browsers:

Platform

Supported browser

Android OS

Default installed Webkit-based browser (Chrome Lite)

iOS

Apple Safari

Windows Desktop OS

Firefox 4+, Chrome 9+, Internet Explorer 9

Mac OS

Apple Safari

NOTE: In addition to HTTP servers, you can publish HTML5 output to HTTPS servers.

Online/offline behavior
HTML5 output can be accessed both online and offline. End users can access the output by copying
it to the device local memory and view it offline in a browser.
Configuring Responsive HTML5 prerequisites
Before you begin configuring the Responsive HTML5 SSL, consider the following:

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Generating output
Default screen profile
Set a default screen profile in the HTML5 SSL. The default screen profile is used if a device
dimension and browser agent combination does not match any screen profile.
Device image and content window
Select a device image in screen profile properties. A device image helps in visualizing the
look-and-feel of the output when you preview contents in a selected screen profile. For
example, if you expect users to view the HTML5 output of a project on iPhones, adding the
device image of an iPhone will make the preview experience closer to the real experience of
viewing the output on an iPhone.
Screen resolution
Specify a range of screen resolution in screen profile properties to create a screen profile for
devices with similar screen resolutions. Screen resolution is different from screen size; two
devices can have similar screen size but a significant difference in screen resolution.
Browser agent (user agent)
You can create different screen profiles for devices with the same range of screen resolution but
different browsers to achieve browser-specific appearances.
When you specify a browser in screen profile properties, RoboHelp adds the browser agent ID
to the output generated for that screen profile. When users visit the landing page for the
HTML5 output on their devices, the browser checks for the browser agent ID and other screen
settings and loads the content optimized for that browser and device.
The predefined list of browsers takes into account the popular devices of today. If you want to
add a browser to the list, specify a unique string from its user agent string. See a list of user
agent strings.
HTML5 output generation workflows
Use the following workflows to generate HTML5 output:
New project with default screen profiles
Configure the general properties of the Responsive HTML5 SSL and set the search and optimization properties and generate output.
New project with custom screen profiles
In this case, your project must include the custom screen profiles before you start configuring
the Responsive HTML5 SSLs. See for information on how to add a new screen profile to a
project. Once the custom screen profiles are available in the project, add the screen profile to
the Responsive HTML5 SSLs, configure other properties, and generate output.

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12

Upgraded project
When you upgrade a project, RoboHelp adds screen profiles but does not add any new SSL or
screen layout. After upgrading a project, add screen layouts from the Gallery. Add a new SSL
of the Responsive HTML5 type, configure the Responsive HTML5 SSLs as required, and
generate output.
Use this workflow for publishing existing WebHelp projects with a new look-and-feel. Responsive HTML5 outputs are HTML5-compatible; you can create frameless layouts and use
high-quality (MP4) videos.
Recommendations for authoring HTML5 output
•

Avoid using framesets.

•

Use MP4 videos. See Add multimedia.

Multiscreen layout
Most web browsers support native optimizations for displaying content on small-screen devices,
such as smartphones and tablets. However, these generic optimizations are often insufficient for the
wide variety of devices that proliferate today.
The Multiscreen HTML5 SSLs helps you provide a reading experience that is optimized for specific
types of devices. You can add and configure different screen profiles for different sets of devices and
generate HTML5 output for these screen profiles. When users visit the landing page for the HTML5
output on their devices, they are automatically redirected to content optimized for their device.
HTML5 output optimized for different devices

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Generating output
Screen layouts help you improve the reading experience even further by enabling you to choose and
customize the way in which the contents and output elements, such as navigation links, are to be
displayed on a device.
When you create a project, RoboHelp adds Multiscreen HTML5 layouts to the project. The default
Multiscreen HTML5 SSLs contains screen profiles for popular devices, such as iPad, iPhone, Kindle
Fire, and Samsung Galaxy Tab. These screen profiles are mapped to predefined screen layouts.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output
Screen profiles
Screen layouts
Media rules and attributes in styles
Media queries

Supported browsers
The primary target platforms for the output generated using the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL are
Android OS and Apple iOS.
HTML5 output is supported in the following browsers:

Platform

Supported browser

Android OS

Default installed Webkit-based browser (Chrome Lite)

iOS

Apple Safari

Windows Desktop OS

Firefox 4+, Chrome 9+, Internet Explorer 9

Mac OS

Apple Safari

NOTE: In addition to HTTP servers, you can publish HTML5 output to HTTPS servers.

Online/offline behavior
HTML5 output can be accessed both online and offline. End users can access the output by copying
it to the device local memory and view it offline in a browser.
Configuring Multiscreen HTML5 prerequisites
Before you begin configuring the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL, consider the following:

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12

Default screen profile
Set a default screen profile in the HTML5 SSL. The default screen profile is used if a device
dimension and browser agent combination does not match any screen profile.
Device image and content window
Select a device image in screen profile properties. A device image helps in visualizing the
look-and-feel of the output when you preview contents in a selected screen profile. For
example, if you expect users to view the HTML5 output of a project on iPhones, adding the
device image of an iPhone will make the preview experience closer to the real experience of
viewing the output on an iPhone.
Screen resolution
Specify a range of screen resolution in screen profile properties to create a screen profile for
devices with similar screen resolutions. Screen resolution is different from screen size; two
devices can have similar screen size but a significant difference in screen resolution.
Browser agent (user agent)
You can create different screen profiles for devices with the same range of screen resolution but
different browsers to achieve browser-specific appearances.
When you specify a browser in screen profile properties, RoboHelp adds the browser agent ID
to the output generated for that screen profile. When users visit the landing page for the
HTML5 output on their devices, the browser checks for the browser agent ID and other screen
settings and loads the content optimized for that browser and device.
The predefined list of browsers takes into account the popular devices of today. If you want to
add a browser to the list, specify a unique string from its user agent string. See a list of user
agent strings.
HTML5 output generation workflows
Use the following workflows to generate HTML5 output:
New project with default screen profiles
Configure the general properties of the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL and set the search and optimization properties and generate output.
New project with custom screen profiles
In this case, your project must include the custom screen profiles before you start configuring
the Multiscreen HTML5 SSLs. See for information on how to add a new screen profile to a
project. Once the custom screen profiles are available in the project, add the screen profile to
the Multiscreen HTML5 SSLs, configure other properties, and generate output.

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Upgraded project
When you upgrade a project, RoboHelp adds screen profiles but does not add any new SSL or
screen layout. After upgrading a project, add screen layouts from the Gallery. Add a new SSL
of the Multiscreen HTML5 type, configure the Multiscreen HTML5 SSLs as required, and
generate output.
Use this workflow for publishing existing WebHelp projects with a new look-and-feel.
Multiscreen HTML5 outputs are HTML5-compatible; you can create frameless layouts and
use high-quality (MP4) videos.
Recommendations for authoring HTML5 output
•

Avoid using framesets.

•

Use MP4 videos. See Add multimedia.

eBook layout
The eBook layout helps you generate output in EPUB 3 and Kindle Book (MOBI) formats.
RoboHelp creates a single file containing the XHTML-based content. The exported file includes the
thumbnail image that you specify for the cover page of the document. This thumbnail is used to
depict the book in the library view of eBook readers.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate EPUB and Kindle Book output

WebHelp layout

About WebHelp
WebHelp is an uncompiled output type that ensures that users can view web-based or desktop application Help in any browser and platform. It supports standard Help features and provides customizing capabilities.
You can author content in another HTML editor, such as Adobe Dreamweaver, and still take advantage of the WebHelp navigational and organizational Help features.
For older browsers that don’t support DHTML (used to display the navigation pane), WebHelp
displays the navigation pane using another supported format.

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Differences between WebHelp and Microsoft HTML Help

WebHelp

Microsoft HTML Help

Supported by a web browser

Relies on Microsoft HTML Help engine for support

Uncompiled set of output files

Compiled and compressed (CHM file)

Runs on any platform

Requires 32-bit Windows platforms

Ideally suited for server-based distribution

Workarounds required for server-based distribution

Mac OS limitations for WebHelp
•

Mac OS filenames have a 32-character limit.

•

Output is displayed as HTML lists instead of DHTML.

•

BMP image files don’t appear properly.

Add or remove search highlights in WebHelp
In a WebHelp system, search results are highlighted by default in the displayed topics. You can set
the highlight color according to your preferences.
NOTE:WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, and FlashHelp Pro projects use the same procedure to

enable Search highlight.
1)

Double-click the WebHelp layout.

2)

Click Navigation.

3)

Select or deselect Enable Highlight Search Result.

4)

When search result highlighting is enabled, click the color picker box and select a highlight
color of your choice from the pop-up menu.

Creating Section 508-compliant WebHelp
Section 508-compliant output facilitates Help access for users with visual, hearing, or mobility
impairments.
Text-to-speech utilities read the contents of the active window, available options, or text you type.
These utilities and screen review aids translate onscreen text to speech or to a dynamic, refreshable,
Braille display. This technology can provide keyboard assistance or shortcuts, captions for speech
and sound, and visual warnings such as flashing toolbars.
Consider the following when you create Section 508-compliant WebHelp:

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•

WebHelp systems generated with the Section 508 option open in all supported browsers.
However, view output with Internet Explorer to ensure compliance.

•

For master projects generated using pure HTML or Section 508-compliant WebHelp, the
subprojects are available only from the TOC if you merge WebHelp systems. They are not
available from the index or full-text search. Subprojects appear as a book in the TOC. When
users click the subproject TOC book, the subproject opens in a new browser window.

WebHelp features that support Section 508 compliance
•

A Section 508 Compliant option that provides alternative text for images, dynamic elements,
frames, forms, and so on. Visually impaired users using assistive software can hear where they
are in the output and what they are selecting.

•

Alternative text is provided for images of TOC books, pages, and the plus/minus icons,
TOC/Search/Index tabs or panes, navigation buttons, and buttons from design-time controls.

•

Other elements with alternative text include expanding and drop-down text, triggers and
targets, and pop-up menus.

•

Navigation frames that assistive software can read.

•

Generation of HTML tables so that assistive software can identify row and column headers.

•

Online forms that assistive software can read.

•

Output that more than one mode of operation and information retrieval can use. For example,
mobility-impaired users can use the keyboard or mouse. No features require auditory, visual,
or mobility ability alone.

Guidelines to ensure Section 508 compliance in Help systems
•

WebHelp is compliant for framesets and navigation. Make sure that other elements in topics
are compliant.

•

If the Help system contains form buttons or multimedia elements, such as images and audio,
provide visual equivalents, such as screen tips so that assistive software can read from the
screen.

•

Construct information with multiple methods of access to accommodate disabilities. Offer
information in color in an alternative way that doesn’t use color.

•

Use basic external style sheets so that documents are readable if the style sheet is unavailable.

•

If a web page uses applets, include a link to the location where users can download the appropriate reader.

•

Document keyboard shortcuts and other methods of accessibility.

•

Do not use HTML Help controls.

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Generating, Viewing and Publishing WebHelp Output
•

To generate WebHelp output, first read about setting the various parameters for generating
WebHelp output in Generate WebHelp output.

•

Learn about generating the WebHelp output in Output generation basics.

•

To know how to view WebHelp output, read View WebHelp, FlashHelp, WebHelp Pro, and
FlashHelp Pro output.

•

To learn about the various delivery formats for WebHelp output, read Publish output

RELATED LINKS:
Generate, view, and publish output
Microsoft HTML Help layout
Create custom skins for WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects
Merging Helpprojects

WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro layouts

About WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro
WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro layouts deliver server-based output for web and applications. To
publish this output to a server, RoboHelp Server must be installed.
WebHelp Pro is an uncompiled output type that supports standard Help features.
You create WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro projects in RoboHelp, authoring content, adding
features, and customizing the appearance. When you're ready to view and test the output, generate
the project. RoboHelp creates output files in a single folder within the project folder.
Increased speed
The Contents, Index, and Search tabs appear more quickly.
Usage information logged in a database
Access the database to improve applications.
Runtime project merging
Merge multiple projects at runtime or when accessing the Help system from a server.
Window properties
Server access accommodates Toolbar, Menu, Location Bar, and Status Bar options. To set these
tool properties, double-click a window in the Windows folder of the Output Setup pod.

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Convert desktop Help to WebHelp Pro
1)

Contact the server administrator or IT department to ensure that RoboHelp Server is installed
and to learn its name.

2)

Find the path or location of RoboHelp Server and specify it in the project.

3)

Open the project in RoboHelp. Set WebHelp Pro as the output.

4)

Connect to the server by publishing the project files.

5)

To access the server, enter its domain name in the browser address bar. Ask the server administrator for the URL.

RELATED LINKS:
Specify the primary layout
View output
Publish output

Microsoft HTML Help layout

About Microsoft HTML Help
HTML uses tags to mark elements, such as text and graphics, in a document with display instructions. HTML Help includes HTML documents (HTM files) for the topics, along with project source
files. You use RoboHelp to add features such as links, a table of contents, an index, special effects,
and related topics buttons.
You distribute a compressed file (CHM) to users that they view in the HTML Help viewer.
The main components of HTML Help include the following:
HTML Help ActiveX control
Supports navigation features such as the table of contents, index, and link controls (related
topics and keyword links). It also supports HTML Help controls: WinHelp topic links, startup
screens, and close window controls.
Layout engine
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and later supply the required components for HTML Help
support.
HTML Help viewer
Displays compiled HTML Help (CHM file). It uses components of the Internet Explorer
browser while displaying content in its proprietary window interface.

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Compressed HTML
A collection of all files in the project in a single CHM file that occupies less disk space and is
faster to load. You can ship this compiled file with an application or distribute it to users as a
stand-alone online document.
Generating Microsoft HTML Help
The RoboHelp Help compiler processes all source files into a distributable format, which can then
be tested or distributed.
You can generate the output at any stage in the project.
Compiler Messages
The compiler displays messages, statistics, and compiling errors during generation. If the compiler
finds problems with the source files, error messages appear:
Notes
Conditions that probably do not cause a serious problem in the output. Note numbers range
from 1000 through 2999.
Warnings
Conditions that result in defective output. For example, if the compiler cannot locate an image,
it displays a warning and continues generating. Warning numbers range from 3000 through
4999.
Errors
Conditions that stop the compiler. You can't generate the output until you correct the error.
Error numbers range from 5000 through 6999.
Internal Errors
Errors caused by the HTML Help Workshop program. Internal error numbers are 7000 and
greater.
Link TOC books or pages to custom windows (Microsoft HTML Help)
1)

Right-click a topic in the TOC pod, select New > Book or Page, and click the Advanced tab.

2)

Specify the options for displaying the TOC book or page:

Window
Specify the custom window in which the topic is displayed.
Frame
Specify the frame in which the topic is displayed. Custom framesets appear in this list.
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Comment
TOC comments are not visible to users.
Image
Select custom icons for displaying the book or page in the TOC. Click the pop-up menu and
press the Down Arrow key to move through the list of available icons. Select different icons for
the closed book state and the open book state.
NOTE:Generate and view the Contents tab in the HTML Help viewer to display custom

icons.
Mark As New
Displays a red star with the TOC book or page icon to indicate new items to end users. The
standard icons look like the following:
•

New book

•

New page

Use Information Types
This option is only available when Book With Link is selected on the General tab. Select it to
use a TOC book or page with information types.
Information Types
Click Add to select topics for the information type. Click Edit to change an information type,
and click Remove to delete an information type.
Types
Display book or page information types.
3)

Click OK.

Extract CHM files
You can extract source files from a compiled Microsoft HTML Help file (CHM).
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click HTML Help Studio.

2)

Select File > Open, and then select a CHM file. Click Open.

3)

Do either of the following:

4)

•

To extract an individual file or folder, select it and click the Extract button

•

To extract all files, click the Extract button. Select All Files.

.

Specify a destination for Extract To.

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Rename CHM files
The CHM filename is based on the project filename (.xpj).
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click HTML Help. Select Properties.

2)

In Output Folder And Filename, type a name for the file, including the .chm extension.

3)

Click Save.
The CHM file is renamed the next time you generate Help.

Find HTML Help files and components
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click Find HTML Help Files or Find HTML Help Components.

2)

Click Search.

TIP:To rearrange or resize columns, drag their headings or separator bars.

Replace CHM files
1)

In the Toolbox pod, double-click HTML Help Registration.
The Name column lists CHM files that are currently registered on the authoring system.

2)

Select the CHM file to replace.

3)

Click Edit.

4)

Click the browse button

5)

Select the file, and click Open. Click OK.

and navigate to the replacement CHM file.

NOTE:Replacing a CHM file does not affect how users view the Help project.

Register or unregister CHM files
Sometimes compiled Microsoft HTML Help files (CHM) are registered if they are used with applications. You register CHM files on the authoring system. Registering the files doesn't affect how
users view the Help project after it's distributed.
1)

416

In the Toolbox pod, double-click HTML Help Registration.
•

To register a CHM file, click Register. Navigate to the CHM file, and click Open. Click
OK.

•

To unregister a CHM file, select it and click Unregister. Click OK.

Generating output

JavaHelp layout

About JavaHelp
JavaHelp is a compressed output type that works with applications written in the Java programming
language. JavaHelp and Java applications run on various platforms.
RoboHelp provides support for the JavaHelp format and automatically creates all Java-based Help
features and the HTML-based features such as HTML content and hypertext links. You can also
leverage existing WinHelp and HTML projects to create JavaHelp systems. A file compression
feature is available for distributing the JavaHelp system.
JavaHelp is a compressed file (JAR file) or a set of files used to run a Help system for a Java application. RoboHelp copies all the files to distribute into the JavaHelp folder, or into a JAR file if you
choose to compile Help.
Authoring requirements
•

Sun Java 2 SDK or later

•

JavaHelp 1.1.3 or later

User requirements
•

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.2.1 or later

•

JavaHelp 1.1.3 or later

Generate JavaHelp output
Generating JavaHelp saves the source files in the project subfolder JavaHelp (default).
When you generate JavaHelp files, RoboHelp can translate Related Topics controls into controls
specifically for JavaHelp.
1)

Place the Bsscjhrc.jar file in the application extensions folder, or in the class path passed to the
Java Virtual Machine (Java.exe).

2)

Incorporate related topics controls in the topics.

3)

Generate the output.

NOTE:If question marks appear instead of Related Topics controls, the Bsscjhrc.jar file is not in the

correct location.
RELATED LINKS:
Output generation basics

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Merge JavaHelp projects
Adding the reference merges all elements in the external HelpSet file with the existing project.
NOTE:You can add external navigation views (TOC, index, search) as remote views. However, adding
the reference to an external HS file adds all views, with other project files, to the existing project.

JavaHelp limitations
Capitalization
Supports all caps and small caps.
Custom colors
Some custom colors don’t appear accurately in the JavaHelp viewer.
Expanding glossary hotspot definitions
Appear inline.
Fonts
Fonts are automatically set to JavaHelp default fonts. Font size is unsupported.
Forms
Only simple forms appear properly in the JavaHelp viewer.
Framesets
Unsupported.
HTML files generated by Word 2000 or later
Unsupported.
HTML Help controls
Supports WinHelp topic, Shortcut, Table of Contents, Index, Splash Screen, Close Window,
and HHCTRL Version.
Images
Don’t appear consistently in compressed JavaHelp. Background images and image maps are
unsupported.
Links
Supports links to e-mail addresses, FTP sites, and external files.
Lists
Only simple bulleted or numbered lists appear properly in the JavaHelp viewer.

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Multimedia
Supports sound files, such as WAV or MIDI, and video files, such as AVI.
Paragraph alignment
Supports tags, such as P align=”center”.
Plain text
Supports non-HTML files.
Pop-up links
The pop-up note window does not have a bottom border if the entire pop-up note is contained
within the content frame. This limitation does not apply to text-only pop-up notes.
Special effects
Supports ActiveX controls, DHTML, JavaScript, startup screens, and Visual Basic scripts.
Style sheets
Support for partial cascading style sheets is provided with JavaHelp 1.1. (External style sheets
work correctly.) You can use level 1 cascading style sheets with the Sun Java 2 JDK or later, or
Swing 1.1.1 with Sun Java 2 JDK or later.
Table attributes
The following attributes are unsupported:
•

Values set in the initial tag (TABLE) of a table override cell width specifications.

•

The table width attribute (TABLE WIDTH) functions when specified in absolute pixels,
but not in percentages.

•

When used within the TABLE tag, the background color attribute (BGCOLOR) does not
function.

•

When used within the TABLE tag, the break tag (BR) causes the table cell to expand by
the number of BR tags used.
NOTE:This feature is supported in JavaHelp 1.1.3 and later.

•

Table alignment cannot be set precisely.

Text animations and effects
Unsupported.

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Oracle Help layout
About Oracle Help
Oracle Help is an output type that works with applications written in Java or any other programming
language.
Oracle Help is a compressed file (.jar) or a set of files used to run a Help system for an application.
When you generate Oracle Help, the files to distribute are created in a single output folder.
Authoring requirements
•

Oracle Help components, version 3.2.2, or 4.1.2 or later
NOTE:Version 3.2.2 is built using the Oracle internal Java GUI tool kit called EWT. Version 4.1.2

is built using Java Foundation Classes. The functionality, APIs, and supported file formats are
the same in both versions. To build applications using JFC, or to build custom navigators for the
Help project, use version 4.1.2 or later. If developers are using Oracle products, use version 3.2.2.
•

Sun Java 2 SDK or later

•

Java Runtime Environment (JRE), version 1.2.1 or later

Oracle Help includes the Oracle Help components, the Oracle Help viewer, and API documentation
for developers.
User requirements
•

Oracle Help components (version 3.2.2, or 4.1.2 or later)

•

The Oracle Help project (as either a compiled JAR file or a folder containing individual source
files)

•

Sun Java SDK (version 2 or later) or Java Runtime Environment (version 1.2.1 or later)

NOTE: When compiling Oracle Help, make sure to set the encoding type to utf-8

(-Dfile.encoding=UTF8) while calling the java compiler command. This ensures that the help is properly generated and can be displayed on all systems.
Update topic IDs for Oracle Help
Oracle Help uses topic IDs (in a map file) to make context-sensitive Help calls. You can change the
topic ID by editing the topic meta tag.
1)

Open the topic in the HTML Editor.

Notes:
•

420

If two topics have the same topic title, the latter is assigned another ID when you generate. For
example, TopicID becomes TopicID1.

Generating output
•

If two topics have the same topic ID meta tag, a warning is displayed in the Output View pod
when you generate.

•

If a topic has no title or meta tag specifying the topic ID, RoboHelp creates a topic ID based on
the filename.

Set the topic window for Oracle Help
Specify a window in which topics appear by editing the topic meta tag in the Design Editor. If you
specify no window, the default window is used.
1)

Open the topic in the HTML Editor.

2)

Edit the meta tag.

meta name = "window-type" content = ["window name"]

Oracle Help remote views
Oracle Help uses views to define the contents of the Navigator left pane: TOC, keyword index, and
full-text search.
You can also add remote views to Oracle Help projects. A remote view is an external table of
contents, index, or full-text search database. Use remote views if you are merging smaller projects
into one master project. You can specify that a remote view remain in its own tab, or merge with an
existing view. By default, Oracle Help merges all views having the same engine, type, and label.
Oracle Help makes an important distinction between labels and titles:
Labels
Assigned to tabs.
Titles
Assigned to top-level books or nodes in the TOC.
Merge Oracle Help projects
1)

Add a reference to an external HelpSet file (with the .hs extension) when you generate Oracle
Help.

Adding a reference to an external HS file adds all views, with other project files, to the existing
project.
Oracle Help indexes
One level of indenting is supported. Users can search for keywords in the list. As keywords are
selected, topics are listed in the lower pane. Double-clicking a topic in the lower pane displays its
content in the topic window on the right.

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You can import external indexes and merge them using Oracle Help remote views. You can create
separate tabs for each index or you can merge them.
Example of an Oracle Help index

Oracle Help full-text search
Oracle Help displays search results by relevance, not alphabetically. You can import full-text search
databases from other projects using Oracle Help remote views.

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Example of an Oracle Help full-text search

Oracle Help limitations
Not all limitations apply to every Oracle Help project.
Capitalization
Supports all caps and small caps.
Expanding glossary hotspot definitions
Appear inline.
Fonts
Limited font support.
Glossary pane
Unsupported if you use Glossary Designer.

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HTML Help controls
Supports WinHelp topic, Shortcut, Table of Contents, Index, Splash Screen, Close Window,
and HHCTRL Version.
Links
Supports links to e-mail addresses, FTP sites, and external files.
Lists
Only simple bulleted or numbered lists appear properly in the Oracle Help viewer.
Multimedia
Supports sound files, such as WAV or MIDI, and video files, such as AVI.
Plain text
Supports non-HTML files.
Special effects
Supports ActiveX controls, DHTML, JavaScript, startup screens, and Visual Basic scripts.
Unsupported DHTML appears as plain text in generated Oracle Help projects.
Text animations and effects
Unsupported.

XML layout
RoboHelp uses handlers to convert XML to HTML and import XML files into topics. Handlers can
also export topics or even entire projects as XML. You can create or customize XML handlers using
the HDF Editor.
The following predefined handler files are available:
Import DocBook As Topics
Imports the selected DocBook files as HTML topics.
Import XHTML (*.XML)
Imports the selected XHTML files as HTML topics.
Import XML (CSS/XSL)
If the selected XML file has an associated style sheet (CSS or XSL file), this handler imports the
XML file as an HTML topic, including formatting. If the selected XML file lacks an associated
style sheet, this handler converts the XML file to an HTML file without formatting. This import
option also provides advanced import options. You can import the XML file as text flow or tree
flow or select a customized CSS or XSL file.

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NOTE:If all the HDF files (and therefore handlers) have been deleted, you cannot access the XML

import or output functionality. Use the XML Handler Manager to import an HDF file containing a
handler or reinstall RoboHelp to enable this functionality.
RELATED LINKS:
Generate XMLoutput
Import XML files

Adobe AIR layout
You use the Adobe AIR layout to generate Help as an Adobe AIR application, browser-based Help
(with the theme and skin of an Adobe AIR application), or a packaged data file that can be viewed
in an AIR Help viewer.
Adobe AIR is a cross-platform runtime for building and deploying applications that connect the
desktop to the web.
NOTE: On Linux, the AIR Runtime is not supported after Version 2.6. AIR Help will still run on Linux
using Version 2.6.

For a list of benefits of generating output in the Adobe AIR layout, see About output types.
For more information about Help applications using Adobe AIR, see
www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_article_airhelp_en.
Configure the Adobe AIR layout
You configure the Adobe AIR layout from the Adobe AIR option in the Single Source Layouts pod.
In the Adobe AIR dialog box, you can select the output type, configure the installer settings, and
define how the Help content is presented to the users.
1)

Select Adobe AIR from the Single Source Layouts pod and do one of the following:

•

Right-click and select Properties from the context menu.

•

Select Edit > Properties.

RELATED LINKS:
Merging Helpprojects
Distribute Adobe AIR output
Hosting updates for AIR Help
Create custom skins for Adobe AIR projects
Review and collaboration in AIR Help

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Select Help output
You can select one of the four output options for Adobe AIR:
1)

In the General tab of the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the output type:

Adobe AIR Application
Generates Adobe AIR output as embedded Help. The Help system is created as a single AIR
application installer. You can install the AIR application locally or distribute it to your users.
Users can update their installed Help system based on Adobe AIR whenever an update is available on the web. For more information about autoupdates, see the AutoUpdating section in the
Adobe AIR Helparticle by Peter Grainge.NOTE: You need JRE 1.6 or higher installed on your
system to install the Adobe AIR application.
Browser Based Help
Generates browser-based Help as an Adobe Flex application that you can use as online or
embedded Help. You can upload this output to the server with specific configurations. Users
can view this Help using a browser with Adobe Flash plug-in 9.0 or later installed.NOTE:
Browser-based Help does not support Adobe AIR application features such as commenting,
favorites, resources, RSS, and auto-update.
AIR Application And Browser Based Help
Generates the Help system in two formats simultaneously: Adobe AIR application and
browser-based Help. You can view the AIR application after installing it on your computer.
You can view the browser-based Help by uploading it to a server. The two Help systems are
independent of each other.
Help Content Only
Generates the Help system as a data file (RHA) that you can view in a Help viewer. Use the
Help Viewer wizard in RoboHelp to create a Help viewer. To view multiple files in a single
view, you can write the location of all those files in a HelpConfig file.
NOTE: For the syntax of the HelpConfig file, see Create and locate a Help content configu-

ration file.
For a step-by-step description of how to merge the output of multiple projects into a single .air
file, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_merge_rha_en.
Configure Help settings
1)

In the General tab of the Adobe AIR dialog box, set the following.

Output Location of AIR File
Click Browse to select a folder for the Help application installer (AIR file) and specify a name.
By default, RoboHelp names the Help application installer by appending .air to your project
name.

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Output Location of Start Page (Browser-based Help Only)
Specify the first page to display in browser-based Help.
Help Title
Specify a title for your Help application. This title appears in the title bar of the Help and in
Program Files.
Version
Specify a version number for the generated Help application. Typically, you set 1.0 as the
version number for the initial release of your Help application, and increment the version
number for subsequent releases. The incremental version numbers help your users identify
updated Help content in their local installations.
Help ID
Specify a unique identifier for the Help application. The Help ID can be alphanumeric and
include periods and hyphens.
NOTE: When you deliver updated Help, change only the version number. The installed AIR

Help uses the combination of Help ID and Version to identify whether a later version of
Help is available.
Configure the Help application installer
NOTE: Optionally, you can uncheck the Installer Settings checkbox tocreate an unsigned Adobe AIR

application so that the application can be signed later. The extension .airi will be appended to AIR File
name and the fields under Installer Settings group will be disabled, indicating that you have chosen to
prepare an AIRI Help package that will be signed later. See Signing an intermediate AIR Help application with AIR Developer Tool.
To sign your Adobe AIR Help application with a digital certificate, check the Installer Settings
checkbox and configure the settings for the Help application installer.
1)

In the General tab of the Adobe AIR dialog box, set the following under the Installer Settings
group:

Digital Certificate
A digital signature ensures that the Help system (or its updates) has not been altered or
corrupted since it was created. All Adobe AIR applications require a digital signature and can't
be installed without one. If your organization has purchased one from a certificate authority,
click Browse to select it. Otherwise, click Create to create a self-signed (and reusable) certificate. See Create a self-signed digital certificate.
Password
Enter the password assigned to the digital certificate.

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Include Timestamp
Select to include a timestamp on the digital certificate. The timestamp provides information
on how long the certificate is valid.
Program Menu Folder
Specify the program menu folder name. For example, on Windows, the string that you specify
is appended to form the path Start > Programs > [program menu folder name] > [Help system
title].
Create content categories
Create content categories to publish the output as a package of user-centric Help systems (for
example, a package of Help systems for different user roles, geographies, products, or platforms).
End users view the output as an integrated package of Help systems and have the flexibility to select
the Help system they want to access from a drop-down list. Each Help system has its own TOC,
index, browse sequences, and search.
1)

In the Content Categories tab of the Adobe AIR dialog box, do the following:
•

To rename a content category, select the category. Click Rename and specify another
name.

•

To delete a content category, select the category and click Delete. Click Yes to confirm.

•

To change the order of the content categories in the drop-down list from which users
select, use Up or Down keys.

•

To specify a content category as the default category, click Set As Default.

Configure content
You configure the presentation of content in the Help application. If you’ve created content categories, configure the presentation of content for each category.
1)

In the Content tab of the Adobe AIR dialog box, set the following for each content category:

Content Title
Specify a title for the content category. The title appears in a drop-down list and helps users to
navigate to a content category.
NOTE: If you’ve not created content categories, skip this field. RoboHelp uses the title you

specified in Help Settings in the General tab.
Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated Help. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated Help. See Indexes.

