Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

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Dave Gehman
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Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

I have a problematic entry in our WebHelp .hmxp file, under Configuration > Miscellaneous Options.

It's for an option for 'Repository' and there's no help entry around this option in the H+M help file.

It has to be an artefact of something I added a long time ago. Can I just remove the information in this option? Right now, it has two fields: repository name and filename.

What causes H+M to create a "Repository" entry? Or did I do this manually? I don't think we need this repository.
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Tim Green
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Re: Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

Don't delete this (actually, you can't). This is a new option there that shows the style repository that you set with the Repository Manager tool in the File menu. It has been added because a lot of people didn't grok that the selection in the Repository manager was applied to the project currently being edited. It simply shows which style repository is linked to your project. This setting only shows the repository in use. You still need to use the Repository Manager to apply and remove a repository.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Re: Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Key question in this long post is on the last line: what alternatives to I have for removing this repository, which was set up in ignorance and no longer is valid?

Background:
By dint of reverse-engineering myself, I realize that this repository is an artefact of early experiments in linking content that is external to H+M -- content that exists in a separate web site. The experiments failed and we need the repository deleted.

(We have since turned to iframes to draw the material into our WebHelp from the source URL. No element from the repository is currently called on or used, either as snippets or as style settings.)

The repository was part of an early experiment by which to draw material from the external web material into our online help. It was set up to draw from files local to my computer, files that had to be manually copied from the source website. This external web site is in continuous update and thus using a copied, local set of files would soon be a maintenance nightmare.

BUT -

I can't de-activate this repository using the Repository Manager. I get promising responses from the Manage Repositories dialog as follows:
1. I can choose "Project does not use a repository" under Use this repository.
2. At that point, I can highlight the repository listed under "Add new repositories and manage existing ones" and click Remove. (It is the only repository attached to our WebHelp).

HOWEVER - though I can click on the Repository Manager's "OK" button, nothing happens.

The "resolve styles dialog" does not display. Simply closing the Manage Repositories dialog via the red X, upper right, doesn't enforce my choices, i.e. doesn't remove the repository -- when I once again open the Manage Repository dialog, everything is back to the original (and now invalid) settings.

Is there another alternative whereby I can (a) unlink the repository and (b) remove it?
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Tim Green
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Re: Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

To remove a linked repository in the Repository Manger:
  1. Open the project in Help+Manual.
  2. Open Repository Manager
  3. Click on the Use this repository dropdown and select (Project does not use a repository).
  4. Select whether you want to keep or delete the repository styles (strongly recommend keeping them)
  5. Then click on OK to unlink.
Don't try to remove the repository from the list above, you don't need to do that. Just select that the project doesn't use a repository. That should do it.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Dave Gehman
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Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Re: Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Unfortunately, once I execute your steps, the OK button is highlighted and seems to respond to a mouse click but nothing further happens. By "respond" I mean that the button's background toggles to a blue that is slightly darker than the light blue that appears when the mouse hovers over it.

However, once clicked, nothing happens.

The behavior of the other two buttons seems to be normal: Help duly brings up the relevant help; Cancel closes the Manage Repositories dialog... but when the dialog is opened again, the "Use this repository:" field once again contains the local address of the original repository. In other words, "(Project does not use a repository)" has not replaced the original file location info.

If the Manage Repositories dialog is the ONLY means of killing off this zombie repository, then it appears that we're stuck. Its "OK" button is unresponsive.

In the long run, it may not make a difference. Nothing from the hmxr and its H+M folders is linked in the WebHelp project.
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Tim Green
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Re: Configuration Misc. Options: Repository?

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

Then this is most likely just a single leftover tag in your .hmxp file. If you mail it to me at support AT ec-software.com (replace the AT with @) I can check it for you.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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