Integration With RoboHelp

[sizbut]

I'm using ZoomSearch with HTML projects created by Macromedia's RoboHelp and so far very happy with the result.

The HTML output consists of three frames: a toolbar across the top, a left-hand navigation panel and a right-hand panel for the content. Currently my link to zoom search is in the toolbar and when clicked the search form appears in the right-hand panel.

What I really would like is for the search form to appear in the left-hand panel so that the results remain in view when one is clicked and loaded into the right-hand panel.

?Has anyone had any experience with this. I tried analysing the RoboHelp source files but they don't just use a set on named frames as you would expect.

[Ray]

We are not familiar with Macromedia RoboHelp. However, if it uses normal HTML frames, then there should be no problem with directing the results page to appear in a certain frame.
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support...to.html#frames

If not, can you provide an example as to how the frames are implemented in RoboHelp?

[sizbut]

Ray,

Thanks for pondering an answer. Since it isn't your product I wasn't expecting WrenSoft to answer, just hoping another Zoom and RoboHelp user may have been there before me.

Yes, they are using HTML frames, but not in the standard way. Rather than assigning a 'name=' attribute to each frame they use 'id=' and some times not even that. They also use framesets that load html pages that then define further sub-framesets.

I did succeed in reverse engineering it all and inserting my own 'name=' attributes into the output to get it to work (search form/result on the left, content page on the right) - however that then broke the other items (contents list, glossary) that also can be loaded in the left. It would also require me to post edit the output of each project anytime it was updated and republished.

However having now at least seen zoom running in the left hand panel its clear there not enough room there to make effect use of the results returned unless I switched to having zoom show the link only and none of the other items like description and relevance score.


Typing this has at least help me frame the real issue (which isn't really frames).

Issue

1. User clicks on the Search button in my menu bar and the search form is displayed.

2. User enters search term and result are shown.

3. User clicks on a result.

4. Matching page loads on the search results page.

5. Now we meet the issue. If the user clicks back, they return to the results page - good, if they click the Search button, they get a blank new search form.

6. I need to code my search button so that if the current page URL already contains search terms (which it does since I'm using your jump to and highlight match option), the button effects a back one in the browser history action rather than loading a new search form.


I feel a weekend of coding and testing coming on.

[fchapman]

I would be really interested if you managed to work out the correct JavaScript action for Issue 6 (in your message of 4 years ago). I know that this is a long shot, but you're absolutely right it would make a major usability improvement and I don't think that my JavaScript is upto it.

Can you remember anything about this?

Thanks for any help.

[sizbut]

Sadly no because it became a non-issue. Having spotted that Wrensoft's help for Zoom worked exactly how I wanted I switched to the same authoring program - the excellent "Help and Manual".