Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

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Swede
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Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Swede »

We recently upgraded from H+M 7 to H+M 8.2.1. After the upgrade the following layout error appears in several table heading rows (i.e. not all but many).

We use a style repository to ensure that the same text and table formats are used in all our H+M projects. The table formats in the repository have a custom grey configured as background colour for the heading rows (RGB 220/220/220). However, when a project is opened in H+M 8.2.1 the grey colour has been replaced with white. See image below (highlighted in red):
HM8 white table heading.png
When the same project is opened in H+M 7 using the same style repository, the background colour is grey just as intended. See image below:
HM7 grey table heading.png
What is the cause of this and how can i fix it?
Thank you!
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Tim Green
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Tim Green »

The behavior in Help+Manual 7 is the error. The affected tables are ones in which you have defined a background color for the heading row without defining the number of heading rows -- i.e. the heading rows setting is at zero.

In the past, if you defined a background color for heading rows and applied it to tables with no heading rows defined, it would automatically create a heading row. This was an error, because it made it impossible to define a table without a heading row with such a style. As a quick fix you can restore the old table handling by going to View > Program Options > Editor and activating the option "Use old (wrong) table style assignment for heading rows". But be warned that this actually restores an error that has been corrected.

So instead of applying this setting, which is really just a temporary fix for people in a hurry, you should really go through your tables and decide which ones should have heading rows and which shouldn't. 8)
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Swede
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Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:01 am

Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Swede »

OK, I'll use the option "Use old (wrong) table style assignment for heading rows". Our projects contain hundreds of tables (well, thousands if you count the translated versions) and going through all of them would be a massive and time consuming job.
Given that the option is a "temporary fix", will it be removed in future releases? If so, it would be nice to know when.
Thanks!
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Tim Green
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Tim Green »

Swede wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:30 am Given that the option is a "temporary fix", will it be removed in future releases? If so, it would be nice to know when.
Thanks!
We're aware that there will be a lot of old projects with this setting, so it's going to be safe for a good long while. Please do turn it off for new projects, however! 8)
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Swede
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Swede »

I'll keep that in mind!
Thanks!
Swede
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:01 am

Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Swede »

Hello again!
Apparently the problem described on January 4th remains when help files are published on our build server via command line (i.e. some table header rows get a white background color instead of grey). The H+M client on the build server has been updated to version 8 and the box "Use old (wrong) table style assignment for heading rows" in Program Options > Editor has been ticked.

The following command line is used:

D:\Program\EC Software\HelpAndManual8\HELPMAN.EXE" doc\Helpfile\<file>.hmxp /stdout /HTML=Index.html /O=CGM_WebHelp.hmskin /I=HTML,OPT_BREADTRAIL /V=manualversion.txt

Do we have to supplement the command line for the ticking box setting to strike through? Or is there some other explanation?

I am aware that the ticking box is a temporary fix, albeit a long-term one, and that we probably should go through all tables and update the formats. However, since we use about 40 or 50 H+M projects in production, and some of them have hundreds of tables, this would a major undertaking. So, for now we would really appreciate if this could be fixed in some other way.

Thanks!
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Tim Green
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Swede,

This is a program setting that is stored in the Windows Registry, not a project setting. So if your build machine is a different one that does not have that setting then it will use the settings on that machine. :)
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Swede
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Swede »

OK, I see. Do you know where in the Windows Registry that this is done, so I can point our build server guy in the right direction?
Thanks!
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Re: Background colour in table heading changes in H+M version 8

Unread post by Tim Green »

Swede wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:58 am OK, I see. Do you know where in the Windows Registry that this is done, so I can point our build server guy in the right direction?
The Help+Manual settings are in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ECSOFTWARE\Help+Manual 8

However, it would really be easier to just start Help+Manual briefly on that machine and configure as needed. 8)
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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