Help File Instructions Online Text

Do not add these instructions to an application table of contents. They are intended only for the technical writer who is updating the Help file. To print these instructions, follow the Generate Printed Documentation instructions but pick the document Single Source Guide.

This Help file is set up for single sourcing. The same text can be generated to produce an online Help file (WebHelp) as well as a Word version (Printed Documentation), which can be PDFed.

Use of Styles

To be able to single source, all text must have styles from a cascading style sheet (CSS) applied to each piece of text in the file. At no time, should the style Normal be applied to text that is intended for single sourcing.

Applying the individual styles is an accommodation that allows you to produce the print version and alter it as necessary. The following styles were used in this Help file.

The style sheet pps.css was used in this Help file.

Heading Styles

Heading 1

This style was not used in the Help file. Not using this style is an accommodation to the print version and the ProPath template, which reserves the Heading 1 style for chapter titles. In the Help file, the chapter titles correspond to books. For example, the Help file book Introduction is single sourced to print as a Heading 1 for the 1. Introduction heading in a ProPath template. For print, the style corresponds to a Heading 1 in the ProPath template and is included in the print TOC.

Heading 2

This style was used sparingly for page titles. For print, the style corresponds to a Heading 2 in the ProPath template and is included in the print TOC.

Heading 3

This style was used primarily for page titles. For print, the style corresponds to a Heading 3 in the ProPath template and is included in the print TOC.

Heading 4

This style was used sparingly for sub-section titles. For print, this style corresponds to a Heading 4 in the ProPath template and is not included in the print TOC.

FakeHeader

This style was used for text that should function as a header but not appear in the Table of Contents. For example, this style was applied to field list titles. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template nor is the style included in the print TOC.

Text Styles

Body_Text

This style was used for running text. For print, the style corresponds to the Body Text style in the ProPath template.

 

Body_Text_Bullet_1

This style was used for level one bullet text. Of note, the bullet is not built into the style to accommodate a limitation when going to print. In RoboHelp, the style is applied to text, the text is then selected, and the bullet applied using the Bullet button on the Formatting toolbar. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template. In print, you can use the Select All option to select all instances of the style, and then apply the ProPath template style Body Text Bullet 1.

 

Body_Text_Numbered 1

This style was used for level one step text. Of note, the numbering is not built into the style to accommodate a limitation when going to print. In RoboHelp, the style is applied to text, the text is then selected, and the numbering applied using the Number button on the Formatting toolbar. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template. In print, you can use the Select All option to select all instance of the style, and then use buttons in MS Word to correct the left alignment and right margins.

 

Body_Text_Indented

This style was used for longer message text being returned by PPS-N. For print, the style corresponds to the Body Text Indent style in the ProPath template.

 

Caption

This style was used for table and figure caption text. Since numbering has no meaning in a Help file, captions include Figure: with the Online condition applied. During clean up of the print version, figure numbering is added. In print, the style corresponds to the Caption style in the ProPath template.

 

 

Graphic

This style was used for graphics. The style is applied automatically as the next style when you press Enter after a Caption style. For print, the style corresponds to the Graphic style in the ProPath template.

 

 

Note

This style was applied to notes. For print, the style corresponds to the Note style in the ProPath template. When you construct a note in RoboHelp, be sure to condition Note: as online text. Be sure to apply the condition to the space after the colon. When you single source to print, the notes have the style RH Note applied. You can use the Select All option to select all instances of the application of the RH Note style and replace it with the ProPath template Note style. By conditioning Note: , you have only note text with a unique RH Note style applied to it, which makes it easy to select and then apply the ProPath template Note style.

 

 

Table_Heading

This style was applied to the heading row of tables. For print, the style corresponds to the Table Heading style in the ProPath template.

 

Table_Text

This style was applied to the text rows of tables. For print, the style corresponds to the Table Text style in the ProPath template. In several places, you'll find this style applied without the corresponding Table_Heading above. The style and table are being used to control the layout rather than for the presentation of information that needs to be in a table to make sense.

 

FieldLabel

This style was applied to field labels in field lists. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template.

 

FieldDesc

This style was applied to field descriptions in field lists. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template.

 

StepToLine

This style was applied to the titles for a list of steps. For print, the style has no corresponding style in the ProPath template.

 

Character Styles

Bold

This style was applied to text that should have the bold attribute applied. Applying a character style from the CSS is an accommodation to the print version. If you bold using the button in the Formatting toolbar, the bold attribute is applied inconsistency in the print version. For print, the style corresponds to the Strong style in the ProPath template.

