Best practices for converting FM to Robohelp

[Apurva Bahadur]

Fellow Framers,

Problem solved after some investigation, although I cannot understand the
entire process.
*Problem*


   - While editing, I created the various FM files by renaming and saving
   the complete file as the next file, deleting the existing stuff and editing
   new content on the page.
   - Somewhere in the process, one FM file got corrupted and ended with the
   extension '.backup' instead of '.fm.'
   - Due to 'save as' process, all the subsequent files had the '.backup'
   extension.
   - Even on corruption, these .backup extension files were visible in the
   FM book. I could open, edit and create perfect pdf outputs of the FM book.
   - However, Robohelp refused to recognize the files with .backup
   extension and made a CHM containing only the files with proper .fm
   extension.
   - This resulted in an incomplete CHM, and a growing sense of helpless
   panic...

*Solution*

   - I opened the corrupted files from within FM book and saved them by a
   different name. I checked in the Windows explored that the copy of the
   files were saved with the proper .fm extension.
   - I added the renamed files to the book and deleted the corrupted files
   from the book.That was all to it.

I couldn't have solved this problem from within Framemaker itself as the
book showed the corrupted files as normal FM files - I would open edit and
save them without any indication of an error. So, when black magic starts
to happen, please check the extensions of files in Windows explorer!

Any idea why FM book could open a file with .backup extension?  Probably
.backup are valid FM files, as these display a smaller version of the
Framemaker icon in the Windows explorer.



*Regards,Apurva*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.frameusers.com/pipermail/framers-frameusers.com/attachments/20140905/e3f2bcd6/attachment.htm>