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Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated Help. See Glossaries.
Variables Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated Help. See User-defined
variables.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. By default, the first topic in the table of contents is
the default topic.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format if the web server to which you’re publishing has character encoding different from UTF-8.
Map Files
Specify the map files that contain topic IDs associated with map IDs to provide context-sensitive Help.
Browse Sequences
Select the browse sequences for this content category.
Conditional Build Expression
Specify a conditional build expression to apply to the output. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Specify whether to apply a master page or a CSS to all the topics. If you do not select the Apply
To All option, the master pages associated with individual topics become effective. If no master
pages are applied to topics, they are generated as is. See Applying a master page or CSS at the
time of generation
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.

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Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.
Set the Help viewer window and branding options
Appearance settings define the appearance for the Help viewer window.
1)

In the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the Template group and set the following:

Template
Select a template from the pop-up menu.
Skin
Select a skin from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, click Gallery to select a skin from the skins
available for the selected template. You can preview a skin before selecting it.
Copyright
Specify the entity that owns the copyright of the Help application. This entity is usually the
name of the company publishing the Help content. The copyright notice appears in the About
box (Help > About).
Description
Specify a description for the Help. The description appears in the About box (Help > About).
Favicon
(Browser-based Help) Specify an icon to associate with the Help system. The icon appears in
the browser tab.
Width and Height
Set the width and height of the Help window.
Specify Branding options
Click to specify an icon for your Help system in different sizes and specify other branding
options.
The following sizes are used by the operating system to display the Help system icon in
predefined locations, such as the title bar, the taskbar, and the About box:

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•

128x128

•

48x48

•

32x32

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If you do not specify your own icon, the operating system defaults are used. For best results,
provide an image for each of the specified sizes. In addition, make sure that the icons look
presentable in both 16- and 32-bit color modes. Icon files must be in the PNG format.
You can also display your company logo in the top-right corner of the Help application and
copyright information or any brand-related information in the status bar. The image size for
the logo is 32x32.
Template for the Help application
Choose the template that you want to use for your Help application. You can select one of the
following three templates:NOTE: Templates are not applicable if you selected the Help Content Only
output type.
Classic Help
The Classic Help template divides the page into a top pane, left pane, and a content pane.
Multi Tab Accordion
The Multi Tab Accordion template divides the page into a top pane, left pane, and a content
pane.
Uni Pane
The Uni Pane template divides the page into a top pane and a content pane.
All the templates have different appearance and navigation options. They also have some common
features. These features are support for TOC, index, glossary, search, print, and the Content pane.
The following table shows the differences among three types of templates:

Features

Classic Help

Multi Tab Accordion

Uni Pane

How do I
See Browsesequences.

Yes

No

No

Search

Yes

Yes

Yes

Search results that show
context

No

Yes

Yes

Showing/hiding the left
pane

Yes

Yes

No

Viewing status bar

Yes

Yes

Yes

NOTE: Press F11 to show or hide the left and top panes.

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You can choose any of the templates to use in the Help system and preview it before generating
it.NOTE: You can customize a template. By default, all the available options for content display and
navigation in a template are selected.
Configure content presentation
You configure how the Help application behaves when a user uses it.
1)

In the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the View group, and set the following:

Enable Auto Update
Enables the AIR application to synchronize the AIR file installed on a desktop with the current
content on the network drive or an HTTP server location. Do one of the following:
Content updates within your network
Select File from the Type menu and click Browse to select the folder and file with the content
updates.
Content updates outside your network
Select HTTP from the Type menu and enter the URL of the XML file that contains the updates
to the Help contents.
The Auto-update feature helps your users update the Help application whenever an update is
available. You can send the auto-update in the form of an XML file or host it on a web server.
See Hosting updates for AIR Help.
Add
Click to specify Mac OS and Linux locations to update the installed Help if you are hosting the
XML file on a local or network drive.
Add Resources
Select and click the Add button to add external links that appear in the Favorites group in the
Help application.
You can add resources such as technical support pages, knowledgebase articles, RSS feeds, and
related websites.
Show Online Content
Specify the full path from where the AIR Help viewer picks up the published browser-based
Help. For example, http://www.example.com/[browserhelpfolder].
This option is applicable only if you select the output type as Adobe AIR Application or AIR
Application And Browser Based Help.
NOTE: If you select this option, make sure that you publish browser-based Help to the loca-

tion pointed by the server URL. Otherwise, the AIR application shows offline content.

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Configure search
In the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the Search group, and set the following:
Enable Highlight Search Results
Select to enable highlighting of search results. Topics that match the search criteria appear with
the search term highlighted. Click the Text pop-up menu to set the highlight color.
Show Context In Search Results
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic.
Enable Substring Search
Select to have search results include not only the exact search string but also text in which the
string is embedded. For example, a search for “log” returns topics containing the words
“catalog” and “logarithm.” A substring search takes longer than a whole-string search.
Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the Help system. For information about
how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Hide Rank Column In Search Results
Select to not display the Rank column in search results.
Show Total Number Of Search Results
Select to show the number of search results for a specific search string.
Allow AND Search In Output
Select to display only those topics that have all the words that are specified without using
quotation marks in the Search box. By default, RoboHelp performs OR search when a user
types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. This means that RoboHelp
finds all topics that have any of the words specified in the Search box.
NOTE: AND search can be used in combination with phrase search.

Select the Enable AND Search By Default option if required. If you allow AND search disable
it by default, end users have the option to enable it in the output.
NOTE: In

merged projects, child projects inherit the setting of
the parent project. In projects with DUCC (content categories),
the setting applies to all content categories.
Exclude Baggage Files Types From Search
Select the types of baggage files to exclude from search.

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Configure collaboration
Collaboration settings are available for Adobe AIR Application only.
1)

In the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the Collaboration group, and set the following:

Enable Topic Rating
Enables users to rate any topic on a scale of 0-5 stars.
Enable Commenting
Select to enable commenting.
Enable Comment Moderation
Select to allow acceptance or rejection of comments by authorized users (moderators).
NOTE: When you distribute the output, make sure that you share the moderator password.

See Distribute Adobe AIR output.
Set Location For Comments And Topic Ratings
Depending on whether you want a trust-based system or user authentication, select one of the
following options:
•

Select Network Folder. Click Browse to choose the shared network folder where the
comments will be stored. Click Add to add locations on Mac and Linux systems if
required. See URL formats for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Specify the password that moderators need to provide to access the moderation dashboard.
Select Pending or Accepted to specify how you want to handle unmoderated comments.
If you select Pending, unmoderated comments are not displayed to users.
Storing comments in a shared network folder is suitable in trust-based work environments, where shared reviews by internal stakeholders are part of the content development process.

•

Select RoboHelp Server and specify the server URL.
Storing comments on RoboHelp Server enables you to authenticate users before allowing
them to view or post comments.

Configuration File Path
Specify the path and name of the file that stores the configuration for comment syncing and
auto-update. When the AIR application is distributed, users can copy the default configuration
file from the !SSL folder of the project to the location specified in the configuration file path
and modify the default settings according to their preferences. For example, they can disable
commenting or change the location of storing comments.
You can enter the path in any of the following formats:

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•

A relative path (relative to the install folder)

•

An absolute location, such as a shared network drive or a file location in the user drive

•

A web URL pointing to the location where you’ve posted the XML file

Configure a server to host browser-based Help
You can directly upload the generated browser-based Help to a server. Consult your system administrator for information about which server to use.
NOTE: Server configuration is not applicable if your output type is Adobe AIR Application.

1)

Select Server in the Adobe AIR dialog box.

2)

Click New. Specify the following options in the New Destination dialog box:

Descriptive Name
Name for the server to publish the Help system to. For example, if you are publishing a Help
system for internal review, enter “Internal Review Server.”
Connection Protocols
Select the protocol for connecting to the server or the sharing platform. Select FTP, HTTP, File
System, or SharePoint.
These are the FTP server connection details:
Hostname
Enter the host name of the FTP server.
Port
Enter the port number. Typically, FTP connections use the default port, 21.
User ID and Password
If your FTP server requires user authentication, enter the user ID and password that your
system administrator provided for you.
Anonymous User
Select Anonymous User if your FTP server allows anonymous FTP. You do not require a user
ID and password for connecting to the FTP server.
Specify these details for the HTTP server connection:
Host Name
Enter the host name of the server.

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Server Directory
Enter the directory on the HTTP server to place the Help system contents. Some HTTP servers
require a trailing slash (/) at the end of the path.
Select File System and enter the destination path if you have access to a network path where
you can directly upload your Help system contents.
For the File System server connection, specify the destination path.
For the Microsoft SharePoint server connection, specify the SharePoint directory path. If the
SharePoint site path is mapped as a network drive on the system or added in network paths,
you can use the browse button to select the network path.
3)

Set the following options:

Check For Deleted Files
Check for files that have been deleted from the destination.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
Receive a warning before overwriting files on the server.
Republish All
Republish all files to the destination, overwriting existing files on the server.NOTE:If you are
setting options for a master project, and a copy of the subproject is in the output folder, ensure
that Republish All is not selected.
4)

To publish Help, click Save And Generate.

Notes:
•

For merged Help systems, publish individual projects to the same location. Do not use Republish All in the master project.

•

Set layout options once and automatically generate the primary layout by selecting the
Generate button.

•

Generate or publish multiple layouts in a batch.

•

If the output is corrupt, check if any topic file has the & character. Rename the topic and regenerate the output.

•

For a list of video formats supported in Adobe AIR output, see
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/402/kb402866.html.

Create a self-signed digital certificate
You can create a digital certificate to test or privately distribute the Adobe AIR Help application.
However, if you distribute Help through your website, be sure to procure a digital certificate from a
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certificate authority (CA), such as Thawte or VeriSign. Use the digital certificate to sign the Help
system.
Digital certificates from certificate authorities can be verified through the web. They assure
end-users that the Help application installer is genuine and free from malware. See
www.adobe.com/go/learn_air_digital_certificate for more information.
1)

Click Create near the Digital Certificate label.

2)

In the Create Self-Signed Digital Certificate dialog box, enter the following details:

Publisher Name
Specify the name of the publisher. Usually, it is the name of your company. If you are creating
a Help application based on Adobe AIR for another company, specify the name of your client.
Optionally, you can specify the organizational unit and organization name.
Country
Select the country of the publisher.
Type
Select the encryption standard for the digital certificate. The 2048-RSA standard provides
stronger encryption than the 1024-RSA standard.
Save As
Click Browse to select a folder and save the digital certificate that you created. Self-signed
digital certificates are saved with a .p12 extension.
Signing an intermediate AIR Help application with AIR Developer Tool
All Adobe AIR Help applications must be signed to be installed on another system. However, there
is provision to create unsigned Adobe AIR installer files so that the application can be signed later.
These unsigned Adobe AIR installer files are called an AIRI (AIR Intermediate) package. This capability provides for cases in which the certificate is on a different machine or signing is handled separately from application development.
If you choose to sign the application later by unchecking the Installer Settings in Adobe AIR Help
settings dialog box, you will need to use the command-line AIR Developer Tool (ADT) included
with AIR SDK in the RoboHelp installation directory (path: \RoboHTML\AIRSDK\bin).
For the steps, see Signing an AIR intermediate file with ADT.

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Generate, view, and publish output
Generate output to view it and test links, browse sequences, and other elements. Generating output
also updates files containing information about the project and the output files.
Publishing the output (WebHelp and FlashHelp only) places the output files or folders at a specified
location. The location can be a website, the local hard drive, or a network folder.
You can use a combination of WebHelp and WebHelp Pro output or Adobe AIR Application and
Browser Based Help output to deliver Airplane Help, which is a popular name for integrated
offline/online Help. Read this article to find out how to implement Airplane Help with WebHelp and
WebHelp Pro output.
Delivering Airplane Help with Adobe AIR Application and Browser Based Help output is easier.
Make sure that you select the Show Online Content option and publish Browser Based Help output
to the location pointed by the server URL that you’ve specified. See Configure the Adobe AIR layout.

Output generation basics
You generate output to your local hard drive. When you generate a layout output for the first time,
a new subfolder is created for the generated output files. It is in the project folder under
\!SSL!\[layout name].
NOTE:Each time you generate output, RoboHelp deletes the output folder files created in the last session.

If you add or hand-code files in the output subfolder, copy them to another location before you generate
output.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts Pod, right-click the layout. Select Generate.

2)

Set options according to the layout type.

3)

Click Finish.

Tips for optimal project generation
•

Work locally, not from a network.
RoboHelp must access all of the files in your project when generating the output. If a project
consists of thousands of files, even a minor delay caused by network traffic compounds as
RoboHelp attempts to access each file. These delays can adversely affect the generation times.

•

Exclude the project folder from virus scan.
NOTE:Turning off virus-scanning software increases speed but is not recommended for security

reasons.
•

Ensure that your system has sufficient memory.

RELATED LINKS:
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Navigation options
User-definedvariables

Generate Responsive HTML5 output
The Responsive HTML5 SSL helps you generate output for all sizes of devices of your choice.
While you can create optimizations for displaying content on small-screen devices, such as smartphones and tablets using Multiscreen HTML5 help, it requires at least some work for each of the
screens. Using Responsive HTML5, you can create a single output that is optimized for all your
screens. Responsive HTML5 automatically adjusts to the screen a user is accessing it from and also
adjusts to dynamic screen size changes, such as a flip of orientation or resizing of the browser.
NOTE: If you publish right-to-left language content, the sidebar is displayed on the right. However, if is

viewed in the Google Chrome browser, the output is truncated towards the scrollbar.
The following table provides a comparison of Multiscreen and Responsive HTML5 on layout and
screen info:

Responsive HTML5

Multiscreen HTML5

Number of
Layouts

One

Multiple

Need to configure
screen profiles

No

Yes

Specify different
content for screen
types

No

Yes

To generate a Responsive HTML5 output:
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the Responsive HTML5 SSL.
NOTE: If the project you have opened was created in a previous version, you will need to create a

Responsive HTML5 layout. In the Single Source Layouts pod, click the Create Layout icon and
select Responsive HTML5 as the output type.
2)

In the General tab, set the following options:

Title Bar:
Specify the title you want to display in the title bar.
Favicon:
Specify an icon to associate with the output. The icon appears in the browser tab or the address
bar depending on the browser being used.

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Output Folder And Start Page:
Specify a location and start page for the output. To choose a location for the output folder, click
the browse button. To select a start page other than the default for the output, enter it using the
.htm extension. The start page is the home page of the output.
3)

Select a layout and customize it for look and feel. For more details, see Customize the Layout.
You can click Preview to generate a preview of the changes you have made to the layout.
IMPORTANT:The Theme Standard or Theme Black layout currently have certain vulnerability

issues. If you are using the Theme Standard or Theme Black layout, please see the following
Knowledge Base article for details on the issues and a resolution - Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability
4)

Check the Use Dynamic Content Filter in the output to assign a dynamic content filter to the
current output. For details on how to create a user dynamic content filters, see Generate
dynamic content output

5)

(Optional)In the Content tab, set the following options:

Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated output. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated output. See Indexes.
Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated output. See Glossaries.
Variable Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated output. See
User-defined variables.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. By default, the first topic in the table of contents is
the default topic.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format.
Map Files
Specify the map files that contain topic IDs associated with map IDs to provide context-sensitive Help.

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Browse Sequences
Select the browse sequences to display.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
See Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.
Table Of Contents Settings
Select Index, Glossary, or both to add an index and a glossary at the end of the TOC. By default,
the index is placed before the glossary. Use the Up and Down buttons to reverse the order in
which the index and the glossary are to be placed.
6)

(Optional)In the Search tab, set the following options:

Enable Substring Search
If you enable this feature, a search for "log" returns topics containing the words "catalog" and
"logarithm." Substring search takes longer than whole-string search.
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Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the Help system. For information about
how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Show Context In Search Results
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic.
Use Topic Comment as Search Context
Select to use the topic comment to display in the search result.
NOTE: By default, each search result displays the RoboHelp topic title, followed by the first

100 characters of the first paragraph in the topic.
Number of Characters in Search Context
Set the maximum number of characters to display in the search result.
Exclude Baggage Files Types From Search
Select the types of baggage files to exclude from search.
7)

(Optional)In the Optimization tab, set the following options:

Convert Auto-sizing And Custom-sized Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that hyperlinks configured to display in auto-sizing or
custom-sized pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Text-only Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that text-only pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Absolute Image Size To Relative Image Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of images into percentages. In this
way, you can make images used in your project device-friendly and adapt to different device
sizes.
Convert Absolute Table Size To Relative Table Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of tables into percentages. By allowing
RoboHelp to optimize the tables in this way, you ensure that the tables adapt to different device
sizes.
Enable Zoom On iOS Devices
Enable or disable pinch zoom on the iPad and the iPhone. When this option is enabled, users
can zoom in on a RoboHelp output displayed on an iPad or iPhone by pinching the device
screen.
Use Adobe Captivate HTML5 Output
Select this option to use Adobe Captivate HTML5 output instead of Adobe Captivate SWF
output.

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NOTE: Adobe Captivate HTML5 output must be available for demos that are imported or

inserted in the project.
Limit The Scope Of Project Styles Only To Topic Contents
Select this option to do the following:
•

Prevent the styles defined in project style sheets (CSS) from overriding the styles defined in the
screen layout CSS

•

Prevent topic and screen layout style sheets (CSS) from overriding the CSS used by SharePoint
master pages
Example: Your project CSS may contain the style:

div{
color:red;
}

If the layout CSS also contains a div style but with a different color and if this setting is not
selected, the project definition could undesirably override the layout definition applying red.
Hide Rank Column in Search Results
Select not to display the Rank column in search results.
Show Total Number of Search Results
Select to show the number of search results for a specific search string.
Show AND Search in Output
Select to display only those topics that have all the words that are specified without using
quotation marks in the Search box. By default, FrameMaker performs OR search when a user
types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. This means that
FrameMaker finds all topics that have any of the word specified in the Search box.
NOTE: AND search can be used in combination with phrase search.

Select the Enable AND Search by Default option, if required. By default, if you disable the AND
search option, end users have the option to enable it in the output.
8)

(Optional)In the Publish tab, set the following options:

Servers
Specify a server location for the output. To publish HTML5 output to a SharePoint site, click
New and select SharePoint. Enter the UNC path of the folder on the SharePoint site (If the
folder is mapped as a network drive, click Browse to select the drive).
Similarly, to publish HTML5 output to RoboHelp Server 10, click New and select RoboHelp
Server. Enter the Server Name (http://<servername>:port number/<context-name>/server),
User ID and Password. Select the Save Password option if you want to save the password. Click
the refresh icon to view the available areas on the server where you can publish your project.

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Options
Specify how to handle changes to files in the output:
Check For Deleted Files
If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted from the destination location and republishes them.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.
Republish All
Select to republish all files to the destination target. For master projects with a copy of the
subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting output
files already published to the same location.
NOTE: If you change the destination to a new host, specify the user ID and password

and save the password in the registry, if necessary.
9)

(Optional) In the SharePoint tab, set the following options to publish output in the native
(.aspx) file format:

SharePoint Version
Select either SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2010+.
Publish Location:
Depending on the version you select, do one of the following:
•

If you selected SharePoint 2010+, click Browse, enter the SharePoint site path and
credentials in the Connection Details dialog box; and then select the SharePoint document library and the folder where the output is to be published.

•

If you selected SharePoint 2007, enter the SharePoint path to which the output is to be
published.

Publish To SharePoint
Files are published to SharePoint only when this option is selected. Also specify the following:
•

Check For Deleted Files:If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted
from the destination location and republishes them.

•

Prompt Before Overwriting Files: If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.

•

Republish All: Select to republish all files to the destination. For master projects with a copy
of the subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting
output files already published to the same location.

Advanced Options
Specify the following options:

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•

Output Folder:Local folder for saving generated SharePoint output. This option is usually
populated automatically. You should need to specify the output folder only if you’re working
with merged projects.

•

Generate SharePoint Native Output Before Publishing:Select this option to pregenerate
ASPX files. If this option is not selected, RoboHelp generates the normal HTML files and then
displays a dialog box allowing you to select whether to publish them. Clicking Publish causes
RoboHelp to generate the ASPX files and upload them to SharePoint.

10) Click Save.
11) Click Save and Generate.
RoboHelp publishes the responsive HTML5 and displays the Result dialog.
12) Click View Result to launch responsive HTML5 in your default browser. Now you can host this
help on a server to be consumed online on various devices.

Generate Mobile App output
The Mobile App SSL helps you generate an Android or iOS mobile application as output. The procedure uses the RoboHelp - PhoneGap integration to generate an Android or iOS mobile application.
IMPORTANT:You require a PhoneGap account to create Mobile apps. To create more than one app you
need to purchase Creative Cloud Subscription.

To generate a Mobile app:
1)

Choose Output > Mobile App.
NOTE: If the project you have opened was created in a previous version, you will need to create a

Mobile App layout. In the Single Source Layouts pod, click the Create Layout icon and select
Mobile App as the output type.
2)

Select a layout and customize it for look and feel. For more details, see Customize the Layout.
You can click Preview to generate a preview of the changes you have made to the layout.

3)

Check the Use Dynamic Content Filter in the output to assign a dynamic content filter to the
current output. For details on how to create a user dynamic content filters, see Generate
dynamic content output

4)

In the Application Details tab, set the following options:

Package
A name that will uniquely identify the Mobile app. A common naming convention is to use
your company domain name in reverse followed by the name of the App. For example
com.adobe.myapp. This name is used by PhoneGap to uniquely identify the application.
NOTE: To avoid issues with third-party tools used in PhoneGap, you are recommended to

use English alphabets, underscore character, and the dot as the separator.

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Version
The PhoneGap version number for the app.
VersionCode (Android)
The Android version number for the app. If you upload your app to an Android store such as
Google Play, a user will be notified of updates to your app every time you update the version
number.
NOTE: This is not required if you are creating an iOS app.

Title
The title of the application that will display on a mobile device.
Description
The PhoneGap description for the application.
Icon
The icon of the application that will display on a mobile device.
Splash Screen
The splash screen that will display when the app is opened on a mobile device.
You can specify multiple splash screens. Your users will see the splash screen based on their
device screen size and screen resolution. For details on how to do this, see the following
PhoneGap document: Splash Screens.
PhoneGap / Adobe credentials
PhoneGap or Adobe ID user name and password.
NOTE: To use the RoboHelp - PhoneGap integration, you require a PhoneGap or Adobe

user account.
Platform
Choose the platform (iOS and/or Android) for which you want to create the app.
You can create an Android debug app without requiring the following Android signing files
and credentials. However, for iOS, you will need the signing files.
Platform - Android
To create an Android app, you are required to provide the following credentials:
KeyStore File
A keystore is a binary file that contains a set of private keys.
Keystore Password
Password associated with the keystore file.
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Generating output
Certificate Alias
Represents the entity to be identified with the app, such as a person or a company.
Certificate Password
Password associated with the alias.
Platform - iOS
To create an iOS app, you are required to provide the following credentials:
Digital Certificate
To run the app on an Apple device, the app must be signed by a valid certificate. This file is
provided by Apple through the Provisioning Portal.
Certificate Password
Password associated with the digital certificate.
Provisioning Profile
A file that allows applications to be installed on an iOS device. The file contains the digital
certificate, App ID, and one or more device UDIDs on which you can install the app for testing.
A user can directly install the app on these devices.
5)

(Optional)In the Content tab, set the following options:

Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated output. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated output. See Indexes.
Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated output. See Glossaries.
Variable Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated output. See
User-defined variables.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. By default, the first topic in the table of contents is
the default topic.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
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Encoding
Specify the character encoding format.
Map Files
Specify the map files that contain topic IDs associated with map IDs to provide context-sensitive Help.
Browse Sequences
Select the browse sequences to display.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
See Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.

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Table Of Contents Settings
Select Index, Glossary, or both to add an index and a glossary at the end of the TOC. By default,
the index is placed before the glossary. Use the Up and Down buttons to reverse the order in
which the index and the glossary are to be placed.
6)

(Optional)In the Search tab, set the following options:

Enable Substring Search
If you enable this feature, a search for "log" returns topics containing the words "catalog" and
"logarithm." Substring search takes longer than whole-string search.
Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the Help system. For information about
how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Show Context In Search Results
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic.
Use Topic Comment as Search Context
Select to use the topic comment to display in the search result.
NOTE: By default, each search result displays the RoboHelp topic title, followed by the first

100 characters of the first paragraph in the topic.
Number of Characters in Search Context
Set the maximum number of characters to display in the search result.
Exclude Baggage Files Types From Search
Select the types of baggage files to exclude from search.
7)

(Optional)In the Optimization tab, set the following options:

Convert Auto-sizing And Custom-sized Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that hyperlinks configured to display in auto-sizing or
custom-sized pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Text-only Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that text-only pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Absolute Image Size To Relative Image Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of images into percentages. In this
way, you can make images used in your project device-friendly and adapt to different device
sizes.

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Convert Absolute Table Size To Relative Table Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of tables into percentages. By allowing
RoboHelp to optimize the tables in this way, you ensure that the tables adapt to different device
sizes.
Enable Zoom On iOS Devices
Enable or disable pinch zoom on the iPad and the iPhone. When this option is enabled, users
can zoom in on a RoboHelp output displayed on an iPad or iPhone by pinching the device
screen.
Use Adobe Captivate HTML5 Output
Select this option to use Adobe Captivate HTML5 output instead of Adobe Captivate SWF
output.
NOTE: Adobe Captivate HTML5 output must be available for demos that are imported or

inserted in the project.
Limit The Scope Of Project Styles Only To Topic Contents
Select this option to do the following:
•

Prevent the styles defined in project style sheets (CSS) from overriding the styles defined in the
screen layout CSS

•

Prevent topic and screen layout style sheets (CSS) from overriding the CSS used by SharePoint
master pages
Example: Your project CSS may contain the style:

div{
color:red;
}

If the layout CSS also contains a div style but with a different color and if this setting is not
selected, the project definition could undesirably override the layout definition applying red.
8)

Click Save.

9)

Click Save and Generate.
RoboHelp publishes the Mobile App and displays the Result dialog.

10) Click View Result to launch the Mobile App Output dialog:

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Generating output
Mobile App Output dialog with download details

Click Save to Local Drive download button to download the app to your computer.
You can download and allow other users to download the app onto mobile devices by scanning
the QR code or by navigating to the URL on the devices.
NOTE: iOS apps can only be installed via this URL if your device UDID is added in the mobile

provision file.
Upload your mobile app to the app store
After you have configured your mobile app settings, you can then generate the app. This app is the
uploaded to the PhoneGap server. You can then either download the app to your computer or you
can use the QR code to download the app to your mobile device.
To upload the app to the Apple or Android app stores, follow the instructions in the following articles:
•

Android Developer Console

•

Submitting Your App to the Apple App Store

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Generate Multiscreen HTML5 output
The Multiscreen HTML5 SSL helps you generate output for screen profiles of your choice.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL.
NOTE: If the project you have opened was created in a previous version, you will need to create a

Multiscreen HTML5 layout. In the Single Source Layouts pod, click the Create Layout icon and
select Multiscreen HTML5 as the output type.
2)

In the General tab, set the following options:

Title Bar
Specify the title you want to display in the title bar.
Favicon
Specify an icon to associate with the output. The icon appears in the browser tab or the address
bar depending on the browser being used.
Output Folder And Start Page
Specify a location and start page for the output. To choose a location for the output folder, click
the browse button. To select a start page other than the default for the output, enter it using the
.htm extension. The start page is the home page of the output.
3)

Click the Screen Profiles tab. Notice that a set of screen profiles are mapped to screen layouts.
One of these screen profiles is set as the default screen profile (by default, Desktop is set as the
default screen profile).
•

Change the default screen profile if required. Select the screen profile you want to set as
default and click Set As Default.
NOTE: The default screen profile is used if the resolution of the device from which the output

is being launched does not match any screen profile.
•

Change the order of screen profiles if required by clicking Move Up or Move Down.
NOTE: If the resolution of the device from which the output is being launched matches two

screen profiles, the order of the screen profiles in the SSL settings determines the screen
profile to be used.

4)
452

•

Add new screen profiles that are available in your project. Click Add Screen Profile and
select screen profiles from the list.

•

Remove screen profiles for which you don’t need to generate output. Select the screen
profiles from the Screen Profiles list and click Remove Screen Profile(s).

•

Map screen profiles to screen layouts.NOTE: Click Preview to preview a mapped screen
layout.

Expand the Screen Profiles tab and for each screen profile, specify the following settings:

Generating output
Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated output. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated output. See Indexes.
Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated output. See Glossaries.
Variable Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated output. See
User-defined variables.
Default Topic
Select the topic that appears when the output opens. By default, the first topic in the table of
contents is the default topic.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output. See Change project settings.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format if the web server to which you’re publishing has character encoding different from UTF-8.
Map Files
Specify the map files that contain topic IDs associated with map IDs to provide context-sensitive Help. See Map files and map IDs.
Browse Sequences
Select the browse sequences to display. See Browse sequences.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the

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CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
See Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.
5)

For each screen profile, specify the following settings in the Search tab:

Enable Substring Search
If you enable this feature, a search for "log" returns topics containing the words "catalog" and
"logarithm." Substring search takes longer than whole-string search.
Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the project output. For information
about how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Show Context In Search Results
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic. You can
specify the maximum number of characters to show as the context.
Exclude Baggage Files Types From Search
Select the types of baggage files to exclude from search.
Number of Results On A Page
Select the number of search results to display on a page.
6)

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For each screen profile, specify the following settings in the Optimization tab:

Generating output
Convert Auto-sizing And Custom-sized Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that hyperlinks configured to display in auto-sizing or
custom-sized pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Text-only Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that text-only pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Absolute Image Size To Relative Image Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of images into percentages. In this
way, you can make images used in your project device-friendly and adapt to different device
sizes.
Convert Absolute Table Size To Relative Table Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of tables into percentages. By allowing
RoboHelp to optimize the tables in this way, you ensure that the tables adapt to different device
sizes.
Enable Zoom On iOS Devices
Enable or disable pinch zoom on the iPad and the iPhone. When this option is enabled, users
can zoom in on a RoboHelp output displayed on an iPad or iPhone by pinching the device
screen.
Use Adobe Captivate HTML5 Output
Select this option to use Adobe Captivate HTML5 output instead of Adobe Captivate SWF
output.
NOTE: Adobe Captivate HTML5 output must be available for demos that are imported or

inserted in the project.
Limit The Scope Of Project Styles Only To Topic Contents
Select this option to do the following:
•

Prevent the styles defined in project style sheets (CSS) from overriding the styles defined in the
screen layout CSS

•

Prevent topic and screen layout style sheets (CSS) from overriding the CSS used by SharePoint
master pages
Example: Your project CSS may contain the style:

div{
color:red;
}

If the layout CSS also contains a div style but with a different color and if this setting is not
selected, the project definition could undesirably override the layout definition applying red.
7)

(Optional)In the Publish tab, set the following options:
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Servers
Specify a server location for the output. To publish the HTML output to a SharePoint site, click
New and select SharePoint. Enter the UNC path of the folder on the SharePoint site (If the
folder is mapped as a network drive, click Browse to select the drive).
Options
Specify how to handle changes to files in the output:
Check For Deleted Files
If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted from the destination location and republishes them.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.
Republish All
Select to republish all files to the destination target. For master projects with a copy of the
subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting output
files already published to the same location.
NOTE: If you change the destination to a new host, specify the user ID and password

and save the password in the registry, if necessary.
8)

(Optional) In the SharePoint (Native) tab, set the following options to publish output in the
native (.aspx) file format:

SharePoint Version
Select either SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2010+.
Publish Location:
Depending on the version you select, do one of the following:
•

If you selected SharePoint 2010+, click Browse, enter the SharePoint site path and
credentials in the Connection Details dialog box; and then select the SharePoint document library and the folder where the output is to be published.

•

If you selected SharePoint 2007, enter the SharePoint path to which the output is to be
published.

Publish To SharePoint
Files are published to SharePoint only when this option is selected. Also specify the following:

456

•

Check For Deleted Files:If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted
from the destination location and republishes them.

•

Prompt Before Overwriting Files: If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.

Generating output
•

Republish All: Select to republish all files to the destination. For master projects with a copy
of the subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting
output files already published to the same location.

Advanced Options
Specify the following options:
•

Output Folder:Local folder for saving generated SharePoint output. This option is usually
populated automatically. You should need to specify the output folder only if you’re working
with merged projects.

