Popup topic not working

[Caroline D]

Hello,
I have created a project to manage all my glossary terms: each glossary entry is a topic of class "popup".
In another project created to produce a document, I have inserted hyperlinks on terms to the respective definition in the Glossary project.
I have activated in the document project the export of popup topics as Javascript popup windows.

When I produce the WebHelp output, I get no warning nor error message from the Compiler. But in the output the hyperlinks to glossary terms are not highlighted and no popup opens.

I thought this may be because this feature doesn't work if the popups are defined in another project (which would be a pity). I did a test with a popup topic defined inside the document project. This time, the term is highlighted but nothing happens when I click on it. (I got the warning compiler message "the following topics are referenced by other topics but not included in this build...".

thanks
Caroline

[Tim Green]

Hi Caroline,

You definitely cannot define popups in another project. They must be defined in the project in which they are being used. This is because in the output popups are not actually separate topics, even though they are defined as topics in your project. They are all compiled into a single indexed JS file and the popup links then reference the individual popup index within that file. (Except in V3 and V4 Premium Pack skins, where the system works a little differently, but the same restrictions apply.)

I did a test with a popup topic defined inside the document project. This time, the term is highlighted but nothing happens when I click on it. (I got the warning compiler message "the following topics are referenced by other topics but not included in this build...".

Here it sounds as though your popup was incorrectly defined. Note the following requirements:

• The popup file must not have a TOC entry. You must either define it directly in the Project Files > Topic Files section, which prevents the automatic creation of a TOC entry, or delete its TOC entry with the DELETE key. In the second case you then need to deselect the "Also delete referred topic files" option in the delete dialog before confirmation.
• The popup must have the topic class "Popup" in the Topic Options tab, which you can only set on topics that do not have a TOC entry.

[Caroline D]

Hello Tim,
thanks for your answer.
I 'm pretty sure the popup topic was not part of the TOC but to make it sure, I deleted it and recreated it directly in Project Files > Topic Files section. I disabled the option "Export topics of class popup as Javascript popup windows" and the first time, when I clicked the hyperlink a new page opened in the help with "file not found", but I restarted the build and now it shows the content of MyTest topic in the new page (but I still have this warning "Mytest not included in the build").
I re-enabled the export option and it still does not work. I checked in the output directory: no Mytest topic is exported if the popup export option is enabled.

[Tim Green]

I disabled the option "Export topics of class popup as Javascript popup windows"

That is exactly the setting you DO need to be able to create popups.

Your screenshot shows that after creating a popup file correctly without a TOC entry you then are trying to create a TOC entry to link to the popup. That cannot ever work, for the same reason that popups must be created without TOC entries. TOC entries can only link to topics and popups are not topics. A popup can only be opened from a link INSIDE a topic. So here is what you need to do:

1. Activate the option to export popups as JavaScript popups.
2. Create your popup topic without a TOC entry and with the class Popup.
3. Link to the popup topic with a regular topic link from any topic in your project

The popup will then be displayed inside the topic in the location where you click on the link. For full details and instructions see these topics in the documentation:

Basics on creating popup topics:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_w ... opups.html

JavaScript popups:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/help/hm_w ... spops.html

[Caroline D]

I did exactly as you said but it still does not work. Same result as before.
1. enable export option
2. create topic of class popup WITHOUT TOC entry
3. link popup topic with topic link from a topic in my project

Your screenshot shows that after creating a popup file correctly without a TOC entry you then are trying to create a TOC entry to link to the popup.

I don't know why you believe that. I haven't tried to do this.

[Tim Green]

Hi Caroline,

Please mail me a small demo project at support AT ec-software.com (replace the AT with @) and I will check it for you. This will be much quicker than trying to figure it out through indirect descriptions.