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?

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?

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.


September 30, 2016

Legal Notices | Online Privacy Policy