•

Generate SharePoint Native Output Before Publishing:Select this option to pregenerate
ASPX files. If this option is not selected, RoboHelp generates the normal HTML files and then
displays a dialog box allowing you to select whether to publish them. Clicking Publish causes
RoboHelp to generate the ASPX files and upload them to SharePoint.

9)

(Optional, in addition to step 8)RoboHelp lets you assign a SharePoint master page to each
screen profile in the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL. You can also choose not to assign a SharePoint
master page. Select one of the following options for each screen profile:

Site Master Page
Enter the master page path relative to the site.
Root Site: example.com
SharePoint site: example.com/robohelp
Master page is at:example.com/robohelp/doclib/minimal.master
Specify the path as doclib/minimal.master.
System Master Page
Use the master page defined as the default master page for system pages in SharePoint.
Custom Site Master Page
Use the master page defined as the default master page for sites in SharePoint.
Site Collection Master Page
Specify the master page path relative to the Site Collection (root of the site).
For example:
Root Site: example.com
SharePoint site: example.com/robohelp
Master page is at: example.com/robohelp/doclib/minimal.master
Specify the path as /robohelp/doclib/minimal.master.

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None
Do not apply a master page to SharePoint output. The output is displayed as ASPX pages
without the SharePoint chrome.
Recommendation: To view Multiscreen HTML5 output optimally on SharePoint, ensure that
your SharePoint master pages are HTML5-compliant. Otherwise, some HTML5 content or
Multiscreen HTML5 options, such as the following, may not work for Multiscreen HTML5
output published on SharePoint:
•

HTML5 videos (without a plug-in)

•

The following options on the Optimization page in the Multiscreen HTML5 Settings dialog
box:

•

Convert Absolute Image Size To Relative Image Size

•

Convert Absolute Table Size To Relative Table Size

•

Use Adobe Captivate HTML5 Output
•

(Only in Internet Explorer) Hint text is not removed from the search field in the published
SharePoint content even when the user clicks the field to enter a search string. The user
must manually delete the hint text.

•

Minor layout issues

Generate EPUB and Kindle Book output
The EPUB format helps you to distribute content to mobile devices, eBook readers, and tablets.
Adobe Digital Editions, Calibre, and the EPUB Reader plug-in with Mozilla Firefox are some EPUB
readers.
Adobe Digital Editions reader software is free and can be downloaded from the Digital Editions
product site.
RELATED LINKS:
Apply conditional build tags to content

EPUB resources
Read this article by Neil Perlin to get an overview of EPUB, RoboHelp’s support for EPUB, and some
best practices.
For a list of top features of EPUB, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_blog_epub_en.
For more information on the EPUB format, see www.idpf.org.
For guidelines for creating well-formed and well-formatted EPUB documents, refer to
www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_epub_best_practices_en (Best Practices Guide in EPUB format).

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Generating output
See the blog Digital Editions for information about Digital Editions.
Generate eBook output
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the eBook SSL.

2)

In the General tab, set the following options:

eBook Format(s)
Select EPUB 3 or Kindle Book or both as the eBook format. If you select EPUB 3, RoboHelp
generates a .epub file. For Kindle Book output , RoboHelp uses the KindleGen converter to
convert EPUB 3 output to Kindle Format 8 and Mobi output.
NOTE: If the KindleGen converter is not available on your computer, download it from the

link provided in the Kindle Book Generation dialog box.
Output Folder And File Name
Specifies a location and name for the output files. To choose a location for the output folder,
click the browse button .
NOTE: You need not specify the extension with the file name. Based on the output selected,

RoboHelp adds the extension.
Validate EPUB 3 Output
Set RoboHelp to validate the EPUB output using the standard EPUB validation tool EpubCheck. EpubCheck require Java Runtime 1.5 or above installed on the computer.
NOTE: If the EpubCheck.jar file is not available on your computer, download it from the

link provided in the EPUB Validation dialog box. Validation messages are available only
in English.
Show KindleGen Logs
Select to display the errors, warnings, and status messages generated by the KindleGen
converter in the Output View pod.
3)

In the Content tab, set the following options:

Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated output. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated output. See Indexes.
Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated output. See Glossaries.

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Variable Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated output. See
User-defined variables.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
See Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation.
Embed Fonts
Select this option to embed the selected fonts into the eBook. Use this option , if you are
creating content that includes uncommon fonts, or if you are using custom fonts that may not
be available on the end-users’ environment.
Since the fonts will be included as part of the eBook output, the user experience will be uniform
even if some users do not have the font installed.
When you check this option, the Embed Font dialog is displayed. In this dialog, you can choose
to embed fonts that are currently included in your RoboHelp project. You can also choose
embed system fonts that are not currently included.

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Embed Fonts dialog

Manage
Click manage to open the Embed Fonts dialog to make changes to the currently embedded
fonts.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Table Of Contents Settings
Select Index, Glossary, or both to add an index and a glossary at the end of the TOC. By default,
the index is placed before the glossary. Use the Up and Down buttons to reverse the order in
which the index and the glossary are to be placed.
4)

In the Meta Information tab, specify metadata to conform to the Open Packaging Format
(OPF) specification:

Title
A title for the output. By default, RoboHelp displays the project name.
Author(s)
(Optional) The name of the author. To specify multiple author names, use comma as the
separator.

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Publisher(s)
(Optional) The name of the entity responsible for making the output available, for example,
the author or the organization.
Rights
(Optional) A statement about rights, for example, a copyright notice.
Description
(Optional) A description of the content.
Publication Identifier
An identifier conforming to specifications such as ISBN.
Language
The language in which the content is written. For information about the format, see Dublin
Core Metadata Element Set.
Publish Date
(Optional) The date of publishing the output. Follow the format specified in Date and Time
Formats.
Cover Image
(Optional) Specify the path for a JPG, JPEG, or PNG image that you want to use as the cover
page of the eBook and the dimensions (use percentage values to allow browsers to optimize
display for different-sized screens). You can also specify a GIF image. However, in the case of
a GIF animation, only the first frame is used as the cover page.
NOTE: If you don’t specify a cover image, RoboHelp uses the first topic in the TOC as the

cover page.
5)

In the Meta Information tab, click Custom Metadata and specify additional EPUB 3-specific
metadata in XML format. For more information on specifying Metadata for EPUB, refer to
EPUB 3 specification for metadata.
For example, if you want to add the identifier type (ISBN, UUID, DOI, etc) for a Publication
Identifier, you can use the XML format below:
<dc:identifier
id="pub-id">urn:doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2008.03.001</dc:identifie
r>
<meta refines="#pub-id" property="identifier-type"
scheme="onix:codelist5">06</meta>

6)

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In the Optimization Settings tab, set the following options:

Generating output
Convert Auto-sizing And Custom-sized Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that hyperlinks configured to display in auto-sizing or
custom-sized pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Text-only Popups To Hyperlinks
Select this option to make sure that text-only pop-ups are converted to flat hyperlinks.
Convert Absolute Image Size To Relative Image Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of images into percentages.
Convert Absolute Table Size To Relative Table Size
Select this option to convert the actual width and height of tables into percentages.
7)

Click Save And Generate.

Best practices
Keep the following best practices in mind as you prepare your content for EPUB output:
•

Do not use space characters in bookmarks; space characters cause validation errors.

•

Do not use Frameset elements in your content.

Limitations
The following HTML elements/attributes are not supported in EPUB 3 and are removed from EPUB
output:
•

Applets

•

Marquees (marquee tags are removed, but the content is displayed in the output)

•

Table cellpadding

•

Table cellspacing

•

Table center alignment; the table appears left-aligned in the output

Generate EPUB 2.0.1 output
Prepare for generating the EPUB 2.0.1 output
1)

Review your project content and apply CBTs to content not supported by the EPUB format
(such as drop-down or expanded text).

2)

Create the TOC for the EPUB output.
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12

3)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click XML Output and select New Layout. Specify a
name and click OK.

4)

Select the TOC you created for the EPUB output.

5)

Select or define the conditional build expression.

6)

Click Save.

TIP:The sample projects available in your installation (accessible from the Starter pod) contain layouts

that are configured for EPUB output. Check the settings of these layouts.
Run script to generate EPUB 2.0.1 output
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Output > Generate > EPUB 2.0.1 Output.

•

Select Tools > Scripts > EPUB 2.0.1 Generator.

2)

Specify a location to store the EPUB output.

3)

Select the XML layout that contains the settings for the output.

4)

In the Metadata tab, specify metadata to conform to the Open Packaging Format (OPF) specification:

Title
A title for the output. By default, RoboHelp displays the project name.
Author(s)
(Optional) The name of the author. To specify multiple author names, use comma as the
separator.
Publisher
(Optional) The name of the entity responsible for making the output available, for example,
the author or the organization.
Tags
(Optional) The keywords to associate with the content.
Rights
(Optional) A statement about rights, for example, a copyright notice.
Description
(Optional) A description of the content.

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Generating output
ISBN
(Optional) An identifier conforming to the ISBN specification.
Publish Date
The date of publishing the output. Follow the format specified in DateandTimeFormats.
Language
The language in which the content is written. For information about the format, see Dublin
Core Metadata Element Set.
5)

In the Cover Page tab, browse and select the image you want to display on the cover page of the
EPUB output.

6)

In the ePub Validation tab, select Validate ePUB File and specify the location of the standard
EPUB validator, epubcheck.jar.

7)

Click Generate.

Generate WebHelp output
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the WebHelp layout.
NOTE: If you are not working on a new project, you might find that the default WebHelp layout

has been renamed or deleted. Double-click any layout to check its type in the title bar of the layout
settings dialog box. You can also add a new layout of a required type by using the Create Layout
icon in the Single Source Layouts pod.
2)

In the General tab of the WebHelp Settings dialog box, set the following options:

Title Bar
Specify the title you want to display in the title bar.
Favicon
Specify an icon to associate with the Help system. The icon appears in the browser tab.
Output Folder And Start Page
Specifies a location and start page for the Help files. To choose a location for the output folder,
click the browse button . To select a start page other than the default for the Help project,
enter it using the .htm extension. The start page is a frameset for Help content to which file
developers link when calling the Help system from an application.
Use Lowercase File Names
Create filenames that use only lowercase letters. This option is recommended for UNIX users.
NOTE: Don’t select this option for merged projects. Links to topics in other projects will convert to
lowercase, whereas the topic filenames will remain the same. The mixed cases create broken links
on UNIX.
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3)

12

In the Content Categories tab, create content categories to publish the output as a package of
user-centric Help systems (for example, a package of Help systems for different user roles,
geographies, products, or platforms).
End users view the output as an integrated package of Help systems and have the flexibility to
select the Help system they want to access from a drop-down list. Each Help system has its own
TOC, browse sequences, index, and search.

4)

•

To create a content category, click New and specify a name.

•

To rename a content category, select the category. Click Rename and specify another
name.

•

To delete a content category, select the category and click Delete. Click Yes to confirm.

•

To change the order of the content categories in the drop-down list from which users
select, use Up or Down keys.

•

To specify a content category as the default category, click Set As Default.

In the Content tab, set the following options for each content category:

Content Title
Specify a title for the content category. The title appears in a drop-down list and helps users to
navigate to a content category.
NOTE: If you’ve not created content categories, skip this field. RoboHelp uses the title you

specified in Help Settings in the General tab.
Table Of Contents
Select the TOC to be displayed in the generated Help. See TOCs.
Index
Select the index to be displayed in the generated Help. See Indexes.
Glossary
Select the glossary to be displayed in the generated Help. See Glossaries.
Variable Set
Select a variable set to override the default variable set in the generated Help. See User-defined
variables.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. By default, the first topic in the table of contents is
the default topic.

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Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format.
Map Files
Specify the map files that contain topic IDs associated with map IDs to provide context-sensitive Help.
Browse Sequences
Select the browse sequences to display.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions. See Conditional build tag expressions.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
See Applying a master page or CSS at the time of generation.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.

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12

Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.
5)

In the Navigation tab, set the following options:

Skin Selection
(Optional) Browse to a skin in the project, or click Gallery to select one from the Skins Gallery.
Apply skins to customize the colors, buttons, text, fonts, and icons in the output.
NOTE:The Skin option is disabled if you select the Section 508 Compliant Output option.

Use the Traditional Style - No Skin option.
In-Topic Navigation
This option is enabled if you have selected the Traditional Style - No Skin option. Click Edit to
access options to include or exclude Show/Hide buttons for the Navigation pane and to include
or exclude browse sequences in topics.
W3C Compliant Topics
For W3C-compliant topics, this option passes the topics through an HTML validator.
Add Mark Of The Web
Mark of the Web is a comment in the HTML markup for a web page. Internet Explorer 6 and
later reference this comment to determine the security zone for the page on the user’s
computer. Select this option to avoid having Internet Explorer block the output.
NOTE: Before merging projects, ensure that the Mark Of The Web option is either selected

or deselected for all of the projects.
Section 508 Compliant Output
Select to deliver Section 508-compliant WebHelp. Output cannot include skins or other
features such as DHTML.
Optimize Speed For
Select the option by which most users access Help. XML formats reduce load times by downloading only the data immediately needed. For example, the Contents pane fills quickly by
initially downloading only enough data to fill the pane. The rest is downloaded in time for the
user to move down the list.

468

•

Web Site (Internet) Select if access is from a website. Assumes slower connections,
uses data in smaller pieces, and requires more WebHelp files.

•

Local PC or Intranet (Internal Network) Select if access is from an intranet or a local
computer. Assumes faster connection, uses data in larger pieces, and requires fewer
WebHelp files.

Generating output
Preferred Format
Specify how WebHelp handles Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and how end users access Help.
The option you choose depends on user environment, such as the types of browsers and firewalls used.
DHTML > Pure HTML
Uses Dynamic HTML when supported, pure HTML otherwise. If users have firewalls that
block Java applets, select DHTML > Pure HTML, which eliminates Java applets from Help.
Pure HTML
Displays Help using list-based, pure HTML in all browsers. However, Pure HTML reduces
navigation functions.
Toolbar Buttons
Select navigation toolbar buttons to appear in the left pane.
Synchronize Table Of Contents
Synchronize the TOC with the topic in the right pane so that users see where they are in the
structure.
•

To synchronize the TOC automatically, click the pop-up menu and select Automatically.

•

To add a button that users can click to synchronize the TOC, click the pop-up menu and
select Manually.NOTE: If you use custom skins, provide a button icon in the WebHelp Skin
Editor.

Add Breadcrumbs Links
Select to add breadcrumbs in the topic pages.
Format
Click to change the format of breadcrumbs.
Enable Browse Sequence
Specify whether the output should display browse sequences.
Show Navigation Pane Link In Topics
Select to include a link to the navigation pane in topics that are opened through the
context-sensitive Help calls.
Show Merged TOC In Child Project
Select to view the merged TOC in the child project.
Search Input Field In Toolbar
Include a search field in the main toolbar.

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Add About Box
Set up information that appears in a dynamic window when users click the image in the main
toolbar.
Example of About box

6)

In the Search tab, set the following options:

Enable Substring Search
If you enable this feature, a search for "log" returns topics containing the words "catalog" and
"logarithm." Substring search takes longer than whole-string search.
Enable Highlighting In Search Results
Select to enable highlighting of search results. From the pop-up menu, select a color for the
highlight.
Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the Help system. For information about
how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Show Context In Search Results
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic.
Hide Rank Column In Search Results
Select to not display the Rank column in search results.
Show Total Number Of Search Results
Select to show the number of search results for a specific search string.
Allow AND Search In Output
Select to display only those topics that have all the words that are specified without using
quotation marks in the Search box. By default, RoboHelp performs OR search when a user
types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. This means that RoboHelp
finds all topics that have any of the words specified in the Search box.
NOTE: AND search can be used in combination with phrase search.

Select the Enable AND Search By Default option if required. If you allow AND search disable
it by default, end users have the option to enable it in the output.
NOTE: In

merged projects, child projects inherit the setting
of the parent project. In projects with DUCC (content
categories), the setting applies to all content categories.

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Exclude Baggage Files Types From Search
Select the types of baggage files to exclude from search.
7)

In the Publish tab, set the following options, and then click Save And Generate.

Servers
Specify a server location for the output. To publish to a SharePoint site, click New and select
SharePoint. Enter the UNC path of the folder on the SharePoint site (If the folder is mapped as
a network drive, click Browse to select the drive).
Options
Specify how to handle changes to files in the output:
Check For Deleted Files
If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted from the destination location and republishes them.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.
Republish All
Select to republish all files to the destination target. For master projects with a copy of the
subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting output
files already published to the same location.
NOTE: If you change the destination to a new host, specify the user ID and password

and save the password in the registry, if necessary.
RELATED LINKS:
Dynamic HTML and special effects

Generate WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro output
1)

Set the following options, and then click Next.NOTE: The order of some options varies according
to the type of output you generate.

Project Name
Differentiates multiple versions of a project on a server, if you merge projects.
Favicon
Specify an icon to associate with the Help system. The icon appears in the browser tab.

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Output Folder And Start Page
Specifies a location and start page for the Help files. To choose a location for the output folder,
click the folder button . To select a start page other than the default for the Help project, enter
it using the .htm extension. The start page is a frameset for Help content to which file developers link when calling the Help system from an application.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions.
Skin
Choose from the skins in the project, or click Gallery to select one from the Skins Gallery. Skins
let you customize the output by changing the colors, buttons, text, fonts, and icons. A skin is
required for FlashHelp output.
NOTE:The Skin option is disabled if you select the Section 508 Compliant Output option.
Use the Traditional Style - No Skin option.

Table Of Contents
Select a table of contents to display in the generated Help.
Index
Select an index to display in the generated Help.
Glossary
Select a glossary to display in the generated Help.
Variables
Select a variable set to override the default variable set values in the generated Help.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. Click Select to specify a topic. By default, the first
topic in the table of contents is the default topic.
Default Window
The container in which the Help displays. By default, the Help system opens in the user default
browser window.
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Generating output
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Exclude Unreferenced Baggage Files From Search
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not referenced from the
selected TOC or any referenced topic (if Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is
selected). If Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output is deselected, RoboHelp excludes
baggage files that are unreferenced from any topic in the project.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply master pages or CSS at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
2)

Set the following options, and then click Next.

Enable External Content Search
Select to display content from identified URLs outside the Help system. For information about
how to specify URLs and associate them with search terms, see External content search.
Enable Highlight Search Result
Select to enable highlighting of search results. From the pop-up menu, select a color for the
highlight.
Show Context In Search Result
Select to have the search results displayed along with the first few lines of the topic.
Hide Rank Column In Search Results
(WebHelp Pro) Select to not display the Rank column in search results.

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12

Show Total Number Of Search Results
(WebHelp Pro only) Select to show the number of search results for a specific search string.
Allow AND Search In Output
(WebHelp Pro only) Select to display only those topics that have all the words that are specified
without using quotation marks in the Search box. By default, RoboHelp performs OR search
when a user types multiple words without enclosing them in quotation marks. This means that
RoboHelp finds all topics that have any of the words specified in the Search box.
NOTE: AND search can be used in combination with phrase search.

Select the Enable AND Search By Default option if required. If you allow AND search disable
it by default, end users have the option to enable it in the output.
NOTE: In

merged projects, child projects inherit the setting
of the parent project. In projects with DUCC (content
categories), the setting applies to all content categories.
W3C Compliant Topics
For W3C-compliant topics, this option passes the topics through an HTML validator.
NOTE:Dynamic effects in styles aren’t supported in W3C-compliant output.

Add Mark Of The Web
Mark of the Web is a comment in the HTML markup for a web page. Internet Explorer 6 and
later reference this comment to determine the security zone for the page on the user’s
computer. Select this option to avoid having Internet Explorer block the output.
NOTE: Before merging projects, ensure that the Mark Of The Web option is either selected
or deselected for the projects.

Add About Box
Click Add to specify information that appears in an About window that the user opens from
the main toolbar.
Auto-Manage Flash Security
(FlashHelp Pro) If selected, the generated output path is copied to the local-trusted sandbox of
Flash Player. Because of security changes in Flash 7 and later, place SWF files in the trusted
security sandbox of Flash Player. RoboHelp maintains the RoboHelp[version].cfg file in the
FlashPlayerTrust folder.NOTE:Dynamic effects in styles are not supported in W3C-compliant
output.
Show Print Button In Skin
(FlashHelp Pro) Displays the Print button in the output.
Show Navigation Pane Link In Topics
Includes a link to the navigation pane in topics opened through context-sensitive Help.
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Generating output
Add Breadcrumbs Links
Select to add breadcrumbs in the topic pages.
3)

Set the following options, and then click Save And Generate.

Servers
Specify a server location for the output. Enter
Servername:port/context-name/server or
https://Servername:port/context-name/server depending on the protocol
you want to use. RoboHelp uses the http protocol by default.
Options
Specify how to handle changes to files in the output:
Check For Deleted Files
If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted from the destination location and republishes them.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.
Republish All
Select to republish all files to the destination target. For master projects with a copy of the
subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting output
files already published to the same location.
NOTE: If you change the destination to a new host, specify the user ID and password

and save the password in the registry, if necessary.

Generate Microsoft HTML Help output
1)

Set the following options, and then click Save And Generate.

Select Output Folder And File Name
Specifies a location and start page for the Help files. To choose a location for the output folder,
click the browse button . To select a start page other than the default for the Help project,
enter it using the .chm extension.
Conditional Build Expression
If you have conditional tags in the project, click Define to specify conditional build expressions.
Table Of Contents
Select a table of contents to display in the generated Help.
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Index
Select an index to display in the generated Help.
Glossary
Select a glossary to display in the generated Help.
Variables
Select a variable set to override the default variable set values in the generated Help.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Default Topic
The topic that appears when Help opens. Click Select to specify a topic. By default, the first
topic in the table of contents is the default topic.
Default Window
The container in which the Help displays. By default, the Help system opens in the user default
browser window.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Add Breadcrumbs Links
Select to add breadcrumbs in the topic pages.
Optimize CHM File Size
Reduces the size of the CHM file.
Advanced Settings
Click to specify custom styles for the table of contents and index.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply formatting at the project level:

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Generating output
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. For example, if the selected master page doesn’t have a
header or footer, topics won’t either.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.

Generate Oracle Help output
1)

Set the following options, and then click Next.

Select Output Folder And Filename
Name and location of output files.
Use Lowercase Filenames
Recommended for UNIX users or users accessing files on a UNIX server.
Conditional Build Expression
Click Define to specify conditional build expressions.
Default Topic
Click Select to select a topic to display when the Help opens.
Navigation Pane
Specify the tabs that appear in the Help navigation pane.
In-Topic Navigation Bar
Options for the navigation bar.
Output
Specify the type of Oracle Help output:
Uncompressed Oracle Help With Source Files
Generates HS files and individual source files.
Compressed Oracle Help
Generates JAR and HS files.

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12

Compressed Oracle Help With Source Files
Generates JAR and HS files, and individual source files.
NOTE:Generating Oracle Help source files empties the Oracle Help output folder.

Table Of Contents
Select the table of contents to display in the output.
Index
Select the index to display in the output.
Variables
Select a variable set to override the default variable set values in the generated Help.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format if the web server to which you’re publishing has character encoding different from UTF-8.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply formatting at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. For example, if the selected master page doesn’t have a
header or footer, topics won’t either.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.

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Generating output
2)

Set the following options, and then click Next:

Label
Text displayed when the mouse hovers over the view name. Leave empty to use default text.
Image
Click the browse button to select an image to use in the toolbar.
3)

Set the following options, and then click Next:

Title
(Optional) Specify text that appears in the viewer. Leave the boxes empty to use default text
(Contents, Index, Full-Text Search).
Image
Click the browse button to select an image that appears next to the table of contents title.
4)

Click Add to specify a remote view for the TOC, index and Search. Enter view properties, and
then click Next:

General tab
Set the following options:
Name
(Optional) A unique name for the remote view.
Type
Remote view type: TOCNavigator, KeywordNavigator, or SearchNavigator. Oracle Help
merges views with identical labels and view types.
Engine
Format of the data file for the view.
Data File
Path (filename or URL) to the remote view.
Optional tab
Set the following options:
Text
Specify the tab label and view title. Leave the boxes empty to use the default text (Contents,
Index, Full-Text Search).

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Image
Click the browse button to select an image to use in the toolbar.
Map Reference tab
Click the browse button to add a pointer to the map file for the remote view.
5)

To merge an external HelpSet file (.hs) with the project, specify the path in SubHelp Sets, and
click Add.

6)

Click Save And Generate.

7)

If the JavaHelp JDK Requirement dialog box appears, select one of the following options:
NOTE: This dialog box appears if Sun Java 2 JDK or later isn’t installed.

Generate without Full-text Search
Click to generate output without full-text search functionality.
Locate Java SDK Install Folder
Click to browse to the Java JDK install folder. Click Network to locate and map the folder on a
network drive.

Generate JavaHelp output
1)

Set the following options, and then click Save And Generate.

Select Output Folder And Filename
Name and location of output files.
Use Lowercase Filenames
Recommended for UNIX users or users accessing files on a UNIX server.
Conditional Build Expression
Click Define to specify conditional build expressions.
Default Topic
Click Select to select a topic to display when Help opens.
In-Topic Navigation Bar
Specify options for the navigation bar.
Table Of Contents
Select a table of contents to display in the output.

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Generating output
Index
Select an index to display in the output.
Glossary
Select a glossary to display in the output.
Variables
Select a variable set to override the default variable set values in the generated Help.
Language
Specify the output language for the layout if the language is different from the language of the
project. RoboHelp uses this language setting for the UI strings and language-related UI
elements in the preview and generated output.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format if the web server to which you’re publishing has character encoding different from UTF-8.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Version
Specify the JavaHelp version.
Compress
Select from the following options:
Uncompressed JavaHelp With Source Files
Generates HS files and individual source files.
Compressed JavaHelp JAR
Generates JAR and HS files.
Compressed JavaHelp With Source Files
Generates JAR and HS files, and individual source files.
NOTE:Generating JavaHelp source files empties the JavaHelp output folder.

Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply formatting at the project level:
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12

Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. If the selected master page does not have a header or
footer, no topic displays a header or footer irrespective of if it had one header or footer defined.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
Advanced
Navigation view properties and merging options.
2)

If the JavaHelp JDK Requirement dialog box appears, select one of the following options:
NOTE: This dialog box appears if Sun Java 2 JDK or later isn’t installed.

Generate without Full-text Search
Click to generate output without full-text search functionality. The JavaHelp SubHelpSets
dialog box appears.
Merge an external JavaHelp HelpSet (HS file) into the project.
Subhelp sets
Enter the full path (filename or URL) to the HelpSet (.hs) file.
Add
Add the specified HS file.
Update
Change the location of a SubHelpSet file already added. Highlight the file, change the path in
the SubHelpSet box, and click Update.
Remove
Delete the selected SubHelpSet file.
Locate Java SDK Install Folder
Click to browse to the Java JDK install folder. Click Network to locate and map the folder on a
network drive.
You can define the viewer class for a given MIME type by specifying the following information.
Type
Enter the MIME type.

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Generating output
Class
Enter a Java class for viewing the MIME type.

Generate XML output
1)

Set the following options, and then click Save And Generate.

Select Output Folder And File Name
Name and location of output files.
Conditional Build Expression
Click Define to specify conditional build expressions.
Select Export Handler
Advanced options include the following:
Export Project To DocBook
Exports the entire XML project to DocBook format.
Export Topics To DocBook
Exports only the topics to DocBook format.
Export Project To XHTML
Exports the XML project to XHTML format. All topics are converted to XHTML files.
For DocBook options, click Advanced to set additional options:
Content Only
Exports only the meaningful content (text and data) contained in the project or topic. No
DHTML effects are included.
Full-Featured Export
Exports the entire project or topic contents (text and data and their related display format). All
DHTML effects are included.
Table Of Contents
Select a table of contents to display in the output.
Index
Select an index to display in the output.
Glossary
Select a glossary to display in the output.
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Variables
Select a variable set to override the default variable set values in the generated Help.
Encoding
Specify the character encoding format.
Exclude Unreferenced Topics From Output
Select this option to exclude any topic that exists in the project but is not the default topic in
the layout or is not referenced from the selected TOC, index, or browse sequence, or any referenced topic.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the unreferenced topics that are excluded from the output in the

Output View pod.
Apply To All Topics
Select this option to apply formatting at the project level:
Master Page
The selected master page overrides the settings of all the individual topics with or without a
master page applied to them in the project. The CSS and layout of the master page override the
CSS and appearance of all the topics. For example, if the selected master page doesn’t have a
header or footer, topics won’t either.
CSS
The master pages associated with individual topics become effective. The selected CSS overrides all the topics and their CSS irrespective of whether they are associated with a master page
or not.
RELATED LINKS:
XML layout

Generate EclipseHelp
EclipseHelp contains a bunch of HTML files with an XML-based TOC and a plugin.xml file. Eclipse
uses the plugin file to display the Help from Help > Help Contents.
1)

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Do one of the following:
•

Select Output > Generate > EclipseHelp.

•

Select Tools > Scripts > EclipseHelp Generator.

2)

Select the folder where you want to store the EclipseHelp output.

3)

Specify the following information:

Generating output
Title
A title for the output. By default, RoboHelp displays the project name.
Provider Name
The name of the company.
Version
The version number of the output.
ID
A unique ID for the output.
4)

Click Generate.

Batch-generate output
Batch-generating output eliminates the need to wait for each output to finish processing before
starting the next one. You can publish output from different layouts to different locations.
Batch-processing saves time if you use conditional build tags to test, view, or distribute different
outputs.
Layouts are processed in the order they appear in the Batch Generate dialog box.
IMPORTANT:During generation, RoboHelp deletes the output folder files created in the last session. If
you add or hand-code files in the output subfolder, copy them to another location before generating the
output.

1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click a layout.

2)

Select Batch Generate.

3)

Select the layouts for the outputs to generate.

4)

Click Generate or Publish.

Notes:
•

Generating WebHelp or WebHelp Pro requires a browser.

•

To generate printed Word documents for the first time, enable macros in Word.

•

Publish is available only if destinations for the selected WebHelp layouts are defined.

•

Check the status of a generation in the Batch Generate dialog box. For a status of Failed, check
the compiler messages in the lower pane to resolve the problem. For WinHelp projects,
generate the project in the Layout wizard and use Error wizard to locate the problem.

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•

12

View published WebHelp or WebHelp Pro output from the server to see changes and
server-dependent features.

Customize the Layout
The Layout Customization dialog (Responsive HTML5 and Mobile App) allows you to choose from
a list of available layout components. You can select a layout component and then customize the
properties of the layout.
To customize the layout:
1)

In the Settings dialog, click Customize Selected Layout.
The Layout Customization dialog displays a preview of the look-and-feel of the layout.
Alternatively, to open the Layout Customization dialog, go to the Output Setup pod:
•

Right-click on Responsive_with_Logo and choose Edit.

•

Click the Pencil icon on the Project toolbar.

Layout Customization dialog

2)

Select a layout component from the Layout Components list.
Each component has a set of customizable properties associated with the component.

3)
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To edit a property, go to the property value in the Properties pane.

Generating output
4)

You can go to a property in the Property pane by clicking the property in the Property pane
and editing the value of the property.
Alternatively, notice the Component preview pane displays the preview of the component. In
addition, the preview pane displays buttons pointing to each property in the preview pane.
You can click a property button in the preview pane to go to the property in the Properties
pane.
This will allow you to identify from the preview, the property that you are editing.

5)

To save your changes:
•

Click Save and Preview to save the updates and preview the changes.

•

Click Save to save the updates without preview.

6)

To reset all the component properties, click Reset component.

7)

To reset a specific component property, select the component (either from the Property pane
or from the preview pane) and click Reset property.

8)

After you have completed the layout customization, click Close.

View output
1)

Do one of the following:
•

If the output is already generated, in the Single-Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout
and select View. If prompted, click Yes to regenerate the output before you view it.

•

If you have generated the layout, click View Result. After viewing, you can click Done, or
publish the output to the location specified in the layout by clicking Publish.

