ability to temporarily disable template objects

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Robert McConnell
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:23 pm

ability to temporarily disable template objects

Unread post by Robert McConnell »

This wish list item dates back to a series of support related posts of mine on June 1 2018 where more detail may be found. In summary:

it would be nice to have the ability to temporarily disable template objects. In that case, because of time pressures, the initial version of a manual had to go out without an index. Later as time permits the index will be included. The disable/enable feature would avoid the necessity of having to reconstruct and test the template "index" object when it's finally time to include the index.
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Tim Green
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Re: ability to temporarily disable template objects

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Robert,

The keyword index can already be turned on and off quite easily, at least for WebHelp, PDF and DOCX. It's not possible for CHM because of the way the index works in CHM: It is automatically displayed as soon as any topic contains a single index keyword and this can't be disabled.

In WebHelp you turn the index on and off in the skin, in Configuration > Publishing Options > WebHelp > Navigation. You can also turn off the search pane there. In PDF you just disable the Index section in the PDF template (Page Options; Print this section) and then also remove the corresponding reference to the index page in the table of contents section. In DOCX you just remove the index field placeholder in the DOCX template in Word.
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Robert McConnell
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:23 pm

Re: ability to temporarily disable template objects

Unread post by Robert McConnell »

Hi Tim,

It was the ability to temporarily disable, rather than have to delete and then reconstruct the Index entry in the Table of Contents for PDF output with which I was concerned.

Ideally one could right click on the "Index" entry in the PDF template, select "Edit Properties", and then select a "Hide" checkbox. Later, when the index is required it would only be necessary to uncheck the "Hide" box in the "Index" entry properties and re-enable the Index section in the PDF template.
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Tim Green
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Re: ability to temporarily disable template objects

Unread post by Tim Green »

Robert McConnell wrote:It was the ability to temporarily disable, rather than have to delete and then reconstruct the Index entry in the Table of Contents for PDF output with which I was concerned.
You can temporarily disable, that is really not a problem. In PDF just make a copy of the template with the settings you need. In WebHelp you can also make a copy of the skin, but there it is really just an on/off setting so it should not be an issue at all. 8)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Robert McConnell
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:23 pm

Re: ability to temporarily disable template objects

Unread post by Robert McConnell »

Tim,
Thanks. That was the approach I ultimately took, but I can still see some advantages to avoiding a proliferation of templates.

-rob
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