Merging topics in WebHelp

[bleebs]

Is there a way to set up a WebHelp target/CSS so that all my very short <h2> level topics (release notes) will display on a single html page (in TOC order under their <h1> topic content)? ie More like printed output.

As each <h2> topic is so short and there's no content at the <h1> level, there are lots of 'almost' empty pages right now.

I know I could put the <h2> topic content directly under a <h1> topic but the <h2> topics ideally should be authored as standalone topics since they are very often re-used, sometimes several times, in the master TOC, and need to be individually managed (I'd much prefer to use Conditional Tags at topic level over content level if I can avoid it). There may also be rather a lot of these teeny topics eventually (perhaps a thousand or so).

I have played with the page break settings in the <h1> and <h2> styles, but to no effect.

Any ideas? Or am I barking up the wrong tree here?

Cheers!
Julie

[SteveS]

Hi Julie,

Welcome to the forums.

As you've discovered, it's 1 topic/ 1 web page.

For a one off, you could export your Flare project to Word and reimport to "merge" topics, but I suspect that might casue more problems than not.

You could also author so each final web page is an individual topic in your project. Content under heading 2 which is repeated can be handled as snippets. This is how most people use Flare (and other similar products).

HTH

[bleebs]

Gah! I was barking up the wrong tree then.

Thanks Steve. I was really hoping that was *not* it but did have a sneaking suspicion that might be the case. I'm used to working with database structures so my mind just works that way.

I'll give snippets a go then. I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to get some enormously long topics though.

(DITA?)

Cheers
Julie