•

First publish the master project and view the master project from the published location
to see the merged system. To publish the project, click Publish. NOTE: If the Publish
button is disabled, add a destination in the Publish dialog box when generating or editing.

View Multiscreen HTML5 output
1)

To view Multiscreen HTML5 output with different browsers, Click the Multiscreen Preview
button in the toolbar.

NOTE: Internet Explorer 9 or later is required for rendering media queries correctly in Multiscreen

preview. Install the latest version of Internet Explorer.

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View WebHelp, FlashHelp, WebHelp Pro, and FlashHelp Pro output
To preview a WebHelp Pro or FlashHelp Pro project locally without publishing to the Adobe RoboHelp Server, open it in a web browser. You can’t preview the index, table of contents, links, and
browse sequences locally.
You also can test the published project, including all server-dependent features, by viewing it from
the server.
View the project in the browser to test links, images, browse sequences, and other elements.
NOTE: Chrome security settings do not allow loading FlashHelp or FlashHelp Pro output from a local

disk. For these output types, launch Chrome from the command line in access file allowed mode
(Chrome.exe -allow-file-access-from-files).
View WebHelp, FlashHelp, WebHelp Pro, and FlashHelp Pro remotely
1)

Open the project, and ensure that the appropriate layout is the primary layout.

2)

Select Output > Generate > Primary Layout.

View WebHelp, FlashHelp, WebHelp Pro, and FlashHelp Pro locally
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout. Do one of the following:
•

To view the output in the default browser, select View. If prompted, click Yes if you want
to update the output. Otherwise click No.

•

To view the output in a selected browser, select View With and choose one of the
browsers installed on your computer.
TIP:Different browsers render CSS-based content differently. Multibrowser support for

previewing topics and project output helps you test whether the content appears correctly
in commonly used browsers.
2)

If a Limitations dialog box appears, click OK. The dialog box lists features that you cannot view
without being connected to a server, such as the Search button and Windows properties.
The project opens in the default browser.

IMPORTANT:If the topics contain links to PDFs, make sure that Adobe® Acrobat® 10 is installed on your

computer. Previewing any PDF in Acrobat 9 or earlier versions might not work correctly.
TIP:To view a merged Help system from the master project local copy, copy the subproject WebHelp files

to the master project mergedProject\[project name] folder. Right-click the layout in the Single Source
Layouts pod. Select View. Do not use the Republish All option in the master project.

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View compiled Microsoft HTML Help
1)

In the Single Source Layout pod, right-click Microsoft HTML Help.

2)

If prompted, click Yes if you want to update the output. Otherwise click No.

NOTE: To see inbound and outbound links by topic, select Project > Open > Pods > Link View.

RELATED LINKS:
View topics and design elements

Help Viewer Wizard
Generate an AIR Help viewer
1)

Select Tools > Open > Toolbox.

2)

Double-click to start Help Viewer Wizard.

3)

Specify the required information.
NOTE: Just select the path for the file and enter any name as the file name.

4)

Specify a version number and an ID.

5)

Create a self-signed digital certificate. See Create a self-signed digital certificate.

6)

Click Finish.

Copy the Help content file
1)

Copy the Help content file (RHA) to your computer. It can be in any location, but the installer
needs to remember the location.
See Select Help output for information about how an RHA file is generated.

Install the Help application
The AIR Help viewer is an AIR file that installs the Help application.
1)

Go to the C:/Program Files/[folder name].

2)

Double-click the AIR file.

3)

Go to the same folder and double-click the EXE file.

Create and locate a Help content configuration file
The AIR Help viewer must be associated with the Help content file to display content in the selected
format. Create an XML file with a .helpcfg extension to associate the RHA file with the AIR Help
viewer. Save the file at the same location as the installed AIR file. The AIR Help viewer uses the
.helpcfg file to locate the path to the Help content file and then displays the Help content.

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Repeat the XML code for every Help file that you want to display with the Help viewer.
For example, an XML file that contains the Help content configuration contains the following line
of code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<contents>
<data id="" label="" onlineurl="" offlineurl=""/>
</contents>

Attribute name

Attribute value

ID

The unique string that distinguishes a Help data file from other Help data files in
the viewer. You can use this ID to call the CSH API or to start the AIR Help
viewer.

label

The label for Help content when the Help viewer contains multiple Help data files.
The Help viewer displays this string in the selected Help content.

onlineurl

The online URL of the Help content that is hosted on a server.

offlineurl

The offline location of the Help file if locally installed Help is available.

useoffline

Optional setting. If you set this attribute to “true,” the AIR Help viewer picks
offline Help content when you launch the Help application. If no offline Help is
available, then you don’t need this attribute in the Help content configuration file.

NOTE: The name of the .helpcfg file can be set to any name. The name does not need to match the name

of the .air or .exe file in the installation folder.

Publish output
You can publish output for WebHelp and FlashHelp projects. After you specify an output location,
publish the output whenever needed. Publish multiple versions of a project (including to multiple
locations) using batch-processing.
You can select to publish only the files that changed since they were last published.

490

1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout and select Properties.

2)

Do the following:
•

(WebHelp) Click Publish.

•

(FlashHelp) Click Next until the Publish dialog box appears.

3)

Specify a publishing destination by doing one of the following:

•

Select or edit an existing destination from the Servers box, set options as necessary, and click
Save.

Generating output
Check For Deleted Files
If selected, RoboHelp HTML checks for files that have been deleted from the destination location and republishes them.
Prompt Before Overwriting Files
If selected, RoboHelp prompts you before overwriting files.
Republish All
Select to republish all files to the destination target. For master projects with a copy of the
subproject in the subfolder, do not select Republish All. You then avoid overwriting output
files already published to the same location.
NOTE: If you change the destination to a new host, specify the user ID and password

and save the password in the registry, if necessary.
•

To specify a new destination, click New. Type a descriptive name and set options as necessary.
Click OK.

Merging Help Systems
To publish a subproject to the MergedProjects folder, specify the following information:
•

In Host Name, enter the IP address or URL.

•

In Server Directory, enter the path to the master project: /.../[master project]/MergedProjects/[subproject]. This path resides on the server after the master project is published.

Options
Options depend on the selected connection protocol.
Server Name
Server on which to publish files. You can use an IP address.
User ID
Specifies the user ID to connect to the host.
Password
Specifies the password for the user ID. The network system administrator can provide this
information.
Save Password
Saves the password so you do not need to enter it when you publish the files. (Saving the password enters the password into the registry. It is not encrypted.)
Port
Port to use when connecting to the host.

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Anonymous User
Publishes the files as an anonymous user that does not require a password. If you supply a password or other anonymous information such as an e-mail address, deselect this option. Type
Anonymous in the user ID box, and type a password in the Password box.
Server Directory
Specifies the destination directory on the server. The default is a forward slash.
Web Name
The name of a FrontPage Web on the server selected in Host Name. (No initial slash is required
for subwebs.)
NOTE:Web Name is used only if FrontPage Server Extensions are installed on the server. Otherwise, the

files are published to the server directory specified using FTP://.
Destination Path
(HTTP protocol) Path to the location to publish the files.
4)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout, and select Publish. If prompted,
choose whether to generate and include changes before publishing.

5)

Click Close.

View the output from the server to see changes and server-dependent features.

Generate and publish output from the command prompt
Command-line generation publishes layouts without opening RoboHelp, or automatically in a
scheduled batch. Command-line and batch generation and publishing can occur simultaneously.
NOTE:To access the command prompt from within RoboHelp, click Start > Programs > Adobe Robo-

Help [version]> Tools > RoboHelp Command Prompt.
Open the application from the command prompt
1)

At the command prompt, enter the command in the following format:

rhcl myproject\myproject.xpj

2)

Access the output files in the default output folder.

Generate layouts from the command prompt
•

To generate a single layout to the default output folder (!SSL!), enter the command in the
following format:

rhcl [project path] [-l] [layout name]
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Generating output
•

To generate a single layout to a custom output folder, enter the command in the following
format:

rhcl [project path] [-l] [layout name] [-o] [path of custom output folder]

•

To generate all layouts to the default output folder (!SSL!), enter the command in the following
format:

rhcl [project installation path] [-b]

•

To generate all layouts to a custom output folder, enter the command in the following format:

rhcl [full or relative path of the RoboHelp project] [-b]

Publish layouts from the command prompt
1)

Enter the command in the following format:

rhcl [project path] [-p] [server name][user name][password]

The server name, user name, and password are optional.
Command prompt options
Commands must start with rhcl and include the project path and name. Enter commands using
the following format:
rhcl [-?] [-h] [project path] [-l] [layout name] [-p] [server name:user
name:password] [-o] [output folder path] [-d] [-b] [-g]

Not all options are required when entering a command.
-l
Generates a layout. Specify the layout name (for example, -l FlashHelp). The application generates the primary layout if a layout is not specified.
-p
Publishes a layout. Configure all publishing destinations using the New Destination dialog
box.
“
Indicates spaces.
-o
Sends the output to a folder.
-d
Displays layout and publishing destination names at the command prompt.

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-b
Generates the layouts set for batch generation. Outputs to the output folder for a particular
single-source layout.
-h
Displays Help.
•

rhcl

•

rhcl -h

•

rhcl -?

-g
Specifies a log filename.
If you specify this option with the rhcl command, rhcl writes the output into the specified
log file. The output is not sent to the console. The specified log filename cannot contain
Unicode characters. If a file by this name exists, that file is overwritten.

Hosting updates for AIR Help
After you publish your initial Adobe AIR application, you can correct and revise the content as
needed. By default, when a user launches the Help application, it displays the online content, so the
displayed Help contains your updates.
When you generate a new version of an Adobe AIR application, a Help content configuration file is
created along with the output. This XML file is unique for each version of the Help application. It
contains information about the location of the published Help application, the Help ID, and the
version number. Place this XML file with the Help application installer on the specified shared server
location for users. When a user’s installed version checks for updates from this location, the Help
application is updated.
Create and host an update
1)

Right-click Adobe AIR in the Single Source Layouts pod, and select Properties.

2)

Specify the updated information for your Help content.
Since you are updating existing Help content, retain the Help title and Help ID of the Help
output you configured earlier, but update the version number.

3)

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In the Adobe AIR dialog box, select the View group and select Enable Auto Update, if it is not
enabled already.

Generating output
4)

Specify the location of the updated Help content configuration file (XML file) that is hosted on
a shared location or web server.
To distribute Help updates within your network, select the file path. To distribute outside the
network, select a web server location.

5)

Update any other parameters you require, such as resource tabs.

6)

Generate the Help output formats.

Post an update
You can post an update for the Adobe AIR application at the specified web server address (HTTP
location) or in the network folder.
1)

Generate Help and then post the updated Help application installer and the associated XML
file to the web server or folder.

Distribute the project output
After you create and test the project output, you distribute it to the developer or publisher. The
output you deliver depends on the project. By default, the output for distribution is in the project
subfolder. (For Microsoft HTML Help, the output is compiled into a single CHM file.)
Some RoboHelp tools provide Help functions through DLL and OCX files. Be sure to distribute
these files. They must be included with the installer for the Help system.
DLLs required by a RoboHelp application are listed in application Help. Redistributables are listed
in Redistrb.Txt in the Redist folder in RoboHelp [version] Program Files.
NOTE:Add the output to version control to provide accessibility to others.

Distribute Multiscreen HTML5 output
When a Multiscreen HTML5 Help system is published to a central server/location, only information
relevant to the current query is downloaded to the Web browser on user computers. If necessary, you
can also choose to store the Help system locally on user computers.
By default, all Multiscreen HTML5 output files are placed in the !SSL!/Multiscreen_HTML5
project folder. It is recommended that you do not rename or move any subfolders under this folder.
•

To distribute Multiscreen HTML5 Help with an application, copy the
Multiscreen_HTML5 folder and its contents to a location designated by the developer. Let
the developer know the name of the start page (HTM file).

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•

To publish Multiscreen HTML5 files to a server, website, or other network location, publish
subprojects to the correct folder in the MergedProjects subfolder. While manually
copying the subprojects to the MergedProjects subfolder, overwrite all the files—
including screendata.js—except for the file parentdata.js, which should come
from the parent project.

•

While distributing standalone Multiscreen HTML5 Help, copy the Multiscreen_HTML5
folder and its contents to a CD, server, or a location on user computers. Let your users know
which start page (HTM file) they should select to view the Help system.

•

When publishing Help for a single screen profile, generate Multiscreen HTML5 output only
for the particular screen profile. Do not copy and use the screen profile folder independently.

Output files in the Multiscreen_HTML5 folder
When you publish Multiscreen HTML5 output, the following output files are created in the project
subfolders:

File

Description

index.htm

Default file name of the start page

parentdata.js

Information about the parent project; blank if the project has no parent project

screendata.js

Information about screen profiles

access_cookies.htm

Used for reading/writing Internet Explorer cookies

NOTE: Do not import Multiscreen-HTML5-generated HTM files into the project. These HTM files are

only for runtime use.
Output files in the Screen Profile folder
Files in this folder are specific to the screen profile. This folder also contains the generated topic files.

File

496

Description

index.htm

Start page for the screen profile

projectdata.js

Information about subprojects

ehlpdhtm.js

JavaScript for advanced functionality, such as Dynamic HTML effects

Generating output
Output files in the whxdata folder
Files in this folder contain project data for various components.

File

Description

csh.js

Context-sensitive Help data

glo.js

Glossary index data

gdata1.js

Glossary definition data

idx.js

Index of index data

idx1.js

Index data

toc.js

TOC data

whfts_xml.js

Full-text search index data

window.js

Window data

Subfolders in the template folder
This folder contains resources including images, icons, and cascading stylesheets.

Folder

Description

scripts

JavaScript files for the various widgets used

resources

Default resources

<Screen profile folder>

Resources specific to the screen profile

Distribute eBook output
Distribute the following files generated in the eBook subfolder in the !SSL! folder of your project:
<project_name>.mobi
This output supports Kindle Format 8 and can be viewed on Amazon Kindle devices.
<project_name>.epub
This output can be viewed on a variety of devices and readers, including iBooks on iOS and
Aldiko on Android.
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Distribute WebHelp
For Help systems published to a central location, only the information relevant to the current
inquiry is downloaded to user browsers. The system can also be stored locally.
By default, all WebHelp output files are placed in a project subfolder (!SSL!/WebHelp). The
WebHelp folder includes subfolders. Do not rename or move any of these folders.
•

To distribute WebHelp with an application, copy the WebHelp Folder and its contents to a
location designated by the developer. Let the developer know the name of the start page (HTM
file).

•

To publish WebHelp files to a server, website, or other network location, publish subprojects
to the correct folder in the MergedProjects subfolder.

•

When distributing WebHelp as a stand-alone product, copy the WebHelp folder and its
contents to a CD, a server, or any location on user systems. Let users know which start page
(HTM file) to select to view the Help system.

Output files in the WebHelp folder
Generating WebHelp creates the following output files in subfolders of the project folder.
NOTE:Do not import WebHelp-generated HTM files into the project. They are for runtime uses only.

File

498

Description

cshdat_robohelp.htm

Data for context-sensitive Help

cshdat_webhelp.htm

Legacy support for context-sensitive API

default.css

Style sheet

default.skn

Default skin

EHLPDHTM.JS

JavaScript for advanced functionality such as Dynamic HTML effects

.GIF files

Images for skins, navigation, and browse sequences

NewProject.htm

Project start page

NewProject.log

Lists all necessary files

NewProject_csh.htm

Legacy support for context-sensitive API

NewProject_rhc.htm

Supports context-sensitive API

webhelp.jar

Supports applet-based WebHelp

Generating output

File

Description

whestart.ico

Internet Explorer Favorites menu icon

whfbody.htm

Full-text search lower pane

whfdhtml.htm

Full-text search frameset

whfform.htm

Full-text search upper pane

whfhost.js

JavaScript for full-text search

whform.js

Index and full-text search fields

whframes.js

Framesets

whgbody.htm

Glossary terms

whgdef.htm

Glossary definitions

whgdhtml.htm

Manages glossary terms and definitions

whghost.js

Supports glossary

whhost.js

Lists and loads files in index and glossary

whibody.htm

Index lower pane

whidhtml.htm

Index frameset

whiform.htm

Index upper pane

whihost.js

Supports index

whlang.js

Language support

whmozemu.js

Netscape Navigator functions

whmsg.js

Message type definition and structure

whnjs.htm

Displayed when JavaScript disabled

whphost.js

Determines project contents

whproj.htm

Project data

WHPROJ.JS

JavaScript that supports WHPROJ.HTM

whproj.xml

XML project data

whproxy.js

Framework support

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File

Description

whres.xml

Applet support (custom fonts and colors)

whskin_banner.htm

For logo dialog box- About author (skins)

whskin_blank.htm

Internal support file (same as _blank.htm) (skins)

whskin_frmset01.htm

Frameset separating navigation pane, navigation bar, and topic (skins)

whskin_frmset010.htm

Frameset separating navigation bar and navigation pane (skins)

whskin_info.htm

System information page (skins)

whskin_mbars.htm

Supports navigation bar (skins)

whskin_papplet.htm

Navigation pane for applet (skins)

whskin_pdhtml.htm

Navigation pane for Dynamic HTML (skins)

whskin_plist.htm

Navigation pane for Pure HTML

whskin_tbars.htm

Toolbar (skins)

whst_topics.xml

Parses topics during generation

whstart.ico

WebHelp icon

whstart.js

Supports start page

whstub.js

Framework support

whtbar.js

Supports navigation bar

whtdhtml.htm

TOC body

whthost.js

Supports TOC

whtopic.js

Supports in-topic navigation bar

whutils.js

Supports common functions

whver.js

Determines browser version

Output files in the Whgdata subfolder
Files in !SSL!\Webhelp\Whgdata are used with Pure HTML WebHelp.

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Generating output

File

Description

whexpbar.gif

Sets default navigation pane width

whlstf0.htm

Full-text search body

whlstfl0.htm

Level 2 full-text search letters

whlstg0.htm

Glossary terms

whlsti0.htm

Index terms

whlstt0.htm

Contents (part 2)

whlstt1.htm

Contents (part 2)

whnvf30.htm

TOC frame

whnvf31.htm

Index frame

whnvf32.htm

Full-text search frame

whnvf33.htm

Glossary frame

whnvl31.htm

Level 1 index letters

whnvl32.htm

Level 1 full-text search letters

whnvl33.htm

Glossary letters

whnvp30.htm

TOC navigation pane

whnvp31.htm

Index navigation pane

whnvp32.htm

Full-text search navigation pane

whnvp33.htm

Glossary navigation pane

whnvt30.htm

TOC tabs

whnvt31.htm

Index tabs

whnvt32.htm

Full-text search tabs

whnvt33.htm

Glossary tabs

Output files in the Whdata subfolder
Files in !SSL!\Webhelp\Whdata are for DHTML versions of WebHelp on older browsers.

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File

502

Description

whftdata0.htm

Full-text search data - HTML support

whftdata.js

Full-text search data - JavaScript supporting WHFDATA0.HTM

whftdata0.xml

Full-text search data - XML support

whFull-text search.htm

Full-text search index data - HTML support

whFull-text search.js

Full-text search index data - JavaScript supporting whFull-text search.htm

whFull-text search.xml

Full-text search index data - XML support

whfwdata0.htm

Full-text search keywords - HTML support

whfwdata.js

Full-text search index data - JavaScript supporting whfwdata0.htm

whfwdata0.xml

Full-text search keywords - XML support

whgdata.js

Loads glossary term definitions

whGlossary.htm

Glossary index data - HTML support

whGlossary.js

Glossary index data - JavaScript supporting whGlossary.htm

whGlossary.xml

Glossary index data - XML support

whidata0.htm

Index data for non-XML browsers

whidata.js

JavaScript supporting WHIDATA0.HTM

whidata0.xml

Index data - XML version

whidx.htm

Index of index data - HTML support

whidx.js

Index of index data - JavaScript supporting whidx.htm

whidx.xml

Index of index data - XML version

whtdata0.htm

TOC data - HTML support

whtdata.js

TOC data - JavaScript supporting whtdata0.htm

whtdata0.xml

TOC data - XML support

whtoc.htm

TOC index of TOC - HTML support

whtoc.js

TOC index of TOC - JavaScript supporting whtoc.htm

whtoc.xml

TOC index of TOC - XML support

Generating output
Output files in the Whxdata subfolder
Files in !SSL!\Webhelp\Whxdata are used in Java applet and DHTML versions of WebHelp on
newer browsers.

File

Description

whftdata0.xml

Full-text search data

WHFTS.XML

Full-text search index data

WHFWDATA0.XML

Full-text search keywords

WHGDATA0.XML

Glossary definition data

WHGLO.XML

Glossary index data

WHIDATA0.XML

Index data

WHIDX.XML

Index of index data

WHTDATA0.XML

TOC data

WHTOC.XML

TOC index of TOC

Distribute FlashHelp
By default, all FlashHelp output files are placed in a project subfolder (!SSL!/FlashHelp). When you
generate FlashHelp, you can specify the name of the folder where the FlashHelp source files are
located, and the name of the start page.
If the project includes subfolders, the FlashHelp folder includes these subfolders with the files in
them. Do not rename or move any of these folders to keep the project structure intact.

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Distribute FlashHelp with an application
1)

Copy the FlashHelp Folder and its contents to a location designated by the developer. Let the
developer know which .htm file is the start page.

Publish FlashHelp to a disc, server, or desktop
1)

Let users know which start page (.htm file) to select to view the Help system.

Output files for FlashHelp
Output files are created when you use RoboHelp to generate FlashHelp. During project generation,
output files are saved by default in a subfolder named FlashHelp.
Output files in the FlashHelp folder

File

504

Description

cshdat_WEBHELP.htm

Legacy support file for context-sensitive API

*.css

Style sheet

*.FHS

FlashHelp skin file

WF_TOPICS.CSS

Style sheet for customized topic scroll bars. Generated based on settings in
FlashHelp skin

EHLPDHTM.JS

Contains JavaScript functions that RoboHelp uses for advanced functionality such
as Dynamic HTML effects

.GIF files

Images for skins, navigation, and browse sequence images

<ProjectName>.htm

Project start page

<ProjectName>_csh.htm

Legacy support file for context-sensitive API

<ProjectName>_rhc.htm

Context-sensitive Help API support file

wf_favicon.ico

Icon for Favorites menu in Internet Explorer

WF_*.HTM

FlashHelp run time FLA files

SKIN_*.SWF

Skin files

WFRES.XML

Localization file (generated from LNG file) that contains all strings loaded into
FlashHelp at run time

WHPROJ.XML

Project file used by the DHTML version of FlashHelp to load navigation data

Generating output

File

Description

whmozemu.js

Functions supported in Netscape Navigator

WF_MASTER.JS

JavaScript file required for FlashHelp run time

wf_dispatcher.js

JavaScript file required for FlashHelp run time

whtopic.js

Topic support file (In-topic navigation bar)

whutils.js

Utility file for common functions

whver.js

Determines browser version

Output files in the whgdata subfolder

File

Description

whexpbar.gif

Used to size default navigation pane width

whlstf0.htm

Body of full-text search

whlstfl0.htm

Letters for full-text search level 2

whlstg0.htm

Glossary words list

whlsti0.htm

Index words list

whlstt0.htm

Contents list part 1

whlstt1.htm

Contents list part 2

whnvf30.htm

TOC frame

whnvf31.htm

Index frame

whnvf32.htm

Full-text search frame

whnvf33.htm

Glossary frame

whnvl31.htm

Index letters level 1

whnvl32.htm

Full-text search letters level 1

whnvl33.htm

Glossary letters

whnvp30.htm

TOC navigation pane

whnvp31.htm

Index navigation pane

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File

Description

whnvp32.htm

Full-text search navigation pane

whnvp33.htm

Glossary navigation pane

whnvt30.htm

TOC tabs

whnvt31.htm

Index tabs

whnvt32.htm

Full-text search tabs

whnvt33.htm

Glossary tabs

Output files in the whxdata subfolder
The output files in !Sl!\Flashhelp\whxdata are XML data files used in Java applet and DHTML
versions of FlashHelp running on later browsers.

File

Description

whftdata0.xml

Full-text search data file

WHFTS.XML

Full-text search index data file

WHFWDATA0.XML

Full-text search keyword data

WHGDATA0.XML

Glossary definitions data file

WHGLO.XML

Glossary index data file

WHIDATA0.XML

Index data file

WHIDX.XML

Index of index data file

WHTDATA0.XML

TOC data file

WHTOC.XML

TOC index of TOC file

NOTE:Do not import FlashHelp-generated HTM output files into the project. They are used for runtime

purposes only.

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Generating output

Distribute Microsoft HTML Help
1)

Distribute the following system Help files to the developer for installation with the program
executable (EXE) file. Or, distribute the files for stand-alone use.
NOTE: Users can run stand-alone Microsoft HTML Help by double-clicking the CHM file in

Windows Explorer.
CHM
A single distributed Help system in a single Help file, in addition to any CHM files for subprojects to the master project. These child CHM files aren’t compiled into the master CHM.
HLP, CNT
If the project includes links to topics in a compiled WinHelp file, distribute the HLP and CNT
files. They are not compiled into the master CHM file
2)

The application developer distributes the following support files, depending on the features
used in the project and the versions of Windows that users have.
•

Microsoft HTML Help Support Files Built-in components.

•

HHActiveX.DLL is an Adobe ActiveX control that provides support for online glossaries
and browse sequences. Install and register the HHActiveX.DLL file on user systems.
Copy this file from C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\RoboHTML
into the same folder as the CHM.

•

If the Help system includes third-party ActiveX controls, install and register the component support files for the user systems. Users copy the ActiveX control files into a custom
folder, placing the path for the alternate folder before the .ocx or .dll extension, and then
register the files.

NOTE: The Adobe licensing agreement lets you redistribute Microsoft HTML Help and Internet

Explorer files with the HTML Help output.
Register ActiveX controls
If the project provides ActiveX controls, provide these instructions to users so they can register the
controls that you distribute with the Help system.
1)

Click Start and type cmd in the search box.

2)

In the search results, right-click cmd.exe in the Programs list and click Run as administrator
in the pop-up menu.
NOTE: If you get the User Account Control prompt, click Yes to continue.

3)

To register the HHActiveX.DLL file, type the following command in the command prompt,
specifying the HHActiveX.DLL path, and press Enter:

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12

regsvr32 [path] hhactivex.dll

4)

To register third-party ActiveX controls, type the following command and press Enter:

regsvr32 [activex_name.dll or activex_name.ocx]

5)

Close the command prompt window.

RELATED LINKS:
Create a project
Manage files
ActiveX controls

Distribute JavaHelp
Distribute the following files and components:
•

If the project is compressed, distribute the JAR file.

•

If the project is not compressed, distribute all source files in the output folder.

•

JavaHelp 1.1.3 or later components.

•

Java Runtime Environment file (JRE), or have users download it from the Sun website.

•

If the project contains related topics buttons, distribute the Bsscjhrs.jar file.

Output files for JavaHelp

Output File

508

Description

.HS

HelpSet file. Points to a set of map files and defines associated
navigational views (TOC, index, and search).

.JAR

Compressed JavaHelp file (optional) containing all project output.

default.css

Default cascading style sheet file applied to all project topics.

projectname_ndx.xml

Index file describing content and layout for the index view.

projectname_map.xml

Map file associating Help topic IDs to HTML files with relevant content,
and Window Types. Used in the API for context-sensitive calls, TOC,
and index.

projectname_toc.xml

TOC file describing content and layout for the TOC view.

Generating output

Distribute Oracle Help
When you generate the output, you can compress all source files into a single JAR file. The JAR file
is used for software application Help, and for distribution as a stand-alone product.
1)

Include the following components when you distribute Oracle Help:
•

If the project is compressed, the JAR file

•

If the project is not compressed, all files and subfolders in the OracleHelp output folder

•

JavaHelp 1.1.3 or later components

•

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK)

Output files for Oracle Help

File

Description

.HS

HelpSet file. Points to a set of map files and defines associated
navigational views (TOC, index, and search).

.JAR

Compressed Oracle Help file (optional) containing all project output.

default.css

Default cascading style sheet file applied to all project topics.

Projectnumber_fts.idx

Full-text search file containing the full-text search database.

Projectnumber_nd.xml

Index file describing content and layout for the index view.

Projectnumber_lnk.xml

File containing associative links (See Also controls) to topics associated
with See Also keywords.

Projectnumber_map.xml

Map file associating Help topic IDs to HTML files with relevant content,
and Window Types. Used in the API for context-sensitive calls, TOC,
and index.

Projectnumber_toc.xml

TOC file describing content and layout for the TOC view.

Distribute XML output
During generation, CSS, XSL, XML, HTM, and GIF output files are created in a subfolder in the
project folder. Other files include the following:

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Output files In XML_Output folder

Description

EHLPDHTM.JS

Contains JavaScript functions for advanced functionality

NewProject.htm

Project start page

NewProject.log

Output file that lists all necessary files

RELATED LINKS:
View output

Distribute Adobe AIR output
Distribution of Adobe AIR output depends on the output type you select.

Output type

File(s) to distribute

Required on user computers

Adobe AIR Application

AIR (.air) file generated in the output location

AIR Runtime
See Adobe AIR Runtime
Distribution

Browser Based Help

All files generated in the output folder
When distributing browser-based Help as a
standalone Help system, copy the output
folder and its contents to a CD, a server, or
any location on user systems. Let users know
the start page (HTM file) to select to view the
Help system.

Flash plug-in 9.0 or later
See Configure FlashPlayerTrust
to run local browser-based Help.

AIR Application And Browser
Based Help

Separately distribute:
AIR (.air) file generated in the output location
All files generated in the output folder

AIR Runtime
Flash plug-in 9.0 or later

Help Content Only

RHA (.rha) file generated in the output
location

AIR Runtime

Configure FlashPlayerTrust to run local browser-based Help
To run browser-based Help from a local drive, the installation folder must be added in the list of
trusted folders defined in the RoboHelp.cfg file in the FlashPlayerTrust folder.

510

1)

Select Start > Run.

2)

Type %appdata%\Macromedia\Flash
Player\#Security\FlashPlayerTrust\ and click OK.

Generating output
3)

Open the RoboHelp.cfg file in a text editor.

4)

Add the path to the local folder in which the browser-based Help files are stored.

Moderator password and configuration file path
When you distribute Adobe AIR output, make sure that you share the moderator password and
configuration file path that you specified while generating the output.
Organizations deploying the output need the password to enable moderation and allow moderators
access to the moderator dashboard.
They also need the configuration file path to save the configuration file after configuring comment
syncing and auto-update according to their preferences. If the configuration file path is relative, the
same AIR Help file can be installed in different locations with different configurations.
Configuration file attributes
Organizations deploying AIR Help can now configure commenting and auto-update according to
their preferences. Copy the default configuration file from the !SSL folder of the project to the location specified in the configuration file path and modify the default settings.
The configuration file contains the following settings:
config topicrating
Enables or disables topic rating. Valid values are yes or no.
commentsync:
Enables or disables commenting. Valid values are yes or no.
updatecommentlocation:
Specifies the path that AIR Help uses to synchronize comments when an OS-specific update
comment location is not specified.
windowsupdatecommentlocation:
Specifies the shared location on Windows computers where comments are to be stored and
synced.
macupdatecommentlocation:
Specifies the shared location on MAC OS computers where comments are to be stored and
synced.
linuxupdatecommentlocation:
Specifies the shared location on Linux computers where comments are to be stored and synced.

