#### 18.3.8 Regenerating the HTML Help project file

When you use DITA2Go to generate HTML Help, DITA2Go writes an .hhp project file during set-up, and rewrites it later only under certain conditions.

To specify whether DITA2Go should generate the .hhp project file anew each time you run the conversion:

    [MSHtmlHelpOptions]
    ; WriteHelpProjectFile = Yes (write each time) or No; if no setting,
    ; write only if the file does not already exist.
    WriteHelpProjectFile = Yes

The values you can specify for WriteHelpProjectFile have the following effects:

Yes | If the .hhp file is present, DITA2Go overwrites it.
No | DITA2Go does not overwrite the .hhp file.
(none) | If the configuration chain contains no WriteHelpProjectFile setting at all, DITA2Go writes an .hhp file, but only if the .hhp file is not already present.

DITA2Go closes the .hhp file after writing it; so, if you had the .hhp file open in HTML Help Workshop when DITA2Go rewrote it, you could get an access violation. If you were using Notepad to edit the .hhp file, on save Notepad would just write the old file over the rewritten one.

If you use HTML Help Workshop to make changes that are not reflected in the configuration file, and they are changes you want to keep, you can prevent DITA2Go from overwriting them by setting WriteHelpProjectFile=No.

If you set WriteHelpProjectFile=Yes and then later decide to modify the .hhp file directly, be sure to set WriteHelpProjectFile=No; otherwise your edits will be wiped out the next time you run the conversion.

If the changes you make via HTML Help Workshop are limited to defining windows, you can add those definitions to your DITA2Go configuration file to preserve them; see §18.8.1 Defining secondary windows for HTML Help.

Previous Topic: 18.3.7 Specifying a starting topic file for HTML Help

Next Topic: 18.3.9 Locating graphics files for HTML Help

Parent Topic: 18.3 Setting up an HTML Help project

Sibling Topics:

18.3.1 Creating an HTML Help project

18.3.2 Deciding where to locate configuration settings

18.3.3 Organizing source files for HTML Help

18.3.4 Specifying a project title for HTML Help

18.3.5 Deciding whether to compile HTML Help

18.3.6 Naming project and compiled files for HTML Help

18.3.7 Specifying a starting topic file for HTML Help

18.3.9 Locating graphics files for HTML Help