Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

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Dave Gehman
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Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

We would like to take output from H+M and then push it into training Powerpoints.

Might we use a custom Text Condition (IF "Powerpoint"...) to assemble summaries and words that could be output as a Word document... which in turn could be used by PowerPoint via PPT's various Word import options?

Is there a down side - other than the work required to summarize relatively lengthy H+M explanations into the relatively few words appropriate for a a PPT?

And is there, or has there ever been, any contemplation by H+M's development, of creating a Powerpoint output similar to the range of built-in outputs such as Word, PDF, Webhelp, ebook, CHM, etc.?
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

You can certainly use conditions to include only specific topics/chapters and output them to Word, which you would then convert to PowerPoint in Office. What is a little trickier is only including small amounts of text within topics. To do this you would have to have all the text in your topics tagged with conditional text, in order to be able to include only specific sentences and exclude everything else. Since all text is included by default, you need to tag it all to exclude it.

A simpler solution might be to create an additional TOC for your PowerPoint export, with additional topics that contain only the small amounts of text you will need.
And is there, or has there ever been, any contemplation by H+M's development, of creating a Powerpoint output similar to the range of built-in outputs such as Word, PDF, Webhelp, ebook, CHM, etc.?
Actually, we are working on something even more exciting. Not PowerPoint as such -- if you want PowerPoint the easiest way to get that is to use PowerPoint -- but it will allow you to create presentations that you can even integrate in WebHelp and CHM. Stay tuned in the New Year. 8)
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote: What is a little trickier is only including small amounts of text within topics. To do this you would have to have all the text in your topics tagged with conditional text, in order to be able to include only specific sentences and exclude everything else. Since all text is included by default, you need to tag it all to exclude it.
I'll have to noodle that out, the ways to do it, I mean. I had thought that, for example, only the words between an "IF PPT" / "ENDIF" would appear in output if only PPT was checked ahead of Publishing, but as you say, the entire topic is published.
A simpler solution might be to create an additional TOC for your PowerPoint export, with additional topics that contain only the small amounts of text you will need.
Just tried this. I'm doing something wrong... but I don't know what.
I created a new TOC (with a single topic) and extracted some condensed text into that topic from the primary TOC. I selected the new TOC, published to Word using "Publish to selected TOC items only" but nothing makes it to output. The compiler message is "The table of contents does not contain any items!"

??
Actually, we are working on something even more exciting. Not PowerPoint as such -- if you want PowerPoint the easiest way to get that is to use PowerPoint -- but it will allow you to create presentations that you can even integrate in WebHelp and CHM. Stay tuned in the New Year. 8)
Intriguing, but I fear that I'll never sell a Powerpoint alternative to our group. All of our corporate PPTs exploit Powerpoint design/automation/animation features and runtime bells and whistles - the guy who designs them is a Powerpoint maven who revels in digging up little-used features and throwing as many as possible into presentations...

Our usage for the PPT output - the output that we yearn for from H+M - is for 1:1 training. Our WebHelp provides the model for content, but the PPT content is hugely condensed and excerpted. (1:1 training is a very minimal activity; WebHelp is meant to slake the thirst of millions...)
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

I created a new TOC (with a single topic) and extracted some condensed text into that topic from the primary TOC. I selected the new TOC, published to Word using "Publish to selected TOC items only" but nothing makes it to output. The compiler message is "The table of contents does not contain any items!"
You need to select the TOC you want to publish with in the Publish screen. Instead of selecting "selected items only" you need to choose the name of the TOC. It's also very important that any "modified" TOCs should be additional TOCs, not the main one at the top. That has a special status and always exports all topic files unless they are explicitly excluded with build options.
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote: You need to select the TOC you want to publish with in the Publish screen. Instead of selecting "selected items only" you need to choose the name of the TOC.
Then I've done something wrong. The new, separate TOC doesn't appear on the "Select Table of Contents to publish with" dropdown in Publish.

I did follow the instructions in the H+M help file under "Multiple TOCs" (More Advanced Procedures > Conditions and Customized Output >). I opted to "Create an empty Table of Contents" rather than a copy of the original TOC. I then saved the Project before selecting File > Publish.