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12

marknewcommentsaspending
Specifies if new comments should have the status ‘Pending’ or ‘Accepted’. Valid values are yes
or no.
NOTE: Pending comments have to be moderated before users can see them.

autoupdate:
Enables or disables auto-updating. Valid values are yes or no.
windowsupdatexmllocation:
Specifies the location of the auto-update XML file on Windows computers.
macupdatexmllocation:
Specifies the location of the auto-update xml file on MAC OS computers.
linuxupdatexmllocation:
Specifies the location of the auto-update xml file on Linux computers.
updatexmllocation:
Specifies the location of the auto-update xml.
NOTE: RoboHelp checks for this attribute before checking for the OS-specific updatexmllocation
attribute. If this attribute is present, RoboHelp does not check for OS-specific updatexmllocation
attributes.

logoimage:
Specifies the location of the image file that will be used to display a logo in AIR Help.
companytext:
Specifies the company name that is displayed in the status bar of AIR Help (for example,
Powered By Adobe RoboHelp).
URL formats for Windows, Mac, and Linux
While configuring the Adobe AIR Application collaboration settings, specify the paths in the
following formats:

Windows
File on hard
disk

512

file:///C:/config.xml

Mac
file:///Applications/config.xml

Linux
file:///etc/config.xml

Generating output

File on
network
drive

Windows

Mac

Linux

file:////robohelpserver/conf
ig.xml

file:///Volumes/robohelpserver/c
onfig.xml

file:///media/robohelpserver/co
nfig.xml

About modifying the status of new comments
Authors set the status of new comments to Pending or Accepted at the time of generating Adobe AIR
output.
Users can access the settings.xml file present in the network location for storing and syncing
comments and change the default status of new comments. If the status is set to Pending, new
comments have to be moderated. Otherwise, new comments are accepted without moderation and
displayed to users.

Printed documents
About printed documents
Online output and printed documents share source files. Similarly, you can generate PDF files and
print documents from the same source files.
Organize and customize content
Design a printed document based on only part of the project or the entire project. Determine where
topics go in the document by arranging the pages and books during generation. Base printed document structure on the project TOC or select topics from custom folders in the Project Manager.
Map project styles to Word
Control how styles are used in printed documents with style mapping. Copy project styles directly
to a Word document. Any applied project style retains the style in Word. You can alternatively skip
style mapping and use topic styles.
Types of Word documents to create
Individual documents
Separate Word files for the title page, table of contents, glossary, and index. A separate document is also created for each root-level book (chapter) and page in the printed table of contents.
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12

Master document
An optional document that links to the individual documents. Familiarity with master documents in Word is recommended. Do not edit this file; it contains only field codes referencing
the documents. Do not use a master document for large manuals.
Single document
One Word file containing the title page, TOC, chapters, glossary, and index.
Printed document structure
•

Books and pages at the root level of the printed document begin a new chapter.

•

Subbooks and pages that are not at the root level of the printed document continue uninterrupted.

•

Pages that link to a destination other than a topic are not available to use in the printed document.

•

Organize sections of the printed documentation output in the Section Layout dialog box.

Conversion of online features
RoboHelp converts many common project features. It removes others, including ActiveX controls,
borders, Dynamic HTML, headers and footers, JavaScript, link controls, and topic borders. The
following table provides conversion details for specific features.

Feature

514

Conversion notes

Bullets and numbering

Converted (except image bullets).

Conditional build tags

Topics and topic content that are excluded with
conditional build tags and expressions are
removed.

Drop-down hotspots and expanding hotspots

If specified, expanding text and drop-down text
appears inline. Map a style to hotspots so that
they look different from the other text.

Expanding glossary hotspots

Selecting expanding text and drop-down text in
the printed output converts and displays inline.
Map a style to hotspots so that they look different
from the other text.

Font sets

Word uses the first font. If the first font does not
exist, Word creates a default font.

Generating output

Feature

Conversion notes

Forms

Converted to HTML in Word. Third-party forms
are removed from documents.

Images

Specify whether you want to place or embed
images. Placed images are included in an images
folder in the output folder. Embed images if you
want to place them within the document. Images
can be included in headings, and then they also
appear in the printed TOC.

Marquees

Converted as text in Word.

Positioned text boxes

Converted and placed at the end of the document
or the bottom of the page.

Shading

Fills but not patterns are converted.

Text boxes

Converted and resized to fit text only.

Page setup
RoboHelp assigns default page settings to the printed documentation in Microsoft Word.
Body page settings
Starting Page
All documents start on an odd-numbered page. If the document ends on an odd-numbered
page, a blank page is added at the end of the document. The blank page lacks a header, footer,
or page number.
Headers
Headers repeat at the top of each page and are blank on the first page of sections. The name of
the document appears on even-numbered pages, left-justified. The name of the root chapter
appears on odd-numbered pages, right-justified.
Footers
Footers repeat at the bottom of each page and contain page numbers. Page numbers are
left-justified on even-numbered pages and right-justified on odd-numbered pages.
Page Numbers
Page numbers are located in footers and are generally Arabic (1, 2, 3, and so on). The TOC
document uses lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, and so on).

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Additional settings
To create Microsoft Word documents, note the following details for the source files and set them up
accordingly.
Title page
•

The title page uses settings from the document.

•

Specify a default title page when you generate the printed documentation.

•

The name of the document (which appears on the title page) is the printed document name you
define in the Print Document General dialog box. This dialog box appears when you
double-click the Printed Documentation layout.

•

The header and footer are blank.

•

The title page contains no page number.

•

The title page document uses the style TitlePageTitle that is copied to the Word document.

•

When you add the file, copy it to the project folder if you want RoboHelp to generate a copy in
the output folder.

Table of contents
•

The TOC is based on the heading levels of topic titles and the printed document structure hierarchy. You can define the printed document structure in the Print Document Content dialog
box.
NOTE: You can also create a TOC from the Project Manager. Right-click a topic in the TOC pod,
and choose Auto-Create TOC. Topics from the Project Manager are automatically promoted or
demoted in heading style depending on their placement in the printed document structure.

•

Most TOCs have multiple levels of headings, showing a hierarchy, or structure, of information
to help users find information more quickly.

•

TOC 1 – 9 are the styles used for TOC entries.

•

Table Of Contents Page Title is the style used for the title of the TOC.

•

Page numbers for the TOC document are lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, and so on).

•

The filename is Chapter_00_Table_Of_Contents.doc.

Chapters

516

•

Chapter files contain the topics you specified in the Print Document Content dialog box.
Root-level topics and books create new documents (except if you select the Single Document
option when you generate).

•

Page numbers for chapter documents are Arabic (1, 2, 3, and so on).

Generating output
•

The filename is Chapter_{##}_{Book or Page Name}.doc.

Glossary
•

The glossary is based on the terms and definitions in the project. If no terms and definitions
exist in the project, a glossary document is not generated.

•

The glossary document uses three styles that are copied to the Word document:

Glossary Heading
The style used for the header letters (A, B, and so on). If the project has a specified language,
the header letters are localized in that language.
Glossary Label
The style used for the glossary terms.
Glossary Definition
The style used for glossary definitions. Definitions appear on the same line as terms, with a
hanging indent for subsequent lines.
•

Page numbers for the glossary document are Arabic (1, 2, 3, and so on).

•

By default, the filename is Chapter_{##}_Glossary.doc. ## is the number after the last chapter
number.

Index
•

The index is based on the keywords and subkeywords in the project. Topic keywords are
included only if the associated topics are generated in the output.

•

Index styles are based on the style Index Heading and Index 1-9 in the Word template you select
for the printed documentation.

•

By default, the index is indented with two columns. If the project has a specified language, the
header letters are localized in that language.

•

Page numbers for the index document are Arabic (1, 2, 3, and so on).

•

The filename is Chapter_{##}_Index.doc. ## is the number after the glossary chapter number.
If the document contains no glossary, it is the number after the last chapter number.

Accessory pages
•

An accessory page, such as an acknowledgment, appendix, foreword, or copyright, retains its
original formatting.

•

When you add the file, you can copy it to the project folder. A copy is also generated in the
output folder.

•

Add new sections using the Section Layout dialog box.

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12

Images
You can handle images in these ways:
Embed In Documents
Keep images within the document. Embedding images creates larger DOC files that are not
dependent on outside image files.
Link To Documents
Reference the images outside the document (creates smaller DOC files that reference outside
image files). Image files are copied and stored in the Images folder in the printed document
output folder.
TIP:Images in heading styles are removed. Change settings to include images in headings.

Organize and customize document content
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click Printed Documentation.

2)

In Printed Document General, set general options for the printed document.

Name
Specify the name of the document. This name is used in the document headers and on the title
page.
Location
Specify the path for Word documents. PDF documents also are saved to this location. Creates
the printed documentation files under !SSL!\[layout name] in the project folder. Click the
Browse button to browse to a different folder. Click OK.
NOTE:Printed Word documentation supports both DOC and DOCX formats.

PDF Settings
Set PDF properties.
Settings
Select options for document files creation.
Generate Individual Documents
Create a separate Word file for each chapter and section of the document. A chapter is any
book or page at the root level of the TOC specified in the Print Document Content dialog box.
Generate A Single Document
Create one Word file that contains the title page, TOC, chapters, glossary, and index.
NOTE:If Generate Individual Documents is selected, click Create Master Document to

enable viewing of all documents.
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Generating output
Retain Hyperlinks
Select to retain hypertext links.
Start Each Topic On A New Page
Select to create page breaks.
Images
Set image options.
Embed In Documents
Keep images within the document.
Link To Documents
Reference the images outside the document. Image files are copied and stored in an Images
folder in the printed document output folder.
TIP:By default, images that are included in heading styles are removed. To select to

include them, click the Advanced button and select Images In TOC.
Define
Click to specify conditional build expressions.
Content
Select TOC, index, and glossary to display in the generated Help.
Variable Set
Select a variable set for the printed document.
Advanced
Specify detailed TOC, glossary, and text options.
NOTE: If you apply inline formatting to a heading, the inline style does not appear in the

document unless you select the Styles in TOC field. Note that the inline style then also
appears in the document TOC.
In your printed documents, you can also print the header and footer.
3)

To apply the header and footer to the printed document, select a master page to apply the
header/footer to the whole document.

4)

To apply multiple header footer combinations, such as for left and right pages, click Multiple
Header/Footer and in the Multiple Header Footer Options dialog:
•

BULLET_ITEM

•

BULLET_ITEM

•

BULLET_ITEM

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12

5)

To restart page numbering on the first page of your print output’s first chapter, select Restart
Page Numbering on First Chapter.

6)

Click Next.

7)

In Print Document Content, under Topics, click the pop-up menu to display and select topics.

Show All Topics
Displays all topics regardless of conditional build tags.
TOC
Displays all topics in TOC
Folder buttons
To show topics in the Project Manager pod, select the folder button for a custom folder, a Top
Level Folder, or All Folders. (View topics by title or filename.)
8)

Under Topics, select the topics to add and design the TOC.
Select Maintain HTML Heading Levels to disable automatic mapping. Heading style levels are
retained. If the printed document structure does not match the structure in the Chapter Layout
column, rework it in Word.
Drag and drop topics from the left to the right. The topic icon on the left turns blue to indicate
that the topic is added.
Topics excluded in the General dialog box using conditional build tags have a gray icon in the
Chapter Layout column.
Missing topics are displayed with a broken page icon

9)

.

Under Chapter layout, edit or reorganize the content.
To add a new book, click the New Chapter button. To move a book or page, click the arrow
buttons.

Moves an item to a higher level in the TOC.
Moves an item to a lower level in the TOC.
Moves up an item up in the TOC.
Moves an item down in the TOC.

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Generating output
10) Click Next to set the section layout for the document.
The Section Layout column displays the default sections. You can remove a section, and add
topics or existing Word documents as new sections. You can also reorder the sections.

Click to remove a section.
Select a topic in the left column and click this icon to add the topic as a section.
Click to add a Word document as a section. Locate the file, select it, and click Open.
Click to edit in Word if the selected section is a Word document. The changes are included in
the printed document.
Use the arrow buttons to position a section in the printed document.
11) Do one of the following:
•

Select Next to map styles.

•

Save changes.

•

Select Finish to generate. When the PrintDoc.dot macro message displays, click Disable
Macros to continue. When the PrintDoc.dot macro message displays, click Disable
Macros to continue.

Notes:
•

All Microsoft Word documents must be closed.

•

Document content changes do not affect TOCs.

•

TOCs updated in the TOC Composer do not affect the chapter layout.

•

To use the updated TOC, click Remove All. Then click Add All.

Prepare for printed documents

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12

Printed document organization
•

Before generating, print a Table of Contents Report. Choose Tools > Reports > TOC. Place a
check mark next to the topics for the printed document so that you can easily identify them
when the document is generated.

•

For large documents (over 700-800 pages), create individual documents. Place more books at
the root level in the printed document structure to create more DOC files. Otherwise, the
printed document includes only several large files.

Styles and formatting
Ensure that both project styles and template styles are ready for generating.
Apply styles to all topic text
Inline formatting does not map to styles in Word and is converted as inline formatting.
Embedded styles do not map into Word. They are converted to inline styles. If any topics use
embedded styles, link an external style sheet to the topic and apply styles to the text.
Apply styles to topic headings
To treat topics as separate sections instead of continuing text, ensure that all topic headings have a
Heading Style. Also place them at the root level of the printed document structure.
If a custom heading does not use the RoboHelp heading style names in the format Heading[number],
the topic doesn’t appear in the TOC. To solve this problem, modify one of the RoboHelp heading
styles with settings from the custom heading style.
Use styles consistently
Printed documentation maps styles in the project to styles in Word.
Select a template
•

Custom template

•

RoboHelp Style Mapping.dot template

•

A Word default template

Add new styles to the template
Analyze project styles to see how they map to Word. Create new styles as necessary. Consider the
following:

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Generating output
Character styles
Styles can be mapped only to template styles of the same type. Create a matching character style
before generating. Mapping is easier when template and project style names match. For
example, create Word character styles.
Conditional text
Define conditional build expressions to exclude topics or topic content from printed documentation. Excluded topics are denoted with a gray question mark icon in the Print Document Content
dialog box.
RELATED LINKS:
Define conditional build tag expressions

Single-source layouts
Use with conditional build tags to customize output and save the settings.
Share style mappings from a printed documentation layout with other authors to ensure consistency. Import style mappings (ZPL file) into the project, or export mappings to another location.

Mapping styles
Mapped styles
Non-mapped styles are formatted as they appear in the Design Editor. Style maps are saved in a ZPL
file.
Heading styles
For heading mapping to occur, a standard HTML heading style must be applied to topic titles. If
custom heading styles aren’t named in the format Heading <number>, they are not treated as headings.
Heading styles are automatically mapped to Word heading styles. To disable automatic mapping,
select Maintain HTML Heading Levels in the Print Document Content dialog box. Heading style
levels are retained, regardless of their position in the Print Document Content dialog box.
RoboHelp considers the RoboHelp project style applied to the heading and the placement of the
topic in the printed TOC hierarchy.
Generating a printed document TOC exactly like the project TOC creates Word documents with
identical heading styles and an identical TOC hierarchy. When the hierarchy of the TOC changes,
the automatic process takes over and assigns heading levels.

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12

•

Books and pages at the root level are always Heading 1. If the project heading style is lower
(such as a Heading 2), it is adjusted up.

•

Books and pages with Headings 2 – 6 are adjusted according to their level in the printed document structure and their project heading style. Different project heading styles are adjusted as
needed.

•

Books and pages with Headings 7 – 9 are automatically mapped to Word Headings 7 – 9 styles.

•

Books that link to pages are treated like topics.

RoboHelp makes these heading adjustments when it creates the printed document TOC.
Paragraph styles
Paragraph styles can be mapped only to paragraph styles in Word. They apply to font attributes, line spacing, numbering, and borders and shading.
Character styles
Character styles can be mapped only to character styles in Word. They apply to font attributes.
Multi-level list styles
Multi-level list styles in RoboHelp can be mapped only to multi-level list styles in Word. The
individual levels of the multi-level lists are mapped automatically. For example, the style for the
level 3 items in the RoboHelp list are mapped automatically to the style for the level 3 items in
the list in Word.
Table styles
Table styles in RoboHelp can be mapped only to table styles in Word.
Embedded styles
Embedded styles that are not defined in the external style sheet are applied inline in the Word
document. They are not available for global use.
Inline styles
Inline styles are applied inline in the Word document and are not available for global use in the
template.
Unmapped styles
The following styles aren’t available for mapping:
•

Background + Text (BODY). These style settings are applied inline.

•

Heading styles.

Unmapped styles denoted by Unassigned - Use Style In Project in the Print Document Appearance
dialog box are added to the Word document. This style has the same attributes as the project style.

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Generating output
To access the Print Document Appearance dialog box, double-click a printed documentation layout
in the Single Source Layouts pod, and click Next three times.
Style naming
Mapped template styles retain the name of the Word template style.
Styles that RoboHelp adds
Duplicate styles
If the project has multiple style sheets with duplicate style names, the most frequently used style is
mapped.
Map styles
1)

Double-click Printed Documentation in the Single Source Layouts pod, and click Next until
Print Document Appearance appears.
Project styles appear on the left. Matching template styles appear on the right. If a matching
style is not found, you see [Unassigned - Use style in project]. Heading styles, which are
mapped automatically, are not listed.

2)

Under Microsoft Word Template, select a template already in the project or another template
option from the pop-up menu.

(None) Use The Project's CSS Styles
Formats from topics, not from a template.
Use Microsoft Word Templates
In the Select Template File dialog box, open a template. Choose copy to the project folder or
overwrite an existing template. Click Yes to enable quick access to the template. To share the
template with other authors and maintain it in one location, click No.
Style Mapping. dot
Uses default template.
Browse
NOTE:If the template you select has the same name as one of the default Word templates,

_RHT is added to the custom template name.
3)

Under Project’s CSS Styles, select a project style to map to a template style. A sample of the
selected style is displayed underneath Preview.

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12

Project’s CSS Styles (All)
Displays all styles in the project.
Project’s CSS Styles (Used Only)
Displays only the styles used in the project.
Character
Preview the font attributes of a style.
Paragraph
Preview the font attributes and spacing of a style.
Description
Preview a text description of a style.
4)

Under Microsoft Word Template Styles, select the pop-up menu to display template styles.

Microsoft Word Styles (All)
Displays all styles in the template including Word defaults.
Microsoft Word Styles (User Defined)
Displays only user-defined styles.
NOTE:Styles must be mapped to other styles of the same type. For example, character to character,

paragraph to paragraph, table to table, and multi-level list to multi-level list.
5)

Select a style, and map all desired project styles, selecting them from the pop-up menu of the
selected Microsoft Word style.

6)

Map all desired project styles.

7)

Click Finish to generate.

8)

When the macros message appears, click Always Trust Macros From This Publisher. Then
click Enable Macros. Printed documentation files appear under !SSL!\[layout name] in the
project folder.

9)

Click View Result to view the output, or click Done.
Microsoft Word opens the document. Depending on the settings selected, the TOC, master
document, or a single document is displayed.

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Export style maps
Ensure that the project styles are all mapped to the same Word template styles.
1)

Open the project.

2)

Create a printed documentation layout.

3)

Map the styles. Save the settings.

4)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the layout containing the style map to export.
Select Export Preferences.

5)

Browse to the destination for the style map. Click Save.

Import style maps
Share style maps to ensure that the project styles are all mapped to the same Word template styles.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the printed documentation layout. Select Import
Preferences.

2)

Browse to the exported style map (.zpl file).

3)

Select Open.
•

If the template associated with the style map is not in the project, select Yes to copy it to
the project folder.

When you generate output, the imported style map is used.
4)

To edit the style map after it is imported, right-click the layout. Select Properties. Set options
and click Next for each screen of the Properties dialog box.

5)

Click Save.

Generate PDFs
PDFs retain links, bookmarks, formatting, graphics, fonts, special characters, and colors.
Generate a PDF
1)

Open the project.

2)

Click Output> Generate > PDF Output.

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Generate a PDF with setup options
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the printed documentation layout.

2)

In the Output Format area, select Generate Adobe PDF.

3)

Click PDF Settings. Set options.

4)

Select options on each screen to set up the chapter layout, the section layout, and the styles.
Click Next to progress through the screens.

5)

Click Finish.

6)

(Optional) Click View Result.

Generate printed documents
You can create printed documentation and single-source layouts, and generate PDF files simultaneously with printed documents.
If no template is used, every document retains the formatting used inside the topics.
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click the printed documentation layout.

2)

Select options in the Print Document General dialog box. For details on adding headers and
footers, see Add headers and footers to printed documents.

3)

Arrange the document structure in the Print Document Content dialog box.

4)

Map Microsoft Word styles in the Print Document Appearance dialog box.

5)

Copy hand-coded or added files to another location before generating the layout.

6)

Click View Result.

By default, printed documentation files are created under !SSL!\[layout name] in the project folder.
Templates are saved in the root project folder.
Notes:

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•

Some list items do not convert properly when generating printed documents with 1500 or
more list items without Microsoft Office 2000 SP-2 or later installed.

•

If you see the following error message, change the macro security settings in Microsoft Word:
“The Word VBA macro version registered is incorrect. Please reinstall printed documeation.”
a)

Open the Trust Center Settings:

•

In Word 2007, click the Office button > Word options > Trust Center > Trust Center
Settings.

•

In Word 2010, click File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

b)

Change Macro Settings to Enable all macros and then click OK.

Generating output
c)

Now generate the printed documentation output from RoboHelp HTML.

Add headers and footers to printed documents
You can choose to add headers and footers in the printed output of a document.
IMPORTANT:To add headers and footers to printed documentation, you need to first add the header

and footer in the master pages of the document. For details see, Adding headers and footers for printed
documentation.
To add headers and footers:
1)

To generate a printed output, see Generate printed documents.

2)

In the Print Document General dialog box, to apply the header and footer setting to the entire
document, select a master page from the Header / Footer drop-down list.

3)

To apply multiple header footer combinations, such as for left and right pages, click Multiple
Header/Footer.

4)

In the Multiple Header Footer Options dialog:
•

To apply a combination of different header footer master pages to first, even and odd
pages of one or more sections in the print output:

a)

Select one or more sections.

b)

Select the master pages for first, even, and odd pages in the drop-down menus.

c)

Click OK.

d)

Repeat the steps to apply master pages to other sections.

•

To apply a combination of different header footer master pages to first, even and odd
pages of all the sections in the print output:

a)

Ensure only one section is selected.

b)

Select the master pages for first, even, and odd pages in the drop-down menus.

c)

Click Apply to All Sections.

d)

Click OK.

•

To apply the same header and footer to all the pages of one or more sections in the print
output:

a)

Select one or more sections.

b)

Select the master page for first page in pop-up menu.

c)

Click Apply to All Page Types.

d)

Click OK.
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Generating output

12

•

To apply the same header and footer to all the pages of all the sections in the print output:

a)

Ensure only one section is selected.

b)

Select the master page for first page in pop-up menu.

c)

Click Apply to All Page Types.

d)

Click Apply to All Sections.

5)

To restart page numbering on the first page of first chapter of your print output, select Restart
Page Numbering on First Chapter.

6)

Click OK.

7)

Click Save and Generate.

Specify default printer options
You can configure the default printer settings from within RoboHelp. The options that are available
vary according to the selected printer.
NOTE: The settings you specify affect how documents print in other Windows applications.

Settings include:
Paper Size
Specifies the size of the paper.
Paper Source
Specifies the location of paper in the printer. Options vary according to the printer. Examples
of paper source are upper tray and envelope feed.
Orientation
Specifies if the orientation is Portrait or Landscape.
Margins
Specifies left, right, top, and bottom margins in inches.

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Skins
About skins
Use skins to change the appearance of Adobe AIR, WebHelp, and FlashHelp systems. Skins apply to
the left side of a window and the toolbar across the top of the output. Customize the Help system by
changing colors, buttons, fonts, and icons, and by adding backgrounds and logos.
RoboHelp includes predefined skins in the RoboHelp Skins Gallery.

Edit skins
Follow this procedure to edit WebHelp and AIRHelp skins from within RoboHelp. Changes to skin
properties take effect the next time you generate using the skin. If you localize a project, default skin
text is translated using the project language setting. If you edit skin text, RoboHelp overrides
customizations in the LNG file.
NOTE: FlashHelp skins are edited with FlashHelp Skin Development Kit. See Customize FlashHelp

skins.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Skins folder.

2)

Right-click a skin. Select Edit.

3)

Depending on the skin type, WebHelp Skin Editor or Adobe AIR Help Skin Editor launches.
Set options, as needed.
NOTE: Some options aren’t available, depending on the output type.

4)

Click OK.

5)

Click Update View to view changes in the dialog box. Click Preview to view the changes in a
separate window.

•

Use URL icons for website links, or use folder icons instead of book icons.

•

To use TOC icons that are a different color, browse to the Image Gallery. The gallery is in
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\
RoboHTML\gallery\images\Books_and_Pages. You can also edit the image color in a graphics
editor.

•

When generating a project with custom toolbar items, select the custom button in the Navigation dialog box.

•

To remove a button from a skin without deleting the image file, clear the option when you
generate the project. Do not clear it in the WebHelp Skin Editor.

Tips:

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12

•

Additional files, such as image files or JavaScript files for buttons, reside in the Project
Folder\!SkinSubFolder!\<Skin Name>. The skins reside in separate subfolders in the !SkinSubFolder! folder.

•

To specify a script that uses other files (such as HTML files or image files), copy these files to
the skin subfolder under !Skinsubfolder!.

RELATED LINKS:
Create custom skins for WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects
Create custom skins for Adobe AIR projects

Add skins to the gallery
Store or reuse skins across projects by adding them to Skins Gallery.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Skins folder.

2)

Right-click a skin. Select Add To Gallery.

Import skins
When you import Adobe AIR AHS files, WebHelp SKN files, or FlashHelp FHS files, all associated
files are added to the skins subfolder. You can also import a compressed AHZ (for Adobe AIR), ZKN
(for WebHelp), or FHZ (for FlashHelp) file.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click the Skins folder. Select Import.

2)

Navigate to a skin file or a compressed skin file.

3)

Select the file. Click Open.

4)

(Optional) Type a name and filename for the skin.

5)

Click OK.

You can select this skin the next time you generate output.

Export skins
Exporting a skin saves it as a compressed file that contains the skin and its associated files.

532

1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Skins folder.

2)

Right-click a skin. Select Export.

3)

Navigate to the location for the exported skin. Click Save.

Generating output

Delete skins
1)

2)

Do one of the following:
•

To delete a skin from the project, select it in the Skins folder in the Output Setup pod.

•

To delete a skin from the gallery, select the skin in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\RoboHTML\Sqskinsext\Gallery.

Press Delete.

Preview skins
You can preview skins for WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, and FlashHelp Pro projects.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Skins folder. Select a skin.

2)

In the toolbar, click the View button

.

Compile skins
Each template for the Adobe AIR layout has an associated style sheet called exStyle.css. You can
locate this file in [Project folder]\!SkinSubFolder!\[skin name] and directly modify the styles in a text
editor.
TIP:RoboHelp stores the default exStyle.css file in [Install folder]\AIRHelpExt\skins\[skin name]\Skin-

Template. Refer to the comments in this file while editing a style sheet.
After you modify the style sheet, compile the CSS file to generate a SWF file.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Skins folder.

2)

Right-click a skin. Select Compile.

Create custom skins for Adobe AIR projects
Adobe AIR Help Skin Editor helps you create and edit skins for Adobe AIR projects.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click the Skins folder. Select New Skin.

2)

Do one of the following:
•

Select Create Skin From Gallery. Click OK. Click the Adobe AIR tab. Select a skin. Click
OK.
NOTE: Adobe AIR project skins are associate with templates. So selecting a skin also means

selecting the template with which the skin is associated.

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Generating output
•
3)

12

Select Create Custom Adobe AIR Skin. Select a template and specify a skin name. Click
OK.

In Adobe AIR Help Skin Editor, fine-tune the palette, the font style, and the icon set.

Fine-tune the palette
Select a palette from the available palettes and fine-tune it by changing the colors of various parts of
the template. Use the Hue, Saturation, and Contrast values to make finer adjustments.
1)

In Available Palettes, click a palette. Use the Next and Previous buttons to browse through
palettes available in RoboHelp Gallery.

2)

Change the background colors to customize the palette. Do any of the following:
•

Move the pointer over each background color. The preview shows where the color is
used.

•

Click a background color and select another color from the color picker.

•

Adjust hue, saturation, and contrast with the sliders. Selecting the check box below a
background color lets you adjust the hue, saturation, and contrast for only that color.

NOTE: You can save a customized palette in the gallery. Specify a name for the customized palette

in the Selected Palette box and click Save. You can also remove customized palettes by deleting
the XML file from %Application Data%\Adobe\RoboHTML\[version]\AIRSkinEditor\ColorThemes.
Modify font properties
Font properties include font type and font color.
1)

Select a font from the drop-down list in Font Properties.

2)

Style 1
Sets the font of text displayed on the header, footer, and main taskbar.

Style 2
Sets the font of disabled and mouseovertext.
Style 3
Sets the font of pod text.
Customize icons
Each template includes an icon set. You can change the icon set and edit the icon set by replacing
existing icons with new icons. You cannot add or delete icons from an icon set.
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Generating output
While replacing icons, maintain the default icon dimensions for best results. For example, if the
dimensions of the default Add Comment button are 16x16, make sure that the new image has the
same dimensions.
NOTE: Supported file types for icons are .jpg, .gif, and .png.

•

To change the icon set, click Select New Set. Select an icon set from the drop-down list and click
Select.

•

To edit the current icon set, click Edit Current Set. Select the icon you want to customize. Click
Browse and select the image file that contains the new icon. Click Apply after you have replaced
the image for each icon state.

NOTE: If you cancel editing the skin after selecting a new icon set or applying changes to icons, these

changes are not canceled.

Create custom skins for WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects
The custom skin is saved as an SKN file to [Project folder]\!SkinSubFolder!\[skin name].
If you create a custom skin from a gallery skin, the gallery skin remains unchanged.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click the Skins folder. Select New Skin.

2)

Do one of the following:

3)

•

Select Create Custom WebHelp Skin. Click OK.

•

Select Create Skin From Gallery. Click OK. Select a skin. (Optional) Click Preview to
view the selected skin.

Click the Toolbar tab. Set options, as needed:
NOTE: Some options aren’t available, depending on the output type.

Main
Lists items that appear on the main toolbar.
Add custom toolbar item
On the Action tab, define a link or a script for the button:
Link
Link the button to a URL. Type the path or click the Browse button to browse to it. Linked
files are copied to the skins folder (ProjectName\!SkinSubFolder!\YourSkin).
For JavaScript, specify the function calls for these actions:
Onload
Specify a function to call when the page containing the button is loaded (MyFunction())

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12

OnMouseOver
Specify the function to call when the pointer is over the button.
OnClick
Specify the function to call when the button is clicked.
Under Advanced, add or remove dependent files for the custom toolbar item when using the
multi-author feature.
Dependencies
Lists the dependent files already added. Click Add to specify the name of another dependent
file.
Add
Browse to the location of a dependent file. Click OK. External files are copied to the project
folder automatically.
Remove
Remove a dependent file from the Dependencies list. An image in the custom toolbar cannot
be removed. Files are removed only from the RoboHelp software, not from the hard disk.
Inline JavaScript
Write function definitions for custom button functions in the project.
External JavaScript File
Browse for and select the file.
Remove custom toolbar item
Click to delete a selected custom toolbar item.
Contents, Index, Search, Glossary
Select the button to change and click the Edit button
image on the button.

to edit the button text or to place an

Search Input
Double-click to edit the field that appears in the toolbar and the Search pane. The button
options apply to both the toolbar and the Search pane. The Caption and the Text Box Width
apply to the toolbar only. The box can be from 10 to 40 characters wide.
About
Select and click Edit to change which image is displayed in the upper right of the main toolbar.
Specify an About Button image, which is copied to the Skins folder. Then specify the following
information, as needed for the output format:

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Generating output
Image
Select an image to display at the left of the About box.
Company
Enter the company name, which is displayed below the logo. This text is a hypertext link to a
URL specified under URL.
Copyright
Enter a copyright notice.
URL
Enter a web address for the company website.
Title Image
Specify an image to display at the top of the About box. Keep the image smaller than 211 by 60
pixels.
Author
Identify the system or give more information to users.
E-mail
Enter the e-mail address of the author.
Navigation Bar
Modify the items directly under the main toolbar

,

.

