XHTML Book only generates some topics, not all

[JeromeR]

I have a project (target output type = HTML) that publishes several topics, each in an html file.
Today I added a target whose output type is XHTML Book, and only one of my topics gets published. I'd like to see all my topics.

Question: What am I doing wrong?
• Please assume I'm a novice who needs enough details to be able to search the Help for cmoplete instructions.

Thanks.

[EFRoselli]

I'm a novice too, so take this with a grain of salt, but from my understanding the topics to be included in the output must be listed in a TOC, and that TOC must be called in the Target Editor, on the General tab, in the Master TOC field. Also, under the Conditional Text tab, there must be no inclusions or exclusions to limit the topics or files to be included in the generated output.

Hope that helps.
EFR

[Nita Beck]

We are fond of newbies here!

EFR is correct.

By default (since the beginning of Windows-based online Help tools), online output is assumed to include all topics in a project, so topics don't necessarily need to be listed on a TOC anywhere to be included in online output. Modern authoring tools like Flare do allow one to override this default behavior either by excluding topics based on conditions and/or by excluding topics by way of an option on the target's Advanced tab called "Exclude content not linked directly or indirectly from the target" (or, think of it as, not present on the target's TOC). Given that your original target is an HTML target, that is, an online target, it sounds like all the topics are being included.

By contrast and by default, a print target does NOT include all topics in a project. Rather, it includes ONLY those topics that appear on the TOC associated with that print target. I like to think of a print target's TOC as its outline. For a topic to be included, it's gotta be in the outline.

(Actually... now I'm stumped a little. I never build XHTML Book output; if that's an online output, then check to see if that "Exclude content..." option has been set and, if yes, then get that new topic on the TOC as EFR advises.)

HTH and that I haven't actually answered a question you weren't asking.

[JeromeR]

Thanks both for your advice. I added the topics in the ToC. After generating the XHTML Book, and all the content was in a file named GeneratedTOC.htm