Hello.
I currently publish documents to PDF but I am testing publishing to WebHelp, as an additional delivery format.
I am using a single project to publish separate documents for two separate series of products. A lot of the content is common to both series of products. For series-specific content, I use and apply custom build options and IF/IF NOT conditions in the table of contents, in the topics themselves, and also in snippets.
When I publish the documents to PDF, I use a print manual template that incorporates a snippet for the document number/revision/date, along with as static export control statement that applies to both series of products, as a footer. Within the snippet, I apply IF conditions so that the appropriate document number/revision/date appears when I publish the document for the particular product series.
However, when I publish to WebHelp, I don't see any way to insert a snippet or conditional text to the skin, like I did in the print manual template. I have customized the layout by making changes to the skin's HTML source code. (Don't worry; I made a copy of one of the default skins and am making changes to the copy... ) For example, the best way I found to make sure the export control statement always appears was to add it to the header in the skin's Configuration > HTML Page Templates > Default > HTML Source Code tab.
I realize I could insert the document number/revision/date snippet at the end of each topic of the document, and apply an IF WebHelp build condition.
Is there a better way of achieving what I'd like to do?
Again, thank you.
Jay
Inserting a snippet in a skin?
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Re: Inserting a snippet in a skin?
Hi Jay,
Unlike PDF, a WebHelp skin doesn't create additional "pages". I PDF is a printed document in a file, so that is possible there, but WebHelp is a dynamic display. If you want something to appear on every page in WebHelp, you need to insert it in the HTML topic page template of the skin. Also see the variables you can use there. If you want an individual information page in WebHelp you need to create it in your project, and then use conditions to exclude it from PDF, for example.
Unlike PDF, a WebHelp skin doesn't create additional "pages". I PDF is a printed document in a file, so that is possible there, but WebHelp is a dynamic display. If you want something to appear on every page in WebHelp, you need to insert it in the HTML topic page template of the skin. Also see the variables you can use there. If you want an individual information page in WebHelp you need to create it in your project, and then use conditions to exclude it from PDF, for example.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Re: Inserting a snippet in a skin?
Thanks, again, Tim.
Unfortunately, I don't see that it is possible to either insert a snippet into or apply build option conditions to text in the HTML topic page template of the skin (skin > Configuration > HTML Page Templates > Default, correct?), either in the HTML Source Code or the Simple Template Layout.
Unfortunately, I don't see that it is possible to either insert a snippet into or apply build option conditions to text in the HTML topic page template of the skin (skin > Configuration > HTML Page Templates > Default, correct?), either in the HTML Source Code or the Simple Template Layout.
- Tim Green
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23181
- Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
- Location: Bruehl, Germany
- Contact:
Re: Inserting a snippet in a skin?
No, you can't insert a snippet, because the template is already HTML, not XML. You need to construct what you want to insert with direct HTML code and variables for the automatic information you want to insert. For example, <%VERSION%> inserts the full version number, and you can also combine <%VERSION_MAJOR%>, <%VERSION_MINOR%> and <%VERSION_BUILD%> for the three components. <%DATE%> inserts the current date (with other variables for the date components), <%TOPIC_TITLE%> inserts the title of the current topic, and so on. You can find the reference to the full range of available variables in the chapter I referenced above.jabramoff wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:15 amUnfortunately, I don't see that it is possible to either insert a snippet into or apply build option conditions to text in the HTML topic page template of the skin (skin > Configuration > HTML Page Templates > Default, correct?), either in the HTML Source Code or the Simple Template Layout.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Re: Inserting a snippet in a skin?
OK. Got it. Thanks, again, Tim, and Happy New Year!