Previous Topic, Next Topic, Sync TOC, and Hide Navigation Component
Select the item to change and click Edit to change the image for the button.
The Previous and Next buttons let users move back and forward through a series of topics you
define in browse sequences. You can change the image shown for the buttons when they are
enabled and disabled. Enabled indicates that the user can click the button for more topics.
Disabled indicates that no topics exist in that direction.
You can change the image for the Sync TOC button. When you generate, select Synchronize
TOC (Manually) to ensure that the button appears on the navigation bar.
NOTE:The Hide Navigation Component button does not appear in all versions of Netscape
Navigator when the output uses a skin.

4)

Click the Navigation tab. Click the browse buttons
settings as needed:

to select images, and specify other

NOTE: The toolbar is automatically resized to accommodate images. Images are tiled in back-

grounds for the content and label region backgrounds.

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12

Topic/Page
Select an image for TOC topics.
Remote URL
Select an image for links not in the project.
Background Image
Select an image to use in the background of the content region. The images are tiled.
Hover Color
Select the color that is displayed when the mouse is hovered over the topic.
5)

Click OK.

6)

To rename the selected skin, right-click, select Rename, and type a name in the Name box.
NOTE:You cannot rename skins in the gallery.

7)

Click Update View to view changes in the dialog box. Click Preview to view the changes in a
separate window.

8)

Click OK. Type a name and filename for the skin, including the .skn extension.
You can use the skin the next time you generate output.

TIP:To share a skin file (SKN) with others, define all customizable elements of the skin beforehand so

that other authors can include or exclude certain elements when they generate output.

Customize FlashHelp skins
You can customize FlashHelp skins by replacing elements in an existing skin with elements from
another skin. If you’re a skilled Flash developer, you also can create a skin with Adobe Flash or the
RoboHelp Skin Development Kit.
The SDK includes instructions for using the kit and tips and tricks.
Customize or create a skin with Flash
Use an existing compressed skin file (FHZ) from the RoboHelp Skin Gallery or create one.

538

1)

Download the Flash SDK from www.adobe.com/go/learn_rh_flash_sdk_en and make changes
to the skin.

2)

When finished with skin editing, share the compressed skin file (optional). Then, import the
skin into the project.

3)

Preview the skin.

4)

When generating a FlashHelp layout, select the skin from the FlashHelp Options dialog box.

Generating output
Modify the skin without Flash
FlashHelp skins are composed of Flash skin files (SWF files). Each SWF file is used for different skin
elements, such as toolbar buttons and icons. Use Windows Explorer to replace individual SWF files
in an existing skin with the SWF files of another.
1)

Ensure that the project contains all the skins to use by importing them.

2)

Navigate to !Skinsubfolder!\[skin name].

3)

Open the skin subfolder that contains the SWF files to copy.

4)

Right-click the SWF file and select Copy.

5)

Open the skin subfolder containing the SWF files to replace.

6)

Paste and replace the files.

7)

In RoboHelp, when you generate the project, select the newly modified skin in the FlashHelp
Properties dialog box. When project generation has finished, click View Result to test the skin.

Select and preview WebHelp or FlashHelp skins from the Skin gallery
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, double-click a FlashHelp layout.

2)

Click Gallery.

3)

Select a skin. Click Preview to view it. Then click OK to select it.

4)

Click Finish to generate the FlashHelp output.

The skin is added to the project and appears in the Skins project subfolder with a Flash icon

.

FlashHelp vertical-style skins
In vertical-style skins, toolbar icons have tool tips. Tool tips appear when the mouse hovers over the
button.
Prefix the names of these skins with “Vertical,” such as Vertical-Breeze.
NOTE:Vertical-style skins do not have a Search field in the toolbar.

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12

Example of vertical-style skins

Windows
RoboHelp supports WebHelp and FlashHelp windows for use with the context-sensitive Help API.

Create or edit windows
NOTE: This procedure applies to Multiscreen HTML5, Adobe AIR, WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp,

FlashHelp Pro, and HTML Help.
1)

Do one of the following:
•

540

In the Output Setup pod (Output > Open > Output Setup), right-click the Windows
folder. Select New Window and select the type of layout for which you want to create the
window.

Generating output
NOTE: The layout must be present in your project.

•

Click the Create a new window icon on the Output Setup toolbar and select the window
type from the drop-down menu.

•

To create a window for the primary layout, click New Window under Windows in the
Output Setup pod.

2)

Type a name and caption in the text boxes.

3)

Set options. Many of the options are common to all the output types.

Placement
To change placement visually, point and click inside the sample window. To change size visually, point to a border in the sample window. To use exact measurements, in Placement, enter
values in Top and Left for the position (percent of the browser window). To resize, enter values
in Height and Width.
Windows To Display
Selected windows appear in the preview area of the upper-left corner.
4)

Select the options specific to WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro.

5)

Click OK.

TIP:For JavaHelp and Oracle Help projects, set navigation pane options when you generate output.

RELATED LINKS:
Specify the primary layout

WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, FlashHelp Pro Options
In addition to the standard Window Properties options, WebHelp Pro provides the following
options. In WebHelp Pro and FlashHelp Pro, you can view settings after the project is published to
the server.
Buttons
Click the up and Down Arrows to change button order as the buttons appear in the browser.
Select the buttons to include. You can customize these buttons or add new buttons using skins.
Set As Default
Click to set the selected button as the default. Contents is the default.
WebSearch
Displays the WebSearch button. This button is available only if enabled in the project.

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12

Browse Sequences
Enables support of browse sequences if you created them. The window contains Previous and
Next buttons. Use skins to customize them.
Search Input Field In Toolbar
Adds the Search button to the toolbar. Use skins to customize the Search Input Field.
Use Default Browser Settings
Select to use the user default browser size, toolbars, placement, and other properties. When
deselected, the standard browser toolbar, menu, location bar, and status bar are available.
Resizable
Selecting this option lets users resize the window. This setting is available when used with the
context-sensitive Help API.
View
Select One Pane to display the topic pane. Select Two Pane to also display the navigation pane.
HTML options
In addition to the standard Window Properties options, HTML Help provides the following options:
Buttons
(HTML Help) Select buttons to display.

Button

542

Description

Hide/Show

Opens and closes the navigation pane.

Back

Opens the previous topic.

Forward

Opens the next topic in a pre-viewed sequence.

Stop

Stops a web page form displaying.

Refresh

Updates the topic content.

Home

Shows the default web page.

Options

Opens menu access to Home, Show, Back, Stop, Refresh, Print, and Search
Highlight On/Off.

Print

From the Contents tab, prints pages, headings, and subtopics or the entire
TOC. From the Index or Search tab, opens the Print dialog box.

Generating output

Button

Description

Locate

Click to synchronize books and pages in the Contents tab with the topics in
the right pane. This option differs from Auto-synchronize TOC, which
synchronizes books and pages with topics as users view topics.

Jump1

Opens a web page, intranet site (defined with a URL) or help topic (defined
by its filename if included in the same file).

Jump 2

Opens a web page, intranet site (defined with a URL) or help topic (defined
by its filename if included in the same CHM file).

Tri-pane Tabs And Windows
Select tabs to include in the navigation pane. If you select TOC And Index and the project does
not include a TOC, the HTML help viewer does not display the Contents tab.
TOC And Index
Displays the Contents and Index tabs in the navigation pane. A navigation pane requires these
tabs. If you do not select this option, the navigation pane options are unavailable.
Favorites
Displays the Favorites tab in the navigation pane.
Glossary
Displays the Glossary tab in the navigation pane.
Search
Displays the Search tab in the navigation pane.
Adv Search
Enables users to search for topics using Wildcard and Boolean characters.
Browse Sequences
Enables support if you have created browse sequences.
Default Tab
Select the tab to display when the HTML Help project opens.
Tab Position
Select a default location for the window tabs.
Tri-pane Options
Set properties for the onscreen appearance and behavior of the panes.

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12

Hide Nav Pane On Startup
Hides the navigation pane. Click Show to open it.
Auto Synchronize TOC
Synchronizes books and pages in the Contents tab with the topic displayed in the right pane.
(For this feature to work properly, the Always Show Selection option must be active. To check
if it is active, open the single source layout and click Advanced Settings Edit. In TOC Styles,
verify that Always Show Selection is selected.) Make sure that the filenames have underscores,
not spaces.
Remember Window Size And Position
Notes the last size and position of the viewer.
Auto Show/Hide Nav Pane
Automatically hides the left pane when users switch focus from the HTML Help viewer to a
program. The topic content remains visible but the left tabs are temporarily closed from view.
These tabs appear as soon as the HTML Help viewer is clicked.
NOTE:If you select Auto Show/Hide Nav Pane, click Advanced Properties > Extended Styles,

and select Top-Most window. This option prevents the right pane from being hidden behind
the open application.
Nav Pane Width
Enter the width in pixels. The width to assign depends on the number of window tabs.
Advanced Properties
Specify advanced HTML windows properties on the Destinations, Styles, and Extended Styles
tabs. Some options require coding in the application.
Advanced window Destinations properties
Default
Assign default topic.
Home
Define the URL to display when clicking Home.
Table Of Contents
Assign an alternate contents file (.HHC).
Index
Assign an alternate index file (.HHK).
Button 1 Label
Assign a label to Button 1.
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Generating output
Custom Button 1
URL defines the destination for Button 1.
NOTE:Custom 1 button does not reference external CHM files if Internet Explorer 5.5 is installed.

Button 2 Label
Assign a label to Button 2.
Custom Button 2
URL defines the destination for Button 2.
Advanced window Styles properties
System Menu
Includes a system menu. Window style ID is WS_SYSMENU.
Minimize Box
Includes a minimize box. Window style ID is WS_MINIMIZEBOX.
Maximize Box
Includes a maximize box. Window style ID is WS_MAXIMIZEBOX.
Clip Siblings
Specifies whether the window covers other sibling windows. Window style ID is WS_CLIPSIBLINGS.
Clip Children
Specifies whether the window covers other children windows. Window style ID is WS_CLIPCHILDREN.
Vertical Scroll
Includes a vertical scroll bar. Window style ID is WS_VSCROLL.
Horizontal Scroll
Includes a horizontal scroll bar. Window style ID is WS_HSCROLL.
Popup
Uses pop-up menu windows. Window style ID is WS_POPUPWINDOWSTYLE.
Minimize
Minimizes application when window is open. Window style ID is WS_MINIMIZE.
Maximize
Maximizes application when window is open. Window style ID is WS_MAXIMIZE.

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Border
Displays border around window. Window style ID is WS_BORDER.
Dlg Frame
Displays window in a dialog frame. Window style ID is WS_DLGFRAME.
Visible
Creates a visible window. Window style ID is WS_VISIBLE.
Thick Frame
Displays window using a thick frame style. Window style ID is WS_THICKNESS.
Disabled
Disables a window so that it does not accept user input. Window style ID is WS_DISABLED.
Advanced window Extended Styles properties
Tool Window
Sets the window for use as a floating toolbar. Window style ID is WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW.
Client Edge
Creates a 3D border with a sunken edge. Window style ID is WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE.
Static Edge
Creates a 3D border for windows that does not accept input. Window style ID is WS_EX_STATICEDGE.
Transparent
Makes the window transparent. Window style ID is WS_EX_TRANSPARENT.
Accept Files
Lets the window accept drag-and-drop files. Window style ID is WS_EX_ACCEPTFILES.
Control Parent
Lets users navigate among child windows using the Tab key. Window style ID is WS_EX_CONTROLPARENT.
Context Help
Adds a clickable question mark to the title bar that changes the cursor to a question mark
pointer. Clicking in a child window then displays a WM_HELP message. Window style ID is
WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP

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Generating output
Right-to-Left Order
Displays window text using the right-to-left reading order properties. Window style ID is
WS_EX_RTLREADING.
No Parent Notify
Specifies that a child window does not send the WM_PARENTNOTIFY message to its parent
window when created or destroyed. Window style ID is WS_EX_NOPARENTNOTIFY.
Right -aligned Text
Specifies generic right-aligned properties. Window style ID is WS_EX_RIGHT.
Left Scroll Bar
Places a vertical scroll bar left of the client area. Window style ID is WS_EX_LEFTSCROLLBAR.
Top-most Window
Places the window above all non-topmost windows, even when the window is deactivated.
Applications can use the SetWindowsPos member function to change this position. Window
style ID is WS_EX_TOPMOST.
To test this feature, generate and view the CHM file. When the HTML Help viewer opens,
select a window. The viewer remains the topmost window.
Adding HTML buttons
You can add extra buttons that link to intranet, websites, and HTML pages. You can add a home
button and two jump buttons to any URL. These buttons appear at the top of the HTML Help viewer.
Add a home button
1)

In Windows Properties, click Buttons > Home.

2)

Click Advanced Properties.

3)

On the Destinations tab, in Home, enter the URL.

4)

Click OK > OK.

Add a jump button
1)

On the Windows Properties dialog box, select Button 1.

2)

Click Advanced Properties.

3)

On the Destinations tab, in the Button 1 label, enter label text for the icon displayed in the
window (optional).

4)

In Custom Button 1 URL, enter the link website address.

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5)

12

Click OK > OK.

Notes:
•

Custom windows without a navigation pane do not support custom buttons. If you select
options such as Back, Forward, or Hide/Show, these buttons do not appear when you test Help
topics.

•

Website links to custom windows must include the tri-pane design (navigation pane).

•

From the HTML Help viewer or window, Home buttons and URLs look like the following:
Home
Button 1
Button 2

Edit windows for JavaHelp and Oracle viewers
The JavaHelp viewer includes a customizable navigation pane and a content pane. To omit the navigation pane, clear the TOC, Index, and Search settings. If you do not create a TOC or index, clear the
corresponding settings.
1)

Click Project.

2)

Double-click the single-source layout.

3)

Set options for the navigation pane and in-topic navigation bar.

Options for JavaHelp viewers

Desired Result

548

Actions

Specify the location for browse sequences and
WebSearch.

Select Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right.

Specify the appearance of browse sequences or
WebSearch controls.

Select Button or Text.

Specify JavaHelp output type.

Uncompressed JavaHelp With Source Files to
create HS and individual output files.
Compressed JavaHelp to create .JAR and .HS files.
Compressed JavaHelp With Source Files to create
.JAR, HS, and individual output files.

Generating output
Options for Oracle viewers

Desired result

Action

Add (or remove) the Contents tab from the
navigation pane.

Select or clear TOC.

Add (or remove) the Index tab from the
navigation pane.

Select or clear Index.

Add (or remove) the Search tab from the
navigation pane.

Select or clear Search.

Enable WebSearch. (Select to provide access to
WebSearch from the Help viewer.)

Select WebSearc.h

Enable browse sequences (If you create browse
sequences in the project, select this feature so
functionality is available in the browser.)

Select Browse Sequences.

Specify the location for the in-topic navigation
bar.

Select Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right as
the location.

Specify the appearance of the in-topic navigation
bar.

Select Button or Text as the style.

Assign a default window
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, expand the Single Source Layouts folder.

2)

Double-click a layout that uses WebHelp Pro or HTML Help.

3)

In the Default Window menu, select the custom window.

Remove a window
1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the Windows folder.

2)

Right-click a window. Select Delete.

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Screen profiles
Screen profiles enable you to define unique screen specifications for different devices. When you add
a screen profile to the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL, RoboHelp generates optimized output for that
screen profile.
For example, if you create different screen profiles for a smartphone and a tab or an iPad and a
Samsung Galaxy Tab, you will be able to generate different output that’s optimized for these devices.
A screen profile has the following attributes:
Screen resolution
Specify a range of resolutions in pixels for devices that should map to this screen profile. For
details, see Use device pixel ratio for screen size and resolution.
NOTE: If you have created any style using the screen profile, changing the width range requires

manual updating of the style sheet. Save the screen properties and update the style sheet. For
step-by-step instructions, see Manage media queries.
Browser(s)
(Optional) Enables you to generate and display browser-specific output for devices that match
the resolution of this screen profile. For example, if an iPhone and Android phone match the
width and height range specified in this screen profile, RoboHelp looks for browser agent
information to generate and display the appropriate output. For more information about
browser agents, see Configuring Responsive HTML5 prerequisites.

Add a screen profile to a Multiscreen HTML5 SSL
By default, a Multiscreen HTML5 SSL includes a set of predefined screen profiles. If you want to add
any other screen profile that your project contains, do the following:
1)

In the Single Source Layouts pod, right-click the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL and select Properties.

2)

In the Multiscreen HTML5 Settings dialog box, click Screen Profiles in the left pane.

3)

Click Add Screen Profile(s). A list of screen profiles available in the project is displayed. By
default, all are selected.
NOTE: You can remove a screen profile from the SSL by deselecting the check box to the left of the

screen profile. RoboHelp retains the screen profile in the project until you delete it from the
Output Setup pod.

550

4)

Click OK.

5)

Click Save. If you now generate output using the Multiscreen HTML5 SSL, RoboHelp generates output for the new screen profile.

Generating output

Modify a screen profile
RoboHelp provides a set of screen profiles by default. Let’s modify a screen profile—iPhone—to
understand the steps involved:
1)

Expand Screen Profiles in the Output Setup pod.

2)

Right-click iPhone and select Properties.

3)

As necessary, modify one or more of the following settings:

Name
Specify a name. For example, you can change iPhone to iPhone_New.
NOTE: If you try to include a space or a period in the screen name, RoboHelp replaces the

space or the character with an underscore.
Type
Select a predefined screen profile to populate the screen resolution ranges with predefined
values. The Check for new screen profiles link enables you to access latest screen profiles
uploaded on adobe.com.
Screen Resolution
Set the range of screen resolutions for the screen profile by specifying the minimum and
maximum width and height.
Browser(s)
Select browsers for the screen profile. RoboHelp provides a list of popular browsers. If you
want to add to this list, make sure you specify a unique string from the browser agent or user
agent of the browser.
Preview Settings
Click this to configure the settings for previewing the output with this screen profile. Define
the dimensions of the window in which the content should be displayed. Select a device image
for use in preview and specify the top-left position of the content window. If the settings look
good, click Save.
4)

Click Save to save the screen profile properties.

Add a screen profile to the project
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click Screen Profiles and select New Screen Profile.

2)

Select a predefined screen profile. RoboHelp displays the screen profile settings.
NOTE: You can click the Check for new screen profiles link to download a screen profile of your

choice. Save the downloaded file—predefined_screens.xml—in
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12

AppData\Roaming\Adobe\RoboHTML\10.00 and <robohelp install
folder>\RoboHTML\presets. RoboHelp updates the list of predefined screen profiles.
3)

Modify the settings if required.

4)

Click Save. RoboHelp creates the new screen profile and displays it in the project hierarchy
under Screen Profiles.
TIP:You can reuse the settings for an existing screen profile to create one. Right-click a screen

profile in the project hierarchy and select Duplicate Screen Profile.

Delete a screen profile
1)

Right-click a screen profile in the Output Setup pod and select Delete.

2)

When prompted, confirm that you want to delete the screen profile.

Map styles for screen profiles
If you change the width of a screen profile, the media query for the screen profile defined in the style
sheet becomes undefined. RoboHelp does not automatically update the media query. Follow these
steps to map an undefined media query to a media:
1)

Right-click the CSS file and select Edit.

2)

In the Styles dialog box, select Manage Media Queries from the Media list.

3)

Select the undefined media query that has the width you specified and click Map.

4)

Select the screen profile name.

5)

Click OK.

Use device pixel ratio for screen size and resolution
When you create a screen profile, you define the minimum and maximum width and height based
on the screen resolution of the that you plan to target for output. For example, if you plan to target
a desktop device, you specify the minimum width as 1080 and minimum height as 1920. However,
high screen resolution (HD and Full HD) devices often have screen resolutions that are 1080 x 1920.
This causes the output to display incorrectly on these devices since the hardware, using the screen
resolution, identifies the device as a large screen desktop.
To identify the screen resolution of your target device, you need to use the abstract screen resolution:
Physical screen resolution:
Available with the device specifications (manual)

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Generating output
Device pixel ratio
A list of devices and their corresponding pixel ratios are available at: Device pixel density tests.
For more information on device pixel ratio, see More about device Pixel Ratio.
Abstract screen resolution
To calculate the abstract screen resolution: (physical screen resolution) / device pixel ratio
When you create a screen profile, the following screen widths recommendations are provided:
Phone:
0 to 699
Tablet:
700 to 1295
Desktop:
1296 to 99999

Screen layouts
Screen layouts help you define the look-and-feel of Multiscreen HTML5 or Responsive HTML5 SSL
outputs. For example, using screen layouts, you can define what the topic page should look like, how
the search page should behave, or what branding options to add. Screen layouts offer placeholders
for different elements, such as Table of Contents, index, and glossary. This support gives you the
flexibility to lay out the elements in the way you want.
Screen layouts contain XHTML screen layout pages (SLP) and their linked files, such as CSS, images,
and multimedia assets.
An SLP has a set of placeholders and HTML content that define layouts for Multiscreen HTML5 or
Responsive HTML5 SSL outputs.
NOTE: Each screen layout can have only one Search Results layout page and one Topic layout page.

Generic layout pages can be more than one.
Default screen layouts are available in the Gallery folder of your RoboHelp installation. For
Multiscreen HTML5 or Responsive HTML5 output, you need to create a screen layout based on an
available screen layout in the gallery. RoboHelp copies all required files in a <screen_layoutname>
folder under !ScreenTemplates! in the project hierarchy.

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12

Create a screen layout
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click Screen Layouts and select New Screen Layout.

2)

Select a screen layout from the available list in the gallery.

3)

Specify a name and description.

4)

Click OK.

Manage screen layouts
In the Output Setup pod, right-click a screen layout and do the following:
•

To rename a screen layout, select Rename (or Properties) and specify another name.

•

To view or change the description, select Properties.

•

To import a screen layout, select Import and specify an SLZ file name.

•

To export a screen layout, select Export and specify the location where the SLZ file should be
saved.

Preview a screen layout
Preview a screen layout to see whether the different screen layout components and their appearance
and placement meet your requirements.
NOTE: The contents of the project do not appear in a screen layout preview. If you want to see how the

content appears in a certain screen layout, map the screen layout to a screen profile in Multiscreen
HTML5 or Responsive HTML5 layout settings and click Preview in the toolbar.
To preview a screen layout while editing the screen layout, do the following:
1)

Press Ctrl + W.

Editing a screen layout
A screen layout has two key components, a set of screen layout pages and a CSS. The screen layout
pages define the content and the structure. The CSS defines the layout and the skin.
You can edit or customize a screen layout page in various ways. For example, you can add new screen
layout pages, edit the screen layout pages to customize the position and style of widgets on the pages,
insert widgets, and so on.

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Generating output
Add a screen layout page (SLP)
A screen layout contains standard layout pages for displaying topic contents and search results.
However, you can add and design any number of layout pages to display other types of content, for
example a home page with the TOC.
NOTE: You can add a Search Results page if the screen layout does not already have a SearchResults.slp

file.
1)

In the Output Setup pod, right-click on the screen layout name or on an existing SLP name.
Select New > Screen Layout Page.

2)

In the General tab, specify a page title and description.

3)

In the Appearance tab, attach a style sheet and modify styles if required.

4)

(Optional) Add background sound.

5)

Click OK.

Screen layout page components
The key component of a screen layout page is a widget. A widget contains placeholders that you can
be styled and laid out using cascading style sheets. While generating output, RoboHelp converts the
placeholders into standard HTML tags with associated functionality.
NOTE: The look-and-feel of a widget in the output and in Screen Layout Editor might differ to some

extent.
The following customizable widgets are available for achieving different functions:
LNG String
Insert this widget to add a string from the LNG file.
NOTE: The LNG file contains strings for various user interface elements. RoboHelp loads these

strings at runtime.
Tab
Insert this widget to add a tab in a tabbed panel.
Browse Sequence
Choose options from this widget menu to insert browse sequence buttons and links in default
or custom styles.
Glossary
Insert this widget to create a placeholder for a glossary.
Index
Insert this widget to create a placeholder for an index.

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Print Button
Insert this widget to add an icon for printing.
Print Link
Insert this widget to add a text link for printing.
Project Title
Insert this widget to create a placeholder for the project title.
Tabbed Panel
Insert a group of tabs in two layouts (tabs placed horizontally and tabs placed vertically (accordion)). The default tab group consists of Table of Contents, Index, and Glossary. You can also
choose Blank Horizontal Tabs or Blank Vertical Tabs(Accordion) to insert blank tab groups.
Search
Insert the Search Options and Search Results Area widgets. The Search Options widget lets you
add and style a search box to display in the output. The option to show search results for all
words specified in the search box is also added by default.
The Search Results Area widget lets you design and style the area in which search results should
be displayed. You can add and configure components such as Search URL and Search Context.
Show/Hide
Insert the Show/Hide widget into a widget to enable end users to show or hide the widget. For
example, if you insert the Show/Hide widget into a TOC widget, the end users get the capability
to show or hide the TOC in the output.
Choose one of the following options:
Dual State Show/Hide
Displays different text (for example, Show or Hide) in each of the two states
Static Show/Hide
Displays the same text (for example, Show/Hide) in both states
TOC
Choose between Tree and Expanding Node to insert a TOC element on a screen layout page
and style the various placeholders. Tree displays TOC items in a hierarchical view. In
Expanding Node, arrows next to the TOC items at each level display the items at the next level.
Topic
Insert this widget to create a placeholder for topic contents.
TOC widget
Insert a TOC Tree widget or a TOC Expanding Node widget into a screen layout page to create and
style a placeholder for a TOC in the output.

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Generating output
Attributes
Class
Specifies that a Div class should be applied on the parent TOC placeholder
Child placeholders
A TOC Tree widget has the following child placeholders:
Open Book
Defines the look and feel of open book items in the TOC in the output. You can insert any relevant HTML content inside this placeholder.
Closed Book
Defines the look and feel of closed book items in the TOC in the output.
Page
Defines the look and feel of page items in the TOC in the output.
Link
Defines the look and feel of TOC items that are linked to web addresses, email messages, multimedia files, Usenet newsgroups, and FTP sites in the output.
Placeholder properties and attributes
Each Multiscreen or Responsive HTML widget has a set of placeholders, and each placeholder has
predefined attributes.
The following table lists various placeholders and their properties and attributes:

Placeholder

Parent

Children

Attributes

Alphabet category

Glossary

Text

class, showin

Browse sequence
Back

[HTML]

[None]

class

Browse sequence Nect

[HTML]

[None]

class

Closed book

TOC

Text
Icon

class, classhover,
classselected

Filter Box

Glossary
Index

[None]

placeholder

AND Search Control

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12

Placeholder

558

Parent

Children

Attributes

Glossary

Tab Content Group
[HTML}

Glossary TermGlossary
DefinitionAlphabet
CategoryFilter Box

class, showin

Glossary Definition

Glossary

Text

class, classhover

Icon

Closed Book
Open Book
Page
Link
Note: These placeholders
are children of TOC.

Image

class, src, hoversrc,
selectedsrc

Index

Tab Content Group[HTML]

Index Keyword
Index Link
Alphabet Category
Filter Box

class, showin

Index Keyword

Index

Text

class, classhover,
classbookchilds

Index Link

Index

Text

class, classhover

Lng String

[All]

[None]

class

Navigation Link

[All]

[None]

class, href

Open Book

TOC

Text
Icon

class, classhover,
classselected,
classbookchilds

Search Field

[All]

[None]

placeholder

Search Combo

Search Results

[None]

[None]

Search Context

Search Result Item

[None]

class

Search URL

[All]

[None]

class

Search Message

Search Results

[None]

class

Search Page Numbers

Search Results

[None]

class, ckasspagelink,
classpage

Search Result Back

Search Results

[None]

class

Search Result Item

Search Results

Search Title
Search Context

class, classhover

Search Result Next

Search Results

[None]

class

Generating output

Placeholder

Parent

Children

Attributes

Search Results

Tab Content Group[HTML]

Search Message
Search Combo
Search Result Item
Search Page Numbers
Search Result Back
Search Result Next

class

Search Title

Search Result Item

[None]

class

Show/Hide

[All]

[None]

class

Tab

Tab Group

[None]

class, classhover,
classselected

Tab Content

Tab Content Group

[None]

class

Tab Content Group

Tabbed Panel

[None]

class

Tab Group

Tabbed Panel

[None]

defaulttab

Tabbed Panel

[HTML]

[None]

class, showin

Text

Closed Book
Open Book
Page
Link
Index Keyword
Index Link
Alphabet Category
Glossary Term
Glossary Definition

[None]

class

TOC

Tab Content Group[HTML]

Closed Book
Open Book
Page
Link

class, showin

Page

TOC

Text
Icon

class, classhover,
classselected

Link

TOC

Text
Icon

class, classhover,
classselected

Topic

Tab Content Group[HTML]

[None]

class

Guidelines for screen layout design
•

Design the screen layouts using the standard widgets available with RoboHelp.

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12

•

Avoid reusing any image from the standard widgets or default layouts in any new screen
layout.

•

Define styles for all widgets in a screen layout CSS regardless of whether or not the widget is
used in the screen layout. This ensures that the look-and-feel of the screen layout is not affected
if a widget is added later.

•

Create only simple class styles in the CSS. Make sure that each style has a modular definition.

•

Make sure that all the icons and images are present in the screen layout folder regardless of
whether or not they are used in the screen layout. The image names and formats should be in
the required format.

•

Specify height and width of images in px for img styles.

•

Make sure that required style names are used in the screen layout. If you need to define additional styles in the CSS, follow a similar naming convention but do not use 'w' as first the character. Style names starting with 'w' are reserved for predefined widgets.

•

Do not use absolute positioning in styles. Fluid layouts work better for Multiscreen HTML5 or
Responsive HTML5 output.

•

Do not use positioning attributes (for example, float) in the styles of top-level parent element
of widgets. Examples of these elements are Topic, Index, and Tabbed Panel.

•

Include pseudo-class definition for hyperlink styles.

•

Make sure that the font family used in styles is appropriate and taking care of supported devices

•

Make sure that hyperlink styles take care of touch scenarios and include webkit proprietary
attributes (for example, -webkit-tap-highlight-color) if required.
NOTE: These attributes cannot be inserted through RoboHelp CSS Editor and need to be inserted

manually.
•

Use LNG strings for inserting generic text in screen layouts.

•

Do not use any inline styling in screen layouts.

•

Provide a representative image of each screen layout for use in its preview.

•

Make sure that a Layout.css file includes the style definition used internally by Multiscreen or
Responsive widgets. Refer to the Layout.css file of any factory screen layout available in the
Gallery folder of your RoboHelp installation.

Edit a screen layout page (SLP)

560

1)

In the Output Setup pod, expand the screen layout you want to edit.

2)

Double-click the screen layout page. Screen Layout Editor opens. You can add new components by inserting available widgets, change their placement, and modify their properties.

Generating output
Screen layout page in Screen Layout Editor

3)

Edit the screen layout page as required.
•

To insert a widget, do one of the following:

–

Select Insert > Multiscreen Widgets. Select a widget.

–

Click a tool button on the Widget toolbar in Screen Layout Editor.

•

To select a placeholder in the widget, click the placeholder name in the Tag list below the
Screen Layout Editor title bar. For example, to navigate to the LNG String placeholder in
a Tabbed Panel widget, click LNG String in the Tag list.

•

To view or modify the attributes of a widget, do the following:

–

Select Project > Open > Pods > Screen Layout Properties.

Customize the default Topic page
A new screen layout comes with two default pages, Search Results Page and Topic Page. You can
customize these pages in various ways.
Here are some examples of how you can customize the Topic page:
•

Place the project title placeholder at the bottom of the page.

•

Change the background color of the Topic page. Click Document in the Tag list, right-click
and select Topic Borders And Shading. Select a color and click OK.

•

Customize the tabbed panel. To remove a tab, select the tab from the Tag list and press Delete.
To add a tab, select the tab before which you want to add a tab and click the Insert Tab widget.
Specify the tab name.

•

Replace the images in the browse sequence. Select an image in the browse sequence. Right-click
and select Image Properties. Browse and select the PNG file for the new image. Change the
other image in the same way.

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Review and collaboration
At different stages of content development and even after delivery, you need input from various
stakeholders, such as other authors, SMEs, editors, and end users. RoboHelp enables effective collaboration among all these roles by providing multiple ways of gathering, tracking, and addressing feedback.