 

Italic

This style was applied to text that should have the italic attribute applied; for example, message text that the system displays. Applying a character style from the CSS is an accommodation to the print version. If you italicise using the button in the Formatting toolbar, the italic attribute is applied inconsistency in the print version. For print, the style corresponds to the Emphasis style in the ProPath template.

 

Use of Conditioning

Text that appears with green hash marks over it  is intended for online only.

Text that appears with red hash marks over it is intended for print only.

For example, a figure number in online text has no meaning. However, you need a figure number in the printed version. Therefore, the user defined variable looks like this:

In online text, the reader will see Figure:

In printed text, the reader will see only the figure name.

As part of the clean up of the printed document, figure numbering is added..

Use of User Defined Variables

This Help file includes user-defined variables; that is, a short (<244 characters) text-only string of text that is used for repeated text. For example, you will see the text string "Read-only field." used in field lists. For the most part, the use of variables is a shortcut.

A few user-defined variables include HTML coding as a matter of convenience. For example, the A–Z link variable looks like this: <a href="A_to_Z_Tab.htm">A<?rh-symbol_start name="En Dash" ?>–<?rh-symbol_end ?>Z</a>

If you are comfortable with HTML coding, you can build similar links to create shortcuts.

Use of Snippets

This Help file includes snippets; that is, large chunks of text that can include formatting, links, and graphics. For example, the text for domain tasks includes the following formatted text and links:

After you have search results, complete any of these tasks:

The formatted text and links are used in more than one topic. Rather than retyping, you can create the text, format it, and create the links once. Use the chunk of text to create a snippet and add the snippet to topics. Be sure to add the pps.css to the snippet so that your formatting is included in the snippet.

An additional advantage of snippets is that when you need to make a change, you edit the snippet and the change cascades throughout; that is, RoboHelp updates text everywhere that the text appears in the file.

Table of Contents (TOC)

In order for a topic to be included in documentation, it must be added to the TOC. This Help file has two TOCs: PPSNv30HelpDev for Online Help and PPSNv30UserGuide for the User Guide. If you add a new topic, you must add the topic to both TOCs (assuming the topic should appear both in online Help and the User Guide).

To accommodate the online requirements, there are a few pages that appear as online text only and do not appear on a TOC, and therefore, never appear in the online Help or printed documentation. Be sure to check these pages when completing Help file updates. These pages are hidden pages in the sense that they appear only when the user clicks the Page Help button but never appear in online or print documentation. The easiest way to see hidden pages is the select View—>Pods—>Topic List. The topic list opens as a topic. Click the column heading Author to sort by name. The topics that have Online as the author are hidden pages. In addition, the TOC column says No.

topic_list.png

Page Help

The application includes two types of Help:

The File Name is based on a naming convention that development describes as follows:

 

In the original Edit_Product.htm file, the following access logic is included:

 

        if (window.addTocInfo)

        {

        addTocInfo("Manage PPS\nEdit Items\nEdit Product");

 

In the recreated Edit_Product.htm file, the access logic is as follows:

 

                if (window.setRelStartPage)

                {

                addTocInfo("Manage PPS\nEdit Items\nEdit Product");

Therefore, the File Name should appear as PrimaryMenu Name\nSecondaryMenu Name\nTab Name

WebHelp

The primary layout for the online Help is WebHelp. To deploy the Help file to a place where development can sweep it up in a build, you must have the file in a zipped folder (WinZip or 7z).

To Deploy WebHelp:

  1. Save and generate Help as you normally would.

  2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to your project folder and open it.

  3. Open the !SSL! folder. This folder is where RoboHelp places your compiled files.

  4. Right-click the file named WebHelp.

  5. Select a zip option that produces a .zip file (WebHelp.zip). The program creates the zipped filed.

  6. Rename the zipped file WebHelp-3.0.0.zip. (Increment the version number 3.0.0 as directed by development.)

  7. Check the file into RTC at this location: PHARM (CM)-->Source Control-->Streams-->PPS-N-->PPS-N (...)-->PS_PPS_help. You will most likely be locking and deleting the current file and replacing it with a new file.

  8. Confirm that the file name is WebHelp-3.0.0.zip.

File Location on RTC

The following items are backed up on RTC: the entire RoboHelp file, graphics used in PPS-N, the print cascading style sheet (css), and a printed copy of the Single Source Guide.

 

rtc.png