You can create a style repository directly, or from a project. If you already have a project containing the styles and/or topics you want to use in the repository then it's easiest to create the repository from the project. Otherwise you can just create a new, empty repository.

Repository save location must be accessible to all authors

It's important to save the style repository directly to the location where you are going to use it, because the it is registered automatically when you save it. If you need to change the registration later you can do this with the Repository Manager (see further below).

The folder where you save the style repository should be accessible for all authors who are going to work on projects that will use the style repository, so you may want to save it on a network drive. The connection to the style repository is a "live" link. It is accessed actively while you are working on your projects because the project is using the styles from the style repository.

Creating a new repository directly

1.Select the New Project option and then choose Repository as the project type to create.

Note that saving the project as a style repository removes the Table of Contents from the project. The topic files in the style repository are only accessible in the Project Files > Topic Files section.

Creating a repository from an existing project

You can use the Save as... option in the File menu to save an existing project as a repository. This can also be used to create copies of existing repositories.

1.Choose the project containing the topics and/or styles you want to use in your repository.

2.Select Save As... in the File menu and choose Save as Repository as the save option. Choose an empty folder to save the style repository in. If the style repository is going to be used in team projects it should be saved on a network drive where all team members have access.

Note that saving the project as a style repository removes the Table of Contents from the project. The topic files in the style repository are only accessible in the Project Files > Topic Files section.

This step is not necessary on the computer that created the style repository, because saving a repository automatically registers that repository with that copy of Help+Manual.

Every other author who is going to use the style repository needs to perform this step in their copy of Help+Manual to make the repository available for their projects. The style repository must be registered with the Help+Manual program, not with the project.

1.In the Project Explorer, select the Repository Manager in the File menu to open the Repository Manager:

2.Click on the Add button and select the style repository that you want to register.

See Repository Manager for more details.

1.Open your project in Help+Manual and select Repository Manager in the File menu.

2.Select the style repository you want to use in the Use this Repository drop-down list.

3.Select Link or Copy mode for your styles:

Important Notes:

Using a style repository overwrites existing styles!
Attaching a style repository to a project automatically overwrites all styles in the project with the style repository styles that have the same names, in both Link and Copy mode! Unique styles will remain unchanged, but all styles with matching names will be replaced with the style repository styles. This is not reversible – only styles unique to the style repository can be removed when you unlink the repository – so make backups before experimenting!

You can only link one style repository to a project!
Since a style repository is a designed as a control center for styles you can only link one style repository to a project. Multiple repositories would not make sense, because then you would have conflicts between the styles.

How the project is linked

Your project is linked to the style repository via the entries in the Repository Manager. It is linked via the name of the repository, and only the name. This name must match the name listed in the Repository Manager, which then provides the location of the repository. Because of this, you cannot have more than one repository in the manager with the same name.

How the styles are linked

When you link your project to the repository, the formatting styles in the repository are imported to the project and locked in the project. This is indicated by lock icons overlaid on the style names in the Edit Styles dialog. The imported styles makes it possible for them to be functional even when the repository is not available – for example when you are away from the office with your laptop.

How styles are updated from the repository

Help+Manual checks the repository when the linked project is opened and updates any changed styles and adds new ones. This is only done on opening the project, not live while editing. This means that users must close and re-open the project if they want to get changed styles from the repository.

How variables in the repository are linked

Unlike the styles, any variables stored in the repository are static. They are transferred to a project when it is linked to the repository, but only if that project does not contain variables of the same name. The values of the variables do not change in the linked projects after that, however. New variables added to the repository are added to the linked projects when they are opened and the repository is available, but changed values are not updated.

You can also "unlink" a style repository from a project if you want to remove its association and its unique styles. You can also switch from one style repository to another.

Switching to a different copy of the same repository:

In some cases, you may want to switch to a new copy of the same repository. For example, this can be necessary when you have created a branched or translated version of the project that you need to link to the new version of the repository containing the translated or different versions of the snippet files. See New versions of the same repository for full details

Unlinking a style repository:

1.Open your project in Help+Manual and select Repository Manager in the File menu.

2.Select Project does not use a repository in the Use this repository: drop-down list, then click on OK.

3.The Resolve Styles dialog will be displayed, in which you can choose which repository styles you want to keep or remove. By default, all the unique repository styles will be removed from the project.

Switching style repositories:

1.Open your project in Help+Manual and select Repository Manager in the File menu.

2.Unlink the repository. When the Resolve Styles dialog appears, confirm that you want to remove all the styles. This will prevent possible conflicts when linking the new repository.

3.In the Use this repository field, select the style repository you want to switch to and click on OK.

4.Make sure that you select the option to Link the repository styles.