Review in Design Editor
Insert your review comments directly in a project. You can also enable the Track Changes mode and
edit the content.

Display the Review toolbar
The Review toolbar includes buttons for the following tasks:
•

Add a review comment

•

Edit a review comment

•

Enable the Track Changes mode

•

Accept this change and move to the next

•

Reject this change and move to the next

•

Move to the previous change or review comment

•

Move to the next change or review comment

To display the Review toolbar:
1)

Select Review toolbar.

Enable the Track Changes mode
To review a project in Design Editor, open the project and edit the contents in the Track Changes
mode.
IMPORTANT:RoboHelp does not track formatting and structure changes. For example, if you underline

a word or delete a row from a table, the changes are not tracked.

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1)

To enable the Track Changes mode, do any of the following:

•

Select Review > Tracking > Track Changes.

Review and collaboration
•

In the Review toolbar, click the Track Changes icon

.

Configure review settings
•

To change the color of inserted text, right-click an instance of inserted text, and select Inserted
Content Properties. Select a color. Select Set Color As Default.

•

To change the color of deleted text, right-click an instance of deleted text, and select Deleted
Content Properties. Select a color. Select Set Color As Default.

•

To change the color of review comments, right-click a comment, and select Review Comment
Properties. Select a color. Select Set Color As Default.

•

To set the name you want to display as the reviewer name, select File > Options > General. In
the Reviewer Name box, type the reviewer name.
NOTE: Relaunch RoboHelp to load the modified settings.

PDF review
Create a PDF for review
The Create PDF For Review option in the Review menu lets you create a PDF that reviewers can
review with the free Adobe Reader. The PDF stores a tagged structure of the RoboHelp project,
enabling you to import comments back in the RoboHelp project.
NOTE: To ensure that comments are imported correctly, avoid updating the project after creating the

PDF.
You can save the PDF locally or send it to the reviewers by e-mail. If you have Acrobat X Pro or above
installed on the same computer, you can host your PDF on a SharePoint workspace, or share it in a
network location.
NOTE: An image map applied in a circle is converted as a hyperlink in the largest square inside the

circle. Image maps applied in polygons are not converted. Iframes are not converted; only placeholders
appear. Tables, images, and other elements that do not fit in a page are cropped. You can include or

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13

exclude dynamic HTML content, such as expanding text and drop-down text, in the PDF created for
review.
1)

Select Review > Collaborate > Create PDF.
Various options to filter content for review

2)

Use one of the following options to display the topics, master pages, and snippets that you want
to include in the PDF:

Project Manager
Select this option to view the topic list in the order in which the topics appear in the Project
Manager pod. The topics you select from the list for adding in the PDF appear in the same
order in the PDF.
Table Of Contents
Select this option to view the topic list from a selected TOC. Selecting the Exclude TOC Items
Not Linked To Topics option ensures that the PDF does not include any empty TOC entry.
3)

(Optional) Use the check boxes to the left of topic names as well as the following options to
filter the topic list further:

Status
Select this option to filter topics based on a topic status.

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Last Modified
Select this option to filter topics modified before or after a specified date or within a specified
date range.
NOTE: RoboHelp alerts you if you select a topic that is linked to Microsoft Word or FrameMaker

document and the content is outdated.
4)

(Optional) Select Include Expanding And Drop-Down Text to include dynamic HTML
content, such as expanding text and drop-down text.

5)

(Optional) Select Set Topic Status To ‘Sent for Review’ to autoset the status of the topics you
have selected for review.

6)

Select one of the following PDF settings:

Save Locally:
Creates a PDF and saves it to a location you specify. You can use the PDF for self- review or
copy it to a shared location so other reviewers can add their feedback.
Send As E-Mail Attachment
Creates a PDF and attaches it to a new e-mail message open in your e-mail client. You can
complete the message and send it to the reviewers.
Send For Shared Review
Creates a PDF and uploads it to a network location, or SharePoint server for shared review.
NOTE: This option is enabled in RoboHelp if Acrobat X Pro or above is installed on the same

computer.
7)

Select Enabling Commenting In Adobe Reader.
NOTE: This option is enabled in RoboHelp if Acrobat X Pro or above is installed on the same

computer.
8)

(Optional) Define and apply a conditional build expression to filter contents.

9)

Click OK.

Embed SWFs in review PDF
To ensure that the PDF for review includes the SWFs inserted in the project, do the following:
1)

Select File > Options > General.

2)

Select Embed SWF In Review PDF.
NOTE: When you create a PDF for review without selecting this option, the PDF contains placeholders where SWFs are inserted in the project.

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Add comments to SWFs
If the PDF for review contains SWFs that you can play and pause, you can add comments to individual slides. However, when RoboHelp imports the comments, it removes the slide association and
places all the comments added to a SWF file above the SWF file in Design Editor. It also displays each
comment as a separate entry in Review Pane.
TIP:To indicate the context of a comment, add the slide title or text to describe the slide (for example,

Command menu slide: Move the pointer away from the selected menu item).
1)

Choose Comments > Show Comment & Markup Toolbar.

2)

Click Pause where you want to add a comment.

3)

Select the Sticky Note commenting tool and click the slide to add the comment.

4)

Click Play to continue the review.

Import comments from PDF
•

Select Review > Collaborate > Import comments.

•

(Optional) Select Update Topic Status to ‘Reviewed’ to update the statuses of all topics that are
being imported after review to Reviewed.

About PDF comments imported in Design Editor
The following table shows how each type of PDF comment is imported in Design Editor:

PDF

Editor

Sticky note

Review comment

Callout

Review comment

Comment inserted on highlighted text

Review comment

Inserted text

Inserted text in Track Changes mode

Deleted text

Deleted text in Track Changes mode

Replaced text

Combination of deleted and inserted text

NOTE: If a comment or track change has been imported from a review PDF, any changes to that

comment or track change is not imported on further import of comments from the same PDF.

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Import of comments added to SWFs
RoboHelp imports the comments added to SWFs and places them near the inserted SWFs. You can
track the comments from the Review Pane pod. The comments are not associated with slides.
Import of comments added to placeholders, snippets, and headers and footers
For topic TOCs, breadcrumbs, snippets, and headers and footers in master pages, RoboHelp places
comments above or below these elements. It does not insert the comments in the location where they
were added in the PDF. Insertions and deletions are also imported as sticky notes.

Managing Shared resources
In a distributed authoring environment, you often have authors needing to share content resources.
For example, you can have different writers working on different topics on a document simultaneously. You can even have two or more writers working on the same topic at different times, maybe
in different time zones. RoboHelp provides functionality to use cloud-sharing (Dropbox, Google
Drive, and SkyDrive) or a file system-based shared location to share the following resources in your
project:
•

HTML files

•

Images

•

Masterpages

•

Snippets

•

Style Sheets

•

Topics

RoboHelp provides easy ways to add resources in the shared location and the project. Drag files and
folders between Resource Manager and Windows Explorer. Drag images, style sheets, and topics
from Project Manager to Resource Manager. Drag master pages between the Project Set-up pod and
Resource Manager. Drag snippets from Resource Manager to topics (RoboHelp updates the Snippets
pod).
When you drag a resource from within a project (for example, a snippet from the Snippets pod) to a
shared location in Resource Manager, you export the resource and make it available to other authors.
Conversely, when you drag and drop a resource from Resource Manager to a project, you import the
resource (with its associated files) to the project.

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Add a shared location
You can add any number of resource locations as root elements in the Resource Manager pod.
1)

Select Review > Open > Pods > Resource Manager and click Add Shared Location

.

The Add Shared Location dialog allows you to specify a type of shared location.
2)

In the Location type drop-down list, choose the type depending on your shared application:

Dropbox:
Share your Dropbox folder with other users. For details on Dropbox and how to download and
get started, go to dropbox.com. Then choose Dropbox from the Location type drop-down list
and select the shared Dropbox folder.
Google Drive:
Share your Google Drive folder with other users. For details on Google Drive and how to
download and get started, go to drive.google.com. Then choose Google Drive from the Location type drop-down list and select the shared Google Drive folder.
SkyDrive:
Share your SkyDrive folder with other users. For details on Sky Drive and how to download
and get started, go to skydrive.live.com. Then choose SkyDrive from the Location type
drop-down list and select the shared SkyDrive folder.
SharePoint:
Add a mapped (network) drive to point to your SharePoint server. For more details, see Microsoft SharePoint. Then choose Other from the Location type drop-down list and select the
SharePoint server mapped drive.
Other:
Share your Windows folder with other users. Then choose Other from the Location type
drop-down list and select the shared folder.
IMPORTANT:If you are using Dropbox, Google Drive, or SkyDrive, you will need to first install

these applications.
3)

Specify a name for the shared location.

4)

If you select the location type as Dropbox, Google Drive, or SkyDrive, the value in the Path field
defaults to the install directory of the application. Click the browse button to choose an alternative path.

5)

To create the shared location, click OK.

To further organize the shared resources, you can then create folders in each shared location. Click
Create Folder and specify a name for the folder.

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Add a category
Categories help you manage different types of resources. You can add and edit categories and associate various file types with each category. For example, you can add a category called Video and
associate .flv, .swf, and .avi file types with it.
1)

Select Review > Open > Pods > Resource Manager. Click the Add/Edit Categories button.

2)

Click Add Category

3)

Enter a name for the new category and click OK.

4)

Click Add File Type

.

to add a file type for the selected category.

Notes:
•

You can add file types to an existing category.

•

You can edit the file types in an existing category.

•

You can click Reset To Default to reset to the default view of the Resource Manager. All the
user-defined categories and file types still exist in the root folder.

Sharing resources between users
1)

To share a resource with other users, drag the resource from the Project Manager and drop it
in the specific folder in the Resource Manager pod.
Alternatively, right-click on the resource. From the context menu, choose Resource Manager
-> Share.
In the Select Content dialog, select the specific shared folder.
RoboHelp adds the file to Resource Manager along with dependencies:

2)

•

Referenced CSS files

•

Referenced images

•

Files hyperlinked in the topic files (The files are added with broken references, but you
can use Manage Linked Resources to add files in the project with working links.)

•

Referenced snippets

To use a resource shared by users, drag the resource from the specific folder in the Resource
Manager pod and drop it in the Project Manager.
RoboHelp adds the file to Resource Manager along with dependencies as in the case sharing
resources with other users, described above.

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IMPORTANT:If you use a shared resource from the Resource Manager that contains a dependent

snippet, you need to manually also pull the snippet into the Project Manager for the first time.
After this, any changes made to this snippet by other users will be synchronized to your copy in
Project Manager.

Show/Hide contents in the Resource Manager pod
1)

Select Review > Open > Pods > Resource Manager.

2)

Click the Show/Hide Categories button

3)

Select or deselect the categories to show or hide in the Resource Manager pod.

4)

Select one of the following options:

.

All
Displays all the resources in the shared locations.
Linked
Displays only the resources used in the open project.

Manage shared files and folder
After you have create a shared location and added folders and shared resources to the location, you
can perform a number of operations on these in the Resource Manager pod.
To perform file or folder specific operations, right-click on the file or folder in the Resource Manager
and use the options in the menu.
Edit:
Open the file in the associated editor.
Explore:
Open the folder in Windows Explorer. Open the parent folder of the file in Windows Explorer.
Copy:
Copy the file or folder to the Clipboard.
Paste:
Paste the copied file or folder to the shared location.
Delete:
Delete the file or folder.
Sync:
Synchronize the copy of the file in the project with the copy on the shared location.
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Remove Link:
Remove the link of the copy of the file in the project with the copy on the shared location. Any
updates to the shared copy will not be reflected in the project copy. Also, any updates to the
project copy will not be reflected in the shared copy.
Use this option if a user is making a large number of changes on a file and you plan to synchronize these changes only after the user is done with the changes.
Compare with project copy:
Use a version control application to compare the project file with the shared copy.
NOTE: To compare files, you will need a version control application installed. You will also need
to Configure version control application in RoboHelp

Rename:
Rename a file or a folder.
Add to Project:
Add shared resource to the project.
Use this option if another user of the shared resource has added the file to the shared folder and
you want to add the file to your project.
Import:
(Folder) Imports one or more files into the selected folder.
Export:
Export to the selected folder in the Export Resource Files dialog box.
New Folder:
Add a folder at the current folder location.
Refresh:
Refreshes the contents of the selected file or folder.
Properties:
Displays the properties of the selected file or folder.

Manage linked resources
Linked resources are shared resources used in a project. When you use a shared resource in a project,
RoboHelp adds a copy of the shared resource in the project. However, it maintains a link with the
shared location to track whether the master copy is updated.

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NOTE: Deleting the master copy from the shared location does not delete the copy of the resource used

in the project.
1)

To perform tasks such as comparing and updating resources, click Shared Resources

2)

In the Manage Linked Resources dialog:

.

Compare:
Display Project Manager and share location copies of a selected file side-by-side in the topic
preview.
Click Compare to launch the two files in a file comparison application. However, you need to
first install and then Configure version control application.
Filter Resources:
Searches linked resources in the project based on specified criteria.
A linked resource can have one of the following status:
In sync:
The shared resource and the copy used in the project are identical.
Modified in the shared location:
The original shared resource is modified, and the copy used in the project is out-of sync.
Modified in the project:
The copy used in the project is modified.
NOTE: In Project Manager and Resource Manager, resources used in the project
appear with icons that indicate if the resources are in sync or out of sync.

Modified in both locations:
Both the original shared resource and the copy in the project have been modified.
Not found in the shared location:
The original resource is not found in the shared location.
Not found in the project:
A reference to the resource exists in the project but the resource is deleted from the project
folder. This scenario occurs only in the case of manual deletion of the resource.
Update:
Allows you to update the resource either in Project or at Shared location.
Update on Sync:
Choose to be notified when the topic is updated in the shared location. This option is selected
by default. You can choose to turn it off if you do not want regular notifications. For example,
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if another user is making a large number of changes to a topic, you can turn off this option.
Turn the option back on after the user is done with the changes.
Remove Link:
Removes the links of the selected resources to the shared location. The resources remain in the
project as copied resources; any updates to the master copies in the shared location must be
tracked manually.
Replace Link:
Replaces the current link with a link to another shared resource that has the same file extension.

Manage linked resource notifications
You use the Sync All command on the toolbar, to synchronize all the linked resources in real time.
When you choose the Sync All command, the Link Resource Notification dialog displays the
following options:
Files modified at Shared Location. Update files in Project
Some of the files (displayed in the listbox) in the shared location have been modified since the
last synchronization are hence are out-of-sync with the files in your project. Check this option,
to synchronize your project files with the files in the shared location.
Files modified at Shared Location and in Project. Override files in Project
Some of the files (displayed in the listbox) both in the shared location and your project have
been modified since the last synchronization and hence are out-of-sync . Check this option, to
override the files in your project with the files in the shared location.
Files modified in Project. Update files at Shared Location
Some of the files (displayed in the listbox) in your project have been modified since the last
synchronization and hence the shared location files are out-of-sync with the files in your
project. Check this option, to synchronize the files in the shared location with the files in your
project.

Configure Resource Manager settings
1)

Do one of the following:
•

Select File > Options. Click Resource Manager.

•

Select Review > Open > Pods > Resource Manager. Click the Resource Manager Settings
button.

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2)

13

In the Options dialog box, specify application-level and project-level settings for Resource
Manager.

Specify application-level Resource Manager settings
1)

In the Options dialog box, specify how you want to use shared resources in projects. Select
either of the following options:

As Copy
Inserts a copy of a shared resource in the project. Resource Manager does not notify you or
update the project if the original resource in the shared location is updated.
As Linked
Inserts a copy of a shared resource in the project and maintains a link between the copy (in the
project) and the original (in the shared location). Maintaining a link helps Resource Manager
to keep track of updates to the resource and allow you to update the resource in the project or
in the shared location.
NOTE: If a linked style sheet includes references to other resources, RoboHelp does not track

updates to the referenced resources.
2)

Specify the frequency of checking updates to linked resources.
NOTE: Besides checking for updates according to this defined frequency, RoboHelp checks the

status of linked resources when opening a project and when generating output.
3)

Do one of the following:

•

Specify the frequency of refreshing the shared location.

•

Select Disable Auto-Refresh. NOTE: In either of these cases, you can use the Refresh icon in the
Resource Manager pod for manual refresh.

Specify project-level Resource Manager settings
You can specify your preferences for the update of linked resources at a project level. For example,
for project A, you can specify that Resource Manager should auto-update all linked resources if they
are updated in the shared location. On the other hand, for project B, you can specify that Resource
Manager should notify you if a linked resource is updated.
To specify project-level settings for the update of linked resources:
1)

Select one of the following options:

Notify me:
Notifies if linked resources are different from their original versions in the shared location

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Do Not Notify:
Does not notify if linked resources are different from their original versions in the shared location
Auto update local project resources:
Updates all linked resources in the project with the changes in the shared location

Configure version control application
When sharing resources with other users, you often need to compare the version of the resource in
your project with a version in the shared location. To compare project and shared files, you need to
install a version control application on your computer. You the need to configure RoboHelp to
recognize and work with this application:
1)

In the Resource Manager pod, click Resource Manager Settings.

2)

Go to the Version Control tab.

3)

In the SharePoint Settings group:

4)

•

Enter or browse to the path of the version control application

•

Enter required command line arguments. For details, see the documentation of the
version control application.

Click OK to save the changes.
You will need to restart RoboHelp to ensure the changes take effect.

Manage comments and changes
You can review the comments and accept or reject them directly in Design Editor. You can also view
the comments and changes as a list in the Review Pane pod, filter them in different ways, and accept
or reject them. You can set a status for each comment in Review Pane.

Review Pane pod
Review Pane displays the comments and changes made directly in Design Editor as well as the
comments imported from a reviewed PDF.
To display the Review Pane pod, select Review > Open > Pods > Review Pane.
NOTE: If you’re inserting comments or editing the content in the Track Changes mode, click in Review

Pane to refresh the contents of Review Pane.

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Review Pane displays the following information about each comment or change:
Icon
Displays an icon indicating a comment or the type of change, for example, inserted text and
deleted text.
Reviewer
Displays the reviewer name as configured in Acrobat (for review comments) or in File >
Options (for tracked changes). See Configure review settings.
Modified
Displays the last modified date and time for the comment or change.
Details
Displays the comment or change in plain text.
Status
Displays the status of the comment. NOTE: RoboHelp supports three types of statuses: Accepted,
Rejected, and None. When you import a PDF in which statuses are set, RoboHelp converts the
Canceled and Completed statuses to None.
Type
Displays Review Comment or the type of change, Inserted and Deleted.
Path
Displays the topic in which the comment or change is present.
•

To show or hide columns, right-click the Review Pane pod and select Show Columns. Select
the columns.

•

To sort the comments and changes on the type of information displayed in a column, click the
header of that column.

•

To access the previous or next comment in Design Editor, click the Previous icon
Next icon in the Review Pane toolbar.

and the

Filter comments and changes
1)

Click the Filter Entries icon
options:

in the Review Pane toolbar, and select one of the following

Hide All
Hides all comments and changes in Review Pane as well as in Design Editor.

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Review and collaboration
Show All
Displays all comments and changes in Review Pane as well as in Design Editor.
Show By Type
Enables you to select one of the three views: All Types, Review Comments, and Track Changes.
All Types displays both comments and changes in Review Pane. Review Comments displays
only comments in Review Pane. Track Changes displays only insertions and deletions made in
the Track Changes mode in Review Pane.
Show By Reviewer
Enables you to filter comments and changes by specific reviewers. RoboHelp creates the
reviewer list from comments and changes available in the project.
Show By Status
Enables you to select a status and view only comments with that status.
Show For All Topics
Displays comments and changes in all the open topics or only the active topic.

Group comments and changes
1)

Right-click the Review Pane pod, and select Group By. Select one of the following options:
•

Color

•

Reviewer

•

Modified

•

Status

•

Type

•

Topic

•

Path

TIP:Select None to remove grouping.

Reply or set a status to a comment
•

To reply to a comment, right-click the comment and select Reply To Review Comment.
NOTE: RoboHelp displays the replies as child comments in Review Pane.

•

To set a status, select the comment, and click the Set Status icon
Select Accepted, Rejected, or None.

in the Review Pane toolbar.

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Accept or reject changes
You can review the changes made by reviewers in Review Pane, and accept or reject a change. In both
cases, RoboHelp updates the content as well as Review Pane. For example, if you accept a change of
type Deleted Text, the text marked for deletion is deleted from the content and the entry in Review
Pane is deleted.
To accept changes, do one of the following:
•

(All changes) Select Review > Tracking > Accept > Accept All.
TIP:To accept all changes only in a selected topic, select Accept All From <topic_name>.

•

Select a change of type Inserted Text or Deleted Text in the topic. Select Review > Tracking >
Accept > Accept And Move To Next, or click the Accept And Move To Next icon in the
Review Pane toolbar.

•

Select a change of type Inserted Text or Deleted Text from Review Pane, and click the Accept
And Move To Next in the Review Pane toolbar.

To reject changes:
•

(All changes) Select Review > Tracking > Reject > Reject All.
NOTE: To reject all changes in a selected topic, select Reject All From <topic_name>.

•

Select a change of type Inserted Text or Deleted Text in the topic. Select Review > Tracking >
Reject > Reject And Move To Next, or click the Reject And Move To Next icon in the Review
Pane toolbar.

•

Select a change of type Inserted Text or Deleted Text from Review Pane, and click the Reject
And Move To Next icon in the Review Pane toolbar.

Delete comments
Do one of the following:
•

Select the comment in the topic. Select Review > Comments > Delete.

•

Select the comment in Review Pane, and click the Delete Review Comment icon
Review Pane toolbar.

in the

NOTE: If you delete a comment, RoboHelp deletes the comment from Review Pane as well as from

the content. If the comment has replies, the replies (child comments) are also deleted from Review
Pane.

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Review and collaboration in AIR Help
Rating, commenting, and moderation capabilities in AIR Help (Adobe AIR Application output) let
you implement review and collaboration in flexible ways. Depending on your requirement, you can
choose between a trust-based internal setup and a server-driven, secure external setup. Similarly, you
can enable or disable moderation, allow or disallow anonymous comments, and choose to work
online or offline (with the ability to publish comments saved in offline mode).

Topic rating
If you are delivering Help as an Adobe AIR application, you can enable topic rating to gather user
feedback. Users can rate any topic on a scale of 0-5 stars. The AIR Help application saves the topic
rating for each user in a shared network drive location (same as the location for syncing comments)
or on a RoboHelp server and loads the ratings at the time of viewing a topic.
When a user opens a topic, the user sees the average rating for that topic. Users need to hover the
mouse over the rating widget to see their own rating. If a RoboHelp server is set to save topic ratings,
users are authenticated before providing rating. In offline scenarios, topic rating is saved in the local
user database and a status is shown in the AIR Help application status bar. When the user goes online
the next time and is authenticated by the server, the unsynced items are automatically synced.
To enable topic rating, see Configure collaboration.

Commenting
Store comments in a shared network folder
If you want to provide a trust-based collaboration framework for internal users, specify a shared
network location to store comments. Users can read and add comments if they have read/write
access to that network location. Comments from each user are stored in a separate XML file at the
location.
For information about how to specify a shared network location, see Configurecollaboration.
Store comments on a RoboHelp server
If you want to allow commenting by users outside a corporate network, store comments on a RoboHelp server. The server authenticates users before allowing them to read or add comments.
NOTE: RoboHelp Server provides user authentication through both database and LDAP.

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Key steps to implement and use collaboration using a RoboHelp server
1)

(Author) In RoboHelp HTML, generate AIR Help with the following layout settings:
•

Enable Topic Rating

•

Enable Commenting

•

Enable Comment Moderation

•

In Set Location For Comments And Topic Ratings, select RoboHelp Server and specify
the server URL.
For more detailed steps, see Configure collaboration.

2)

(Administrator) In RoboHelp Server Web Administrator, sign in as an administrator and click
Settings > Moderation. Specify the following settings:
•

Select Allow Post Anonymous if you want to let users comment anonymously on Help
content.
NOTE: RoboHelp Server authenticates all users. When anonymous posting is enabled, users

have the option to post a comment without their usernames being displayed.
•

Select Mark New Comments As Pending if you want to display user comments only after
a moderator approves them.
For more detailed steps, see Using RoboHelp Server 10.

3)

(User) Launch the AIR Help application. Click Show/Hide Comments Pod and add
comments. See Add comments and Moderate comments.

Configure preferences for comments
Users can configure the following preferences for comments in AIR Help (output):
Always Use Log-In Name For Reviewer Name
If comments are stored in a shared network folder, users can specify the name they want to
display with their comments. By default, RoboHelp displays the user name as defined in the
user area.
NOTE: If comments are stored on a RoboHelp server, RoboHelp uses the login name.

Use Default Location To Sync Comments
Users can select this option to specify a new location for storing comments. The default location is the location specified at the time of generating AIR Help.
Receive Comments From Shared Folder
Users can select this option to receive all comments automatically when the Comments pod is
displayed after launching AIR Help.

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Show Moderation Pod
Users can select this option to enable the moderation mode if they have moderator privileges.
In trust-based commenting (shared network location), moderators only need access to the
password specified by the author at the time of generating AIR Help. In server-based
commenting, moderators need admin privileges.
NOTE: Users can enable the moderation mode only if the author has enabled moderation at the

time of generating AIR Help.
Delete All Comments
Select to delete all comments from your local database. When you click Send And Receive after
selecting this option, all your comments are deleted from the shared location or the RoboHelp
server.
Add comments
Users can add comments if commenting is enabled when generating the Adobe AIR output.
Comments are stored locally until you click Send To Server or Send and Receive option.
1)

Click Show/Hide Comments Pod to display the Comments pod.

2)

To add a comment, click Show/Hide Add Comment. Enter the comment and click Save.

3)

Click Send And Receive to publish saved comments.

Comment moderation
Regardless of whether you store comments in a shared network location or on a RoboHelp server,
RoboHelp supports comment moderation. If moderation is enabled, the status of an unmoderated
comment is Pending or Accepted as set in the SSL. A rejected comment can be seen only by the user
who added the comment.

Shared location

RoboHelp server

Enabling
moderation

Disabled by default

Enabled by default
Admins can modify the settings using the
Admin UI on RoboHelp Server

Authentication

Not required to read or add comments
Required to moderate comments
Moderator password is provided by authors
and can’t be changed

Required to read or add comments if
anonymous commenting is not allowed
Admin privileges required to moderate
comments

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Review and collaboration

Status of new
comments

13

Shared location

RoboHelp server

Moderators can modify the settings.xml
file in the location where comments are
centrally located.
If the moderation state attribute is set to ‘on’,
new comments remain in the Pending state
until they are moderated. If it is set to ‘off ’, all
new comments are marked Accepted by
default and are not queued for moderation. A
moderator can still reject or delete the
comments later.

The Mark New Comments As Pending option
set on the server determines the status of new
comments.

Moderate comments
In the AIR Help output, do the following:
1)

Click Preferences.

2)

Click Comment.

3)

Specify the password.

4)

Select Show Moderation Pod. Click OK.

5)

Use the following options to filter comments:

View All list
Select Pending, Rejected, or Accepted to filter comments by status.
Comments By list
Select an author name to filter comments by an author.
Comments For Current Topic
Click to view comments on the current topic only.
Comments For All Topics
Click to view comments on all topics.

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6)

Click Accept, Reject, or Delete to moderate a comment.

7)

Click Send And Receive to synchronize the comments with the shared location or the server.

Advanced program features

Advanced program features
ActiveX controls

About ActiveX controls
ActiveX controls are Microsoft Windows-based applications that you can plug into projects. They
are small, pre-compiled, modular, and reusable. Web developers use ActiveX controls to extend the
functionality of their HTML pages. You can use ActiveX controls to extend the functionality of
topics.
ActiveX controls work exclusively in browsers that support ActiveX technology. Microsoft Internet
Explorer and the HTML Help viewer support these controls. Netscape Navigator does not support
ActiveX controls.
RoboHelp includes several ActiveX controls for HTML Help functionality, including link controls
and HTML Help controls. You can add other ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls can perform credit
card transactions, spreadsheet calculations and provide database communications.
Some ActiveX controls are included with projects. For example, the HHCTRL.OCX provided by
Microsoft is a required ActiveX control. It enables the table of contents, index, and full-text search.
NOTE: Copy ActiveX controls to and register them on user systems. ActiveX controls are not included

in compiled CHM files. For WebHelp and WebHelp Pro projects, Internet Explorer 4.0 or later supports
ActiveX controls.

Add design-time controls
NOTE:This information applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects.

1)

Insert the cursor in the topic where you want to place the control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Design-Time Control.

3)

From the list of controls, select a control to insert into the project.

4)

Click OK.

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14

Types of HTML Help ActiveX controls
Calendar Control
When users open a topic with a calendar control, a calendar appears in the text. Users can select
months and years to view and print.
Custom Buttons
Users can download the latest information from a database or the latest version of the application with custom buttons.
Banner
When users open a topic that contains a banner, they are directed to the content. The banner
lets you design and test text, images, and icons to display at designated intervals in a topic.
Chart
Lets users draw charts that they can view and print. They can change the chart properties by
selecting options and check boxes. They can also enter data to display in the chart or graph.
Calculations
Lets users enter data, for example, in an online test. Users can obtain test results and view
results (the correct answers to each question).
TIP:You can insert any ActiveX control registered on the system into topics in projects. To add

other ActiveX controls, install and register the ActiveX control on the system before using it.

Add ActiveX controls
For the controls to work, distribute and register Custom ActiveX.ocx files on the user systems. (The
RoboHelp license allows you to distribute these controls.) By default, the controls are at C:\Program
Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\Redist.

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1)

Insert the cursor in the topic where you want to place the control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > ActiveX Control.

3)

Select the ActiveX control to add and click OK.

4)

Double-click the ActiveX control to edit its appearance and properties. HTML Help doesn't
support all ActiveX controls, and some controls don't have properties dialog boxes.

Advanced program features

Customize ActiveX control properties
1)

Double-click the ActiveX control in the topic to open the Properties dialog box, and view
ActiveX control properties including the following:

Code Source
Provides an address (URL) for the latest copy of the ActiveX control (if it is not on the local
system).
Data Source
Provides an address (URL) that specifies where the ActiveX control searches to find any of its
data arguments.
ID
Displays the identification of the ActiveX control (if it includes an ID).
2)

Click the ActiveX Control tab, and click Add to specify the following properties. Then click
OK.
•

In Name, select the property type to add from the list of customizable properties for the
ActiveX control.

•

In Value, enter a value for the selected property.

3)

Click the Margins tab, and specify the margins.

4)

Click the Borders tab. Under Settings, select Box or Custom.
The Custom setting lets you add a border of a different size and color to each side of the
ActiveX control. Specify line style and border color and thickness, and preview the selections.

5)

In the Size tab, specify the following Size properties:
•

Enter Preferred Width and Height in pixels (px) (default) or percentages (%).

•

Click Maintain Aspect Ratio to keep the height and width proportional.

Remove ActiveX control properties
1)

In the Design Editor, double-click the ActiveX control to open the Properties dialog box.

2)

Select the name or value of the property to delete.

3)

Click the Delete button.

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Advanced program features

14

Customize the calendar control
1)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > ActiveX Control.

2)

Select Calendar Control [version]. The control appears in the Design editor, as shown in the
following example:

3)

Double-click it and change the available settings in the ActiveX Control tab.

4)

To change the font color for weekday headings, click Add in the ActiveX Control tab.

5)

Select Dayfontcolor, enter a color value, and click OK.

6)

To view the calendar, click the View button

.

Applets
1)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Applet.

2)

Add the following information:

Code
The class files to use.
Code Base
Path to the selected class files. If the applet is in the project folder, leave this field blank.
Name
Name for the class files. Assign applet names for several applets to communicate with each
other.
Alt Text
alternate text used if the browser cannot display the applet.
Parameters
Name and value of parameters defining variable elements of an applet, such as background
color or font.
Add
Opens a dialog box to enter the name and value of applet parameters. Examples of name and
value are FontType and FontType=Arial respectively.
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Advanced program features
Edit
Opens a dialog box to edit parameters.
Delete
Removes selected parameters.
Size
Sets object width and height.
Margins
Sets object margins.
Borders
Sets a border around the object.

Notes:
•

To use an applet in a topic, move the applet to the project folder before adding it.

•

Most applets are class files. Work with the developer to obtain class files for the applet.

•

To add class files to version control, manually add them to the Baggage Files folder.

•

Applets work only in WebHelp, WebHelp Pro, FlashHelp, and FlashHelp Pro projects.

Forms
Workflow to create forms
NOTE:Forms created in the Design Editor must have a corresponding Common Gateway Interface

(CGI) script on the server.
1)

Add the form and set form properties.

2)

Add specific form elements.

3)

Link to a script that acts on the data that the user enters. This step requires a CGI script written
in a scripting or programming language.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form

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Advanced program features

14

Add a form to a topic
1)

Select a location where you want to insert a form.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Form. A rectangular box is inserted to hold the form
elements.

Set form properties
1)

Right-click inside a form and select Form Properties.

2)

Set the following options in the Form tab, and then set Size in pixels and Margin, Border, and
Shading options. Click OK.

Action
In the Form Action box, enter the address to use to carry out the action of the form.
Method
From the Method list, select the method to use for sending form data to the server.
Post
Sends the data through an HTTP post transaction
Get
Appends the arguments to the action URL, and opens it as if it is an anchor.
Name
In the Name box, enter the form name.
TIP:If you want to include a background image or pattern, click the Browse button

to locate

the image to use.

Form elements
Form elements are available from the Design Editor.
Text Field
Lets users type text in a form. You can enter default text in the field to guide users, or you can
leave the field empty.
Multi-Line Text Field
Lets users enter over one line of text in a form field.

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Advanced program features
Hidden Field
Lets users add names and values for hidden fields.
Password Field
Lets users apply password protection. When users type in the box, the viewer displays the password as a series of asterisks (*) for confidentiality.
Radio Button
Lets users select only one alternative from a group. Options are presented in a list, one of which
is selected by default. Clicking a new button clears the previously selected item.
Check Box
Enables users to select any combination of alternatives. Check boxes can represent a group of
non-exclusive choices.
Button
Lets users insert a plain button on the form, designate the caption, and perform customized
actions defined by the author.
Submit Button
Lets users submit a completed form to a server.
Image Button
Lets users insert a custom image on top of a button that performs an action when clicked.
Reset Button
Lets users reset the form to its initial state.
Drop-Down Menu
Lets users insert a drop-down menu in the form. Users can select one or more items, depending
on how you configure the drop-down menu.

Add and edit text fields
1)

Select a location in the form to insert a text field or multi-line text field, and select Insert >
HTML > HTML Form > Text Field. You can also select Insert > HTML > HTML Form >
Multi-Line Text Field.

2)

For a text field, double-click the element to open the Text Field dialog box, specify the
following properties, and click OK.

Control Type
Indicates the type of field.

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Advanced program features

14

Control Identifier
Indicates the name to associate with the field. Not displayed on the form. The CGI program
uses it to identify the form element. To include a label next to the text field, type the text in the
Design Editor.
Initial Text
Displays text when the form opens. (If you select Password under Control Type, all characters
in this field appear as asterisks.)
Preferred Width
Sets the width of the field.
Length Limit
Sets the maximum number of characters that users can enter.
3)

For multi-line text fields, double-click the element to open the Multi-Line Text Field dialog
box, specify the following properties, and click OK.

Control Identifier
Name for the field. Not displayed on the form, but used to identify the form element. To
include a label next to the text field, enter text in the Design Editor.
Rows
Number of rows in the field.
Columns
Number of columns in the field.
Initial Text
Text that appears when the form opens.

Add special fields
1)

Place the cursor where you want to insert the field.

2)

Select Insert > Variables > Field.

3)

Select the type of field from the Value list:

Date
Day, month, year or combinations of the day, month, and year
Time
Time of day (including AM or PM, if desired)

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Advanced program features
Title
Topic title or other text
File
Filename format
Variable
Name and value
4)

Select a format for the field from the Format list.

5)

(Optional) Click New. A line with the default formatting is added at the end of the Format list.
Type a name for the new format in the Current Format box. The Example column displays how
the field appears in the topic.

6)

Click OK. The field is added to the topic.

TIP:Select Auto-Update This Field to update the field upon opening the topic. To view topic fields, from

the View menu, select Show, and choose Fields.

Add buttons to forms
1)

Select a location to insert the button, select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Button, and
double-click the placeholder button that appears.

2)

In Control Type, select the type of button:

Submit Button (Caption)
Appears as a standard button and sends the form to the CGI script for processing.
Submit Button (Image)
Appears as a custom image and sends the form to the CGI script for processing.
Reset
Clears the form of any entries made by the user.
Plain Button
Lets you customize the action the button performs.
3)

In the Control Identifier box, type the button name.

4)

In the Button Caption box, type the button caption.

5)

If you select Submit Button (Image), specify a screen tip in the Screen Tip box.

6)

If you select Submit Button (Image), specify a button in Button Image Path.

7)

Click OK.
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Advanced program features

14

Add image buttons
1)

Place the cursor inside the form to contain the button.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Image Button, and click OK.

3)

Enter an image name, select an image from the Images In Project Folder, or choose an image
in the Gallery tab.

4)

To specify screen tip, button caption, and size, double-click the image and select or enter the
desired values.

Add check boxes
1)

Select a location in the form to insert a check box.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Check Box.

3)

Double-click the check box, and specify the check box options:

Control Type
Select Check Box.
Control Identifier
Type the name to associate with the check box.
Control Value
Enter the value for the control.
Select This Control Is Initially Selected
Makes the option a default selection when the topic is opened.
4)

Click OK.

Add radio buttons
1)

Select a location in the form to insert a radio button.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Radio Button.

3)

Double-click the radio button and specify the properties:

Control Type
Select Radio Button.

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Advanced program features
Control Identifier
Type the name to associate with the radio button.
Control Value
Enter the value for the option.
Select This Control Is Initially Selected
Makes the option a default selection when the topic is opened.
4)

Click OK.

Add drop-down menus
1)

Select a location in the form for the menu.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > HTML Form > Drop-down Menu.

3)

Double-click the drop-down menu.

4)

Set options for the Drop-down Menu tab:

Control Identifier
Type a name for the menu. This name is not displayed. It is used to sort data from the form.
Use the Design Editor to add a label next to the menu.
Rows
Set how options display. For example, set to 1 to show one item at a time.
Allow Multiple Selections
Lets users select multiple options.
5)

Set options on the Options tab:

New
Lets you specify a new label. Enter a name in the Label field, and a value in the Value field.
Selected
Marks the option as a default.
6)

Click OK.

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Advanced program features

14

Frames
About frames and framesets
Design framesets to customize navigation:
Frames
Divide the viewer into separate regions for separate topics.
Framesets
Allow some topics to change while topics in another frame remain stationary.
The frameset tells the viewer how to display the frames and which topics to display inside each frame.
Topics that are displayed in the frames are the frame source topics. You can use framesets as regular
HTML topics.
You can have multiple frames in a frameset. Because screen space determines how many frames are
practical, too many frames give the viewer a cluttered look. Sometimes only parts of words appear
inside each frame. Numerous frames cause increased load times.
Notes:
•

Printing is restricted to one frame at a time, although you can print the entire project from the
viewer or browser.

•

Target hypertext links to specific frames.

•

Hypertext-linked external topics or URLs sometimes display incorrectly.

•

Framesets are saved in the HTML Files (Topics) folder in the Project Manager. A square icon
indicates frameset files.

RELATED LINKS:
Create text links

Create framesets
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.

2)

Right-click Project Files and select New > Frameset, and click a template.

3)

Enter a title. The title becomes the filename. Click Next.

4)

Define the properties for each frame in the frameset:
•

594

In Name, enter a name.

Advanced program features
•

From the All Folders pop-up menu, select the file or URL to attach to the frame. The
selection appears in the Initial File field.

•

Design the frame, specifying values for the height, width, frame margins, and border
color. Specify the following options, and then click Finish:

No Resize
Prevents users from resizing the frame.
Scrolling
Controls the display of scroll bars inside the frame.
Auto
Displays a scroll bar if the entire topic content can be viewed only by scrolling.
Yes
Always displays scroll bars.
No
Does not display scroll bars.
New Topic
Creates a topic and assigns it to a frame.

Change frames and framesets
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.

2)

In the HTML Files (Topics) folder, double-click the frameset file.
NOTE: If the folder isn’t visible, click the Toggle Project Manager View button

3)

.

Make changes.

NOTE:You cannot select a template for a defined frameset. To use a different template, create a
frameset.

Change the size of a frame
NOTE:This procedure does not change the default settings.

1)

Drag the cursor to the gray line between the two frames (frame divider).

2)

After the cursor has changed, drag the frame divider left or right to make one frame larger and
the other frame smaller.

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Advanced program features

14

Remove framesets
If you accidentally delete a frameset, you can import it back into the project if it has not been
removed from the hard disk.
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.

2)

Expand the HTML Files (Topics) folder.

3)

Select the frameset file to remove.

4)

Click the Delete button

.

TIP:Deleting a frameset in the TOC, or one that is referenced by a hypertext link, moves the frameset

to the Broken Links folder. To add it back into the project, right-click and select Restore.

Link framesets to books or pages
1)

Select Project > Open > Pods > Project Manager.

2)

Double-click the Table Of Contents folder.

3)

Right-click a table of contents in the folder, and click the New TOC Book
tool in the TOC toolbar.

4)

Enter a title to appear in the TOC, and select Book With Link.

5)

Select a frameset from Existing Topics, and click OK.

or New TOC Page

Link to topics in frames
1)

Ensure that the frameset is open in the browser or viewer.

2)

Open a topic and select the text to link.

3)

Right-click and select the Insert Hyperlink button

4)

In Link To, click the triangle pop-up menu

.

to select a type of destination.

Or, select the topic or URL from Select Destination (File Or URL).
5)

In the Display In Frame pop-up menu, select the destination. This option defines the frame for
displaying content.

Page Default (None)
Opens the topic in the same frame as the Help file window.
New window
Opens the topic in a new browser window.

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Advanced program features
Same Frame
Opens the topic in the same frame as the current topic.
Parent Frame
Opens the topic in the link parent frame and hides the original topic.
Whole Page
Opens the topic in the Help file window, replacing the original topic or frameset.
6)

Click OK.

HTML Help controls
Reuse HTML Help controls
HTML Help controls are portable. You can copy the controls into topics and change them to suit
their locations.
1)

In the Design Editor, open the topic that contains the control to reuse.

2)

Right-click the control and select Copy.

3)

Open the topic that needs the control.

4)

Right-click the place for the control and select Paste.

5)

To change the control, double-click it.

Add WinHelp topic controls
NOTE:You cannot call topics with the @ character in the title from a Related Topics control in compiled

HTML Help files.
1)

In the Design Editor, click a location for the control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > WinHelp Topic.

3)

Set the button options.

Text
Inserts a standard gray button with black text. Edit the text for the button in the text field.

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Advanced program features

14

Image
Inserts a BMP or an ICO file. Click the folder button to browse to the file. Select the file and
copy it into the project.
Hidden
Inserts a control that is not visible in the topic. This option does not insert the control as an
object in the topic.
4)

Click Next. Select the WinHelp file and topic.

Help
Specifies the Help file. Click Yes to copy the HLP file into the project folder. If the WinHelp
system includes a table of contents file, click Yes to copy it into the project folder.
Display As Popup
Displays the WinHelp topic in a pop-up menu.
Window
Specifies the type of window.
Specify Topic
Defines topic by topic title, topic ID, or map number.
5)

Click Next to set the font options for the button label.

6)

Click Finish. Compile the Help system to test.

TIP:Distribute the HTML Help system with the HLP and CNT files.

RELATED LINKS:
Add design-time controls

Add index controls
NOTE:Applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

The tri-pane design includes an Index tab, where users can access keywords.
If the project does not support a tri-pane design, you can add an index control to a topic to make the
index file available. The index appears when users open the topic with the index control.
If the topic is in a subfolder, copy the index file (.HHK) to the subfolder before you add the control.

598

1)

In the Design Editor, click the place in the topic to add the index.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Index.

Advanced program features
3)

To test the index control, compile the project. The index control displays the same index as in
the final output.

TIP:You can use other index files (HHK) in the project. Copy the HHK file and associated files (topics,

images, multimedia) to select the HHK file with the index control.

Add table of contents controls
NOTE:Applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

When users open a topic, the TOC appears.
If a topic is in a subfolder, copy the contents of the file into the subfolder before adding the control.
1)

In the Design Editor, click the place in the topic to add the TOC.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Table Of Contents.

3)

To test the control, first generate the project. The Table Of Contents control displays the same
table of contents as in the final output.

TIP:You can link other contents files in the project. Copy the HHC file into the project to select the HHC

file with the TOC control.

Add splash screens
NOTE:Applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

You also can include splash screens when topics open. You can use Windows bitmaps (BMP) and
GIF images.
1)

In the Design Editor, open the topic to display the splash screen when opened.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Splash Screen.

3)

From Image File For Splash, click Browse and navigate to the image to use in the project.

4)

Highlight the image file and click Open.

5)

In Duration Of Splash Display (Seconds), set the amount of time that the image remains on the
screen.

6)

Click Finish. To test the splash screen, preview the topic.

TIP:You see a Splash object that identifies its location in the file. This object is not displayed in the

viewer. When the topic is opened, only the image is displayed.

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14

Add shortcuts
NOTE:Applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

1)

In the Design Editor, click the place in the topic to add the shortcut control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Shortcut Wizard.

3)

Set the button options.

Text
Inserts a gray button that performs the action.
Image
Inserts a custom image (BMP or ICO) that performs the action.
Hidden
Inserts a control that is not visible in the topic.
4)

Click Next to set up shortcut functionality.

Program To Run
Specifies the program to run from the control. Navigate to the drive/folder where the EXE file
is located and double-click it.
Program Parameters
Defines command-line arguments to apply when the program runs, if needed.
Window Class Of Program Window
Specifies the window class.
Topic To Display
Specifies a topic to display if the program cannot be located.
5)

Click Next to set the font options for the button label.

6)

Click Finish.

Add HHCTRL version controls
An HHCTRL version control shows the version number of the Microsoft HTML Help on a user
system.

600

1)

In the Design Editor, click the place in the topic to add the control.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > HHCTRL Version.

Advanced program features
3)

Select button options.

Text
Inserts a gray button with black text that performs the action. Use the existing label or edit the
text.
Image
Inserts a custom image (BMP or ICO) as the button.
Hidden
Inserts a control that is not visible in the topic. See the developer for a script that closes the
window. You can also add scripts to topics.
4)

Click Next to set the font options for the button label.

5)

Click Finish.

TIP:Preview the topic to test the HHCTRL version control.

Add close window controls
1)

In the Design Editor, click where you want to add the close window control in the topic.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript > Close Window.

3)

Set up the button options for the control.

Text
Inserts a gray button that performs the action when selected. Edit the text to appear on the
button.
Image
Inserts an image that performs the action when selected.
Hidden
Inserts a control that is not visible in the topic. See the developer for a script that closes the
window. You can add scripts to topics.
4)

If you are adding a standard button, click Next and set up the font options for the button label.
You can assign a different font, style, and size.

5)

Click Finish.

TIP:To test the close window control, compile the Microsoft HTML Help project.

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Change HTML Help controls
NOTE:Applies to Microsoft HTML Help projects only.

1)

In the Design Editor, open the topic with the control.

2)

Double-click the control.

TIP:Right-click a control and select Design-Time Control Properties to change properties.

Remove HTML Help controls
1)

In the Design Editor, open the topic that contains the control to remove.

2)

Select the control.

3)

Click Delete.

TIP:Click Undo to restore a control that you removed by mistake.

Information types (for HTML Help)
Information types are designed for HTML Help (CHM Help) only.

About information types (HTML Help)
Information types control which books and pages a user can access from the Contents tab in the
HTML Help viewer. They are an optional feature that you can use in Microsoft HTML Help projects
only.
You first define categories and add information types to them. Then assign topics (pages or books)
to the information types. From the Contents tab in the HTML Help viewer, users can customize
books and pages that appear in the table of contents. If you do not assign an information type to a
topic, the topic appears in the HTML Help viewer regardless of user customization.
A category is a way to group information types, such as job description or skill level. You can create
up to 10 categories and 32 information types.
Information types fall into two categories:
Inclusive
All information types from a category are available to users.

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Advanced program features
Exclusive
Restricts users so they can select only one information type from a category. For example, you
can assign Exclusive classifications by skill level, so that users can access only the Help topics
that pertain to their skill level.
With the current version of Microsoft HTML Help, it is not possible to filter Index and Search tabs
to support information types. Users cannot access a topic from the HTML Help index that is not in
the information types that they select.
For a detailed explanation of information types, see Strategies for Using Information Types in
HTML Help by Rob Houser.

Define categories and information types (HTML Help)
1)

Select Edit > Information Types.

2)

In the Category field, enter a name.

3)

Classify the category:

Inclusive
Users can select any combination of information types in a category.
Exclusive
Users can only select one information type in a category.
Hidden
Users do not see these topics in the TOC. They cannot customize information types to filter
them. If you are assigning topics to information types for context-sensitive Help, select this
option.
4)

Click Add Category. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to add more categories.

5)

Select a category to add information types.

6)

In Information Type, enter an information type.

7)

Click Add Info Type. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to add more information types in the same category.

8)

Click OK.

603

Advanced program features

14

Assign information types (HTML Help)
After creating information types, assign them to books or pages in a TOC.NOTE: Make sure that
Microsoft HTML Help is set as the primary layout.
1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click a table of contents in the Table Of Contents folder.

2)

In the TOC pod, right-click the book or page, and select Properties.

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

4)

Select Use Information Types.

5)

Select an entry in Information Types and click Types.

6)

Select an information type.

Access information types from the HTML Help viewer
When users open Help systems, the system prompts them to select information types. All topics not
assigned to information types are available from the index.
1)

Click the Contents tab.

2)

Select Custom.

3)

Click Next. The list that appears depends on the Exclusive or Inclusive classification of the
information types.

4)

Select any combination of information types, and click Next.

5)

Click Finish. The Contents tab is updated to display only pages that correspond to the information types selected.

TIP:If the Help system displays in the Internet Explorer browser, you can use information types as long

as the first topic includes the TOC ActiveX control.

Edit information types (HTML Help)
Change categories for information types (HTML Help)

604

1)

Select Edit > Information Types.

2)

From the list of categories, select one.

3)

Click in the Category box and edit the text.

4)

To change its classification from Inclusive to Exclusive or Hidden, click the option. Then click
the Change button.

Advanced program features
Remove categories from information types (HTML Help)
When you remove a category, you also remove its associated information types.
1)

Select Edit > Information Types.

2)

From the list of categories, select one to remove.

3)

Click Delete Category. The category along with all its information types are deleted.

Remove information types (HTML Help)
Remove information types from books and pages (HTML Help)
1)

In the Project Manager pod, double-click a table of contents in the Table Of Contents folder.

2)

In the TOC pod, right-click the book or page, and select Properties.

3)

Click the Advanced tab.

4)

From Information Types, choose the topic folder.

5)

Click Remove to remove assignments.

Remove information types from categories (HTML Help)
1)

Select Edit > Information Types.

2)

From the list of categories, select the one that includes the information type to remove.

3)

Select the information type.

4)

Click Delete Info Type.

Scripts
About scripts
Scripts are coded instructions that tell the HTML Help viewer or browser how to react to events.
Scripts add power and more functionality to HTML Help systems, intranets, and websites.
Two common supported scripting languages are VBScript and JavaScript. The scripting used is the
same kind used by web pages. Scripts are uncompiled. You can view them in the RoboHelp HTML
Editor. Because they are uncompiled, they do not require a dynamic-link library (DLL).

605

Advanced program features

14

Because HTML Help does not support macros, use scripts to provide the same functionality that
macros provide for WinHelp systems. Application developers can provide scripts for you to plug
right into the topics.
NOTE:Add support files used in scripts (such as image files) to the Baggage Files folder to include in the

project.

Add a script to an HTML topic
1)

In the Design Editor, click the place in the topic to add the script.

2)

Select Insert > HTML > Javascript.

3)

In the Source tab, enter the scripting code.
•

If you first copy the script to the Clipboard, you can click inside the Source tab and paste
the data into the box. You can also type the script directly into the box.

•

Enclose the script within comment tags <!-- and --> for compatibility with all browsers.

4)

Select the Tag tab, select a Name or Value tag to edit, and select Edit Name or Edit Value.

5)

Change the tag, as needed, and click OK. The value can be VBScript or JavaScript.
The icon
the icon.

6)

indicates where the script is inserted in the topic. To edit the script, double-click

Test the HTML file after you generate output.

Event support in scripting
Use events in scripts to invoke functions at specific trigger points defined in RoboHelp.
Predefined events
The following events are predefined in RoboHelp:

Event

606

Description

Argument

SaveAll

Sends notification when File > Save All is
executed

None

OpenTopic

Sends notification when a file is opened in the
editor

Full path of the file

CloseTopic

Sends notification when a file is closed in the
editor

Full path of the topic

Advanced program features

Event

Description

Argument

PreSSLGenerate

Sends notification before an SSL is generated

Name of the layout

PostSSLGenerate

Sends notification after an SSL is generated

Name of the layout

PreImport

Sends notification before a file is imported

Full path of the file being imported

PostImport

Sends notification after a file is imported

Full path of the imported file

NOTE: Event names are not case-sensitive.

Register a function for an event
You can register a function defined in a script for an event from the Script Explorer pod or by modifying the script. When multiple functions are registered for the same event, RoboHelp runs the functions in the order in which they have been registered.TIP:You can break the chain of execution of
functions registered for the same event by changing the return value of a function to false.
Register using the Script Explorer pod
1)

Select the script in the Script Explorer pod. Right-click and choose Register For Event.

2)

In the Register Event dialog box, specify the function name that you want to register and select
an event name from the Event Name list.
NOTE: Make sure that you specify the function name as it is defined in the script. Event names are

predefined in RoboHelp. For example, the SaveAll event runs when you choose File > Save All.
3)

Click OK.

Register through a script
Use the following syntax to register a function to an event:
registerEvent (EventName:string, FilePath:string, FunctionName:string)
NOTE: You can specify arguments with an event to retrieve information that you can use for processing.

For example, you can retrieve the filename in an import operation.
Unregister a function
Unregister using the Script Explorer pod
1)

Select the script in the Script Explorer pod. Right-click and choose Unregister.

Unregister through a script
Use the following syntax to register a function:
607

Advanced program features

14

unregisterEvent (EventName:string, FilePath:string, FunctionName:string)

About ExtendScript Toolkit support
Create your own scripts to automate repetitive tasks and time-consuming workflows. For example,
you can write a script that counts the images used in a RoboHelp project.
RoboHelp provides a set of sample scripts that you can use or customize. You can access these
sample scripts from Tool > Scripts.
Native Mobile App Generator
Use this script to package Help content as a native mobile app for the Android mobile operating system.
EclipseHelp Generator
Use this script to generate EclipseHelp output.
EPUB 2.0.1 Generator
Use this script to generate EPUB 2.0.1output.
WebHelp To CHM Converter
Use this script to generate WebHelp output as a single CHM file. Before running the script, you
can customize the WebHelp layout to add the color and branding you prefer in the CHM
output.
Output Generator With Glossary Restyling
Use this script to generate output for a selected layout with the glossary as popups or tooltips.
By default, RoboHelp generates output with the glossary as expanding hotspots.
NOTE: Run Glossary Hotspot Wizard once before running this script.

Image Extension Updater
Use this script to update the file extension of image paths referred across topics in a project. By
default, the script converts file extension .bmp to .png in each topic. You can update the script
to convert different extensions.
NOTE: The script updates the name of the image file referred in the topic; it does not create any

image. The images with the new extension should be present in the location where the original
images reside.
Link Converter
Use this script to convert an anchor link href target across all the files in a RoboHelp project.
For example, define a link to convert www.adobe.com to www.adobe.com/support/ across all
the Help files in a project. See the script file for more information.
608

Advanced program features
Master Page Import
Use this script to import master pages.
UDV Converter With UI
Use this script to convert a keyword into a user-defined variable and change its value across all
files in a project. Enter a keyword, a user-defined variable name, and its value.
UDV Converter
Use this script to convert a keyword into a user-defined variable and change its value across all
the files in a project. See the script for more details.
Word Count Generator
Use this script to get a word count for an opened RoboHelp project. It provides a word count
by topic and by project. To run the Word Count script, right-click the script and select Run.
The word count summary appears in the Output View pod.
Reference Page Image Updater
Use this script to insert images of reference pages in topics generated through FrameMaker
document import. For more details, see the DESCRIPTION section in the script file header.
Style-based Index Generator
Use this script to create style-based index entries for keywords present in the topics of a project.
The styles need to be specified in the script. The script searches all the keywords with the
mentioned styles in each topic and creates index entries for them. By default, the script creates
entries for h1 (Heading 1) and "h2" (Heading 2) styles. The style array in the script should be
updated with the desired style names.

Creating scripts
You can write scripts and debug them using the Script Explorer of the ExtendScript Toolkit.
John Daigle provides a step-by-step introduction in Automating tasks with built-in scripting on the
Adobe RoboHelp video tutorials page.
For information about the methods covered in the Data Object Model, see Adobe RoboHelp
Scripting Guide.

Manage script folders
Create a script folder
Create a folder for storing specific scripts. For example, you can store scripts that record data
in one folder and scripts that display output in another folder. NOTE: The sample scripts are
stored in the scripts folder of your RoboHelp installation: C:\Programe Files\Adobe\Adobe RoboHelp [version]\RoboHelpHTML\presets\scripts
609

Advanced program features

14

Drag folders
You can drag folders into and out of the Script Explorer.
Import and export
You can export and import folders in different projects and locations. To import or export a
folder, it must contain at least one script file.

Manage script files
Create a script file
Create a script file and specify a name.
Edit
Right-click a script in the Script Explorer or Windows Explorer to edit it using ExtendScript
Toolkit. Double-click a script file to edit it using a third-party editor.TIP:To add a third-party
editor, go to File > Options, click the Associations tab, and add the .jsx filename extension for the
third-party editor.
Import and export
Export a script file to or import it from a computer or a network.
Drag script files
Drag a script file into different folders on a computer or a network.

Run scripts
Using the command line
You can run scripts by entering a command in the following format:
Robohtml.exe -x [scriptfilenames]

You can specify multiple script filenames, separated by a space, to run one script after another.
If the filename path contains a space, enclose the filename path in single or double quotation
marks.
Using the Tools menu
You can use the RoboHelp scripting samples available at Tools > Scripts or create new scripts
to run them; see the ExtendScript Toolkit documentation.
Using Windows Explorer
Double-click a script to open it in the ExtendScript Toolkit and run it.

610

Advanced program features
Using ExtendScript Toolkit
Start RoboHelp directly from the ExtendScript Toolkit and run your scripts. To start RoboHelp, select Adobe RoboHelp [version] from the ExtendScript Toolkit pop-up menu. Click the
Click To Connect To Target Application to run RoboHelp. The icon is green to indicate that
RoboHelp HTML is running.NOTE: If you don’t select Adobe RoboHelp in the ExtendScript
Toolkit, and you try running a script, an error occurs.

Twisties
Use twisties to enhance glossary terms, drop-down text, and expanding text with images for open
and close. Users will see different images when they open or close glossary, drop-down, or expanding
text.

Add or change images in a hotspot
1)

Select Drop-down hotspot style in the Styles dialog box.

2)

Expand Character styles to view the Drop-down hotspot style.

3)

Click the Select Twisties Images button

4)

Select an image to display closing drop-down text and one image to open a drop-down hotspot.

5)

Select an option to place the images either at the Start Of Text or End Of Text. Similarly, you
can change images for expanding text.

.

Add or change images of glossary terms
1)

Select a glossary term style in the Styles dialog box.

2)

Click the Select Twisties Images button

3)

Select an image to display closing drop-down text and another image to open a drop-down
hotspot. Select different images to differentiate between opening and closing a hotspot.

4)

Select an option to place the images either at the Start Of Text or End Of Text. Similarly, you
can change images for expanding text.

.

Removing Twisties images
1)

To remove images from glossary terms or drop-down hotspots, click the Clear button in the
Select Twisties Images dialog box.

611

Default keyboard shortcuts

15

Default keyboard shortcuts
Adobe RoboHelp HTML provides shortcuts to help you quickly work in documents without using
the mouse. Use these shortcuts in Design Editor. Additional keyboard shortcuts appear next to the
command names in menus.
NOTE:To use certain shortcuts, you must select text first. Those cases are marked with an asterisk (*).

Task

Keyboard shortcut

Basic operations

612

New project

CTRL + Alt + N

Open project

CTRL+O (letter O)

Close project

CTRL + Alt + C

Rename Project

Ctrl + Alt + R

Options

Shift + Control + T

Save Component

Ctrl + Alt + S

Save All

CTRL+S

Undo

CTRL+Z

Redo

CTRL+Y

Cut

CTRL+X

Copy

CTRL+C

Paste

CTRL+V

Delete

Delete button

Close All

CTRL+Alt+X

Exit

Shift + Ctrl + X

Select all

CTRL+A

Find

CTRL+F

Replace

CTRL+H

Find and Replace In Files

CTRL+SHIFT+F

Default keyboard shortcuts

Task

Keyboard shortcut

Go to bookmark

F5

Print from active pane

CTRL+P

Page Setup

Ctrl + Alt + U

Help

F1

Spell check active pane

F7

Thesaurus

SHIFT+F7

Create a topic

CTRL+T

Duplicate a topic

CTRL+D

Edit item

CTRL+E

Close a topic

CTRL+F4

Open a linked topic in a new tab

CTRL+click

Rename

F2

Paragraph markers

CTRL+SHIFT+8

Preview topic

CTRL+W

Insert hypertext link*

CTRL+K*

Insert image

CTRL+G

Insert text-only pop-up*

CTRL+ALT+P

Open Project Settings dialog

CTRL+SHIFT+/

Open Topic Properties dialog

ALT+ENTER

Display Conditional Build Tag dialog*

CTRL+N

Next tab

CTRL+PAGE DOWN

Previous tab

CTRL+PAGE UP

Update
Update

CTRL+F5

Update All

CTRL+ALT+F5

613

Default keyboard shortcuts

15

Task

Keyboard shortcut

Force Update

CTRL+SHIFT F5

Force Update All

CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+F5

Manage document

Ctrl + Alt + D

Text formatting in Design Editor
Bold

CTRL+B

Italicize

CTRL+I

Underline

CTRL+U

Format – Paragraph menu

CTRL+SHIFT+D

Format – Font menu

CTRL+D

Apply Font

CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+F

Increase font size to next size in menu*

CTRL+SHIFT+>

Decrease font size to previous size in menu*

CTRL+SHIFT+<

Increase font size by 1 point*

CTRL+]

Decrease font size by 1 point*

CTRL+[

Styles in Design Editor
Apply a style*

CTRL+SHIFT+S

Apply the Normal style

CTRL+SHIFT+N

Apply a Bullets or Numbering style

CTRL+SHIFT+L

Apply Heading 1*

ALT+CTRL+1

Apply Heading 2*

ALT+CTRL+2

Apply Heading 3*

ALT+CTRL+3

TOC pod

614

Move book or topic up in the table of contents

CTRL+Up Arrow

Move book or topic down in the table of contents

CTRL+Down Arrow

Move book or topic to the left in the table of contents

CTRL+Left Arrow

Default keyboard shortcuts

Task
Move book or topic to the right in the table of contents

Keyboard shortcut
CTRL+Right Arrow

Index pod
Change index keyword to lowercase

CTRL+L

Change first letter of index keyword to uppercase

CTRL+J

Review Pane
Add a review comment

CTRL+ALT+M

Screen Layout Editor
Preview the open screen layout

CTRL+W

Version Control
Refresh version status on File Status tab

F5

*Select text first.

615

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