TOC doesn't expand when first opened

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Rocky Kimmons
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Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:11 pm

TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Rocky Kimmons »

We link to WebHelp from within our software using a topic link such as the following: ap_f_vendors.asp

Prior to H&M6, the TOC would expand and go to the selected topic (like it does when clicking links in a page).

After publishing with H&M6, the TOC no longer expands after the first page is loaded. Clicking links from within the pages does cause the TOC to expand. It appears that prior to H&M6, the TOC was built using tables. H&M6 builds the TOC using lists. I don't know if this is making the difference.

The following was taken from your Help. We tried this and got inconsistent results.
Turn off inline CSS in the TOC
Normally, Help & Manual writes a certain amount of inline CSS style code in the TOC elements so that our own scripts can manage the functionality of the TOC better. However, you can turn this off completely if you want full control over the TOC formatting for your own purposes.
To do this you just need to insert the following special comment anywhere in the <head> section of the TOC template page:
<!--HM_NO_INLINE_CSS-->
Insert it exactly as shown above, with no spaces and on a single line of its own. This will export the entire TOC tree without any inline CSS styling.
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Tim Green
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Re: TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Rocky,

This depends to a certain extent on the skin you are using, but the expansion has nothing to do with the CSS. It is controlled by scripting. The setting for how the TOC behaves are accessed when you edit the .hmskin file. Look in Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation for this.

The only exception to this are the new V3 skins in the Premium Pack 3 for Help+Manual 7, where the expansion behavior is non-configurable. This is because they generate the visible branches of the TOC on the fly when they are opened and delete them again when they are closed. This uses much less memory and makes it possible to manage larger TOCs on mobile browsers where memory is more restricted.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Rocky Kimmons
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:11 pm

Re: TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Rocky Kimmons »

Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation
"On load, expand" was cleared. We selected it and published but it did not address our problem. So we cleared it again.

'When a topic is loaded outside the navigation frame, force it to reload the navigation frame' is exactly what we want to happen. This option has been selected and we haven't changed it. We used to see this functionality when we published from H&M5 but not now that we are on H&M6.

When clicking around using the hyperlinks in the Help pages, the TOC expands and focus moves to the page name. If we save the page reference as a browser shortcut, for example, using the browser shortcut loads the page but does not expand the TOC. Right-clicking a hyperlink in the Help pages and selecting 'Open in New Tab' causes it to open in a new tab, but the TOC doesn't expand.
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Tim Green
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Re: TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Rocky,
'When a topic is loaded outside the navigation frame, force it to reload the navigation frame' is exactly what we want to happen. This option has been selected and we haven't changed it.
If being indexed in Google is important to you do NOT activate this option! Googlebot interprets the automatic reload as a black hat SEO attempt to double your page views and will stop indexing your site. All the current skins in HM6 and later have this turned off by default and include code to deal with it. When a topic page is opened on its own a link for re-opening the topic with the TOC is shown above the topic title (this doesn't cause problems with Google because the user is triggering it).

The branch containing the current topic is opened automatically when the topic is accessed via an external link. If this is not happening for you, and if you are not getting the reload solution described above, your copy of Help+Manual 6 and the skin you are using are probably out of date. Please also check with Help > About to make sure you are using the current version of the program. The current version of HM6 is 6.5.6 Build 3027. You can download the installer here (just install on top of your current version to update):

https://www.helpandmanual.com/downloads.html#oldver

Even if you are using the current version, you should try one of the current, up-to-date skins from the Templates\HTML Skins\ folder in the Help+Manual program directory.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Rocky Kimmons
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:11 pm

Re: TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Rocky Kimmons »

We are on 6.5.6 Build 3027 and still have the same issue.

1. Would publishing from H&M 7 fix this?

2. Would publishing from H&M 7 prevent us from later publishing from H&M 6?
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Tim Green
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Re: TOC doesn't expand when first opened

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Rocky,
Rocky Kimmons wrote:We are on 6.5.6 Build 3027 and still have the same issue.
1. Would publishing from H&M 7 fix this?
2. Would publishing from H&M 7 prevent us from later publishing from H&M 6?
There is no difference here between HM6 and HM7. It depends entirely on the skin you are using and the setting in the skin. There are a number of possible causes:
  • You have configured the setting in your project and not in the .hmskin file. You need to edit the .hmskin file like a project and set the on load expand setting in Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation there and NOT in your project.
  • You are using a skin that is damaged or does not support this function. Try using one of the standard skins in \Templates\HTML Skins\ in the Help+Manual program directory.
  • You are using the incorrect syntax in the URL when opening the WebHelp. You need to address it with index.html?topicname.htm, NOT just topicname.htm
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.
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