To enable content to be overwritten, the file names in the HTML source files should not be changed. This is because Author assigns variable metadata to the objects on the first import, and uses the metadata in conjunction with the file name when the content is re-imported, so long as it finds a match. If the file names are modified Author will create new objects rather than overwriting the existing objects.
Naming conventions - best practice for re-imported content
Author uses file names when creating or overwriting objects. To ensure content is handled correctly, all file names used by the HTML source files and images should be unique.
HTML source file changes that result in new objects being created
The following changes in the HTML source files will trigger Author to create new objects when you re-import your content:
Topics
Either of the following changes will result in a new object being created:
- Changing the HTML source file name. For example, changing "FileA.htm" to "FileZ.htm."
- Changing the text string in the heading tag used by the importer to create the topic. For example changing "<h1 to "<h1
File objects
The image source is used as the name when the File object is created from the import. The following changes in the HTML source file will result in a new object being created:
- Changing the file name in the source code. For example, changing "<img to "<img
- Changing the file format in the source code. For example, changing <img to "<img
Hyperlink objects
The link target is used as the name when a new Hyperlink object is created from the import. The following changes in the HTML source file will result in a new object being created:
- Changing any part of an external URL link in the source code. For example, changing http://www.author-it.com to http://www.author-it.com/ (in this example an extra "forward slash" was added to the end of the URL).
- Changing a target for a topic-to-topic link in the source code.