Avoiding repetition is very similar instructions

[Eric Lachance]

Hi there!

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience in repeating slight variation of the same instructions. What I mean is that since our software gives users the ability to add multiple type of objects (text, images, fields, etc), instructions on how to add each of these objects are the same, except for the object name itself. Right now these instructions are "global", meaning we define and "print" them once ("Adding objects to your page") and we don't name the objects. This is fine for printed documentation where you want to avoid repetition and it's all one on top of the other - but in webhelp output each topic is separate, thus meaning the "add object" instruction doesn't appear on each page.

If one of the header levels of the page was the object name, potentially I could just use a snippet and use one of the system variables for that header - but it's not the case and I don't really want to do this (it would be very weird). Of course, I don't really want to just have a plain "Adding objects to your page" without naming the object either, I think that would be equally weird.

Since there's no "topic-level variables" I don't see how this could happen. Before I make a feature request to add this, I was wondering if anyone ever came across this type of issue and had an idea on how to help me out.

Thanks a bunch!

[NorthEast]

Have you considered using snippet conditions?

Create a snippet, and include all of the object names, then mark each name with a separate condition.
Then when you insert the snippet in the topic, use the Snippet Conditions tab in the topic properties to exclude the conditions (object names) you don't want to appear in the topic.

[Eric Lachance]

Oh I see, and then even if the method differs in other ways then the name (an extra step for one object for example), then I can compensate for that with the same condition.

Smart!

Thanks Dave