Help figuring out build tags and conditional text tags

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jlange
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:45 pm

Help figuring out build tags and conditional text tags

Unread post by jlange »

My project will be used to compile 3 different HTMLHelp files, so I'm using lots of topic build tags and conditional text inside topics.

I have this structure:
Chapter Project 1
Sub-chapter Project 1
Topic Project 1 and Project 2

"Chapter" and "Sub-chapter" are tagged for Project 1 build only.
"Topic" is tagged for All Builds. Inside this topic, some text is included in Project 1 only and some text is included in Project 2 only.

When I compile Project 1, everything is correctly included. But when I compile Project 2, I only want that sub-topic, but I'm also getting the Chapter and Sub-Chapter.

As soon as I tagged "Topic" for "All builds", the Topic Options "Builds which include this topic" changed to include "All Builds" as well as "Project 1", so I see why they are being included. But I don't want this.

Any ideas how to handle this so I get the correct topic in the correct builds and don't get the topicsI don't want?

Thanks for any help.
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Dean Whitlock
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Location: Thetford Center, Vermont USA
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Unread post by Dean Whitlock »

Hi jlange,

The TOC structure you describe has three levels: Chapter, Sub-chapter, and Topic. The Project 2 information is only at level 3; however, logicially, you can't have level 3 without first going through level 1 and level 2. H&M is strict about the TOC structure: It will not automatically move the Topic with Project 2 info from level 3 to level 1. Instead, it includes the top two levels so that the logic of the structure is maintained.

Here are two possibilities for a solution. You can create a second reference to your level-3 topic and put it anywhere in the TOC that you want. It can be tagged for project 2 only, and the original Chapter/Subchapter/Topic can be tagged for project 1 only. You would still only have to edit the original topic. You'll find the instructions for this in the online help under Basic Working Procedures > Managing Topics in the TOC > Multiple TOC Entries for One Topic. See if this works for you. If not, you can try creating a new top-level topic in the TOC and embedding the level-3 topic in it. The info on embedding is also in the Managing Topics chapter in the online help. Again, you would only have to edit the original topic.

The point I'm not sure about concerns having a topic with build options set for Project 2 only but containing conditional text for Project 1 (or vice versa). Will the topic build option override the conditional within it? I haven't tested this. You can let us know if it works. :wink:

Good luck,
Dean
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jlange
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:45 pm

Unread post by jlange »

Perfect! That does exactly what I need--even the conditional text tags within the one topic build correctly.

I didn't realize I could set different a build tag for the referenced topic. Now I know.

Thanks!
Jessica
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