Make H2's expandable sections of a previous H1

[ashtontreadway]

We have a command reference that contains several hundred commands, each of which has three basic sections: an overview, syntax, and examples.

The overview is an H1, but the examples and syntax topics are H2s (with their own H3s).

Is there a simple way to tell Flare to make all of the H2's following each H1 clickable expansions within the H1's topic page?

What we want to wind up with is:

(H1) OVERVIEW
(expandable link) H2 SYNTAX
(expandable link) H2 EXAMPLES

Upon clicking a given expandable link, it would look something like:

(H1) OVERVIEW
(expanded link) H2 SYNTAX
Syntax text
(H3) H3 within Syntax topic
(expandable link) H2 EXAMPLES

Apologies if this is either a bog-standard n00b question or unclear; I'm having a hell of a time even figuring out which part of the help I want to read for this.

[ecjoe]

Hi,

I'm not sure if there is an automated way to tell Flare to make certain styles (e.g., H2) to be automatically expandable.

Consider the following two alternative methods for achieving the requested behavior:
1. Create and the format the desired sample topic. Make sure to make it as generic as possible. In other words, the format for this sample topic should be similar to the format that should be applied to most of your commands.
2. Use one of the following solutions:
- Templates: Create a template from that topic. I would recommend this approach since it is the easiest to implement. Use this template whenever you create a new topic for a command.
- Snippets: Create a snippet from the desired sections of the topic. Insert this snippet in each command topic.

Joe

[NorthEast]

There isn't a simple way to do this.

You probably have two choices:

- Update your source topics to insert drop-downs around h2 sections. You could do this using a find-and-replace tool such as FAR HTML.

- Use some scripting to modify the output topics on-the-fly, to insert some drop-down code around h2 sections. Obviously you need some experience in javascript/jQuery to do this.


Both approaches should be possible, provided your topics follow a consistent structure as you've described.

[ChoccieMuffin]

I would go with Dave's first suggestion, with the proviso that you include MadCap:dropDownHead in your PRINT medium and format it the same as a regular H2, so that when you create a PDF it looks just like an ordinary H2. (If you like you can create MadCap:dropDownHead.h2, MadCap:dropDownHead.h3 etc if you want a bit more control.)

[Msquared]

Morning folks!

Just come across this post while searching to forums for something else. I thought I'd add my two penny-worth.

I completely agree with Dave and Choccie Muffin's suggestion to use drop-downs for this. I've just started using drop-downs very heavily, wanting something that expands in WebHelp and looks "normal" in a PDF. I have defined styles for MadCap:dropDownHead.h2, MadCap:dropDownHead.h3 etc, but, and this is quite a big but . . .

The PDF implementation of drop-downs is really buggy, even in Flare 10, especially if your section headings use auto-numbering. This is an enormous shame as it could be so useful. I've ended up having to make a lot of compromises and less-than-optimal adjustments to get even slightly reasonable PDF output. So, please if you use drop-downs and need good PDF output, join me in reporting the bugs that you spot.

So far, I have reported the following:

• Property page-break-after: avoid; is not always honoured for drop-down styles, even when there is no reason not to honour it. The paragraphs inside the drop-down appear to bind together more strongly than the heading binds to the first paragraph, even if the style settings contradict this.
• Drop-down headings often start on a new page, even when there is enough space on the previous page for the heading and most of the body. Again, Flare seems reluctant to split the paragraphs in the drop-down body, even if the style settings contradict this.
• Problem with drop down head formatting when auto-number styles are used. The placements of numbering and margins is not correct and the results are so poor than I ended up manually spacing my numbers from the headings with hard-coded spaces, which isn't perfect, but looks better than Flare manages to do.
• PDF bookmarks lose section numbers when drop-downs are used. So, if some sections in the PDF are from drop-downs and some aren't, the list of bookmarks looks odd because some have section numbers and some don't.
• PDF bookmarks can be listed in the wrong order in the bookmarks panel when some content is in drop-downs

HAs anyone else noticed this, and/or have any good work-arounds?