Is there perhaps something under Configuration that I need to modify or add?
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

I opted to "Create an empty Table of Contents" rather than a copy of the original TOC. I then saved the Project before selecting File > Publish.
If there's nothing in it you won't be able to publish it. You need to add topics to it. To do that, select the TOC entry, right-click on it and then select "Add Child Topic". In the add topic dialog select "TOC Link" on the left to create an entry for an existing topic.
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote:If there's nothing in it you won't be able to publish it.
Forgot to say, I had one topic under the new TOC. Earlier when I posted, I had only one, but I had saved the project(s), and I had also exited H+M then restarted it after that one-topic TOC didn't show up in the Publish drop-down.

Meanwhile, success: I just added a second topic. Saving the project didn't add the new TOC to the Publish drop-down, but exiting H+M and restarting did.

Maybe there's a minimum of 2 topics required?
And why would I have to exit H+M and restart it in order to see the option appear in the Publish drop-down? Something to do with everything that's hanging around in memory until closing the program triggers a clean-up/re-initiation?
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Dave Gehman wrote:Meanwhile, success: I just added a second topic. Saving the project didn't add the new TOC to the Publish drop-down, but exiting H+M and restarting did.
That's odd. I just double-checked and it definitely shows up as soon as it's been created, even if it's empty. Is your copy of Help+Manual up to date? The current version is 7.4.1 build 4615.
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Not as odd as what happened when I updated just now.

I closed H+M, ran the update EXE and when it all was done installing, a dialog asked if I wanted to open H+M. I said OK, got an error: something to the effect that H+M was running, and I had to close it. I did indeed find an instance in Task Manager and ended it.

Then, after attempting to continue from the error pop-up, the entire update EXE ran again, installing everything all over again.

At that point, My EC Software folder > HelpAndManual7 sprouted a new sub-subfolder, HelpAndManual7, dated today... so the newest version is residing under EC Software > HelpAndManual7 > HelpAndManual7.

All the files for Version 7.3.6.4521 still exist in EC Software > HelpAndManual7.

My Windows taskbar instant-start icon (it turns out) was hardcoded to the 7.3.6.4521 version, so I blew the icon away and dropped a new instant start that points to the new 7.4.1.4615 version.

So, despite the fact that I've updated at least once since 7/3/18 (the date code on 7.3.6.4521), I haven't been using the later versions because I start H+M from the Taskbar icon...

One more #$%! thing to monitor. It's the first I've run across that. But monitor I must - I can't reasonably expect you to automatically update instant-start thingies created by the Microsofties...
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,
so the newest version is residing under EC Software > HelpAndManual7 > HelpAndManual7.
That's because you manually pointed the installer to the update folder (it will usually know/remember where the HM that needs to be updated is). When you do that it adds the HelpAndManual7 folder to the folder you point to and installs it there. I've always found this annoying, but that's the way it works. When you are selecting the folder manually you need to know this and delete the additional folder in the path displayed before clicking Next in the installer.

I suggest you do the following to get this cleaned up:
  1. Exit Help+Manual.
  2. Manually delete the new HelpAndManual7 folder and all its contents.
  3. Run the installer again and point it to the EC Software folder, not the HelpAndManual7 folder inside it.
  4. Check that the path displayed is now correct, i.e. EC Software > HelpAndManual7 before installing the update
Then you should be good to go.
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote:Hi Dave,

That's because you manually pointed the installer to the update folder
Didn't. Just let the installer run.

But I'll go through the suggested fix.
Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Just beginning the fix you outlined in post above.

Noticed that that EC software is in Program Files (x86) folder?

Is that correct? or should the EC folders be under Program Files -- i.e., 64-bit programs?
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Tim Green
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Dave Gehman wrote:Is that correct? or should the EC folders be under Program Files -- i.e., 64-bit programs?
No, that's correct. Help+Manual is a 32-bit application. :)
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

No go. The installer created a new HelpAndManual7 folder under the original one and placed all the new version files in that new, redundant folder.

Installed by clicked on the EXE file in Chrome download - didn't specify where it was supposed to install...

Should I just select all in the new redundant folder, then copy its contents to the higher level HelpAndManual7 folder?
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Re: Might we use Text Conditions to generate PowerPoint?

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Dave,

H&M uses the excellent Inno Setup from Jordan Russell, which remembers previous install locations. You have now muddled that. Do this:

Clicking the Browse/Choose button selects the existing folder into which an entire install will be made. So the folder you need to select for the installation is /EC Software/.

( in Program Files (x86) )

cheers,

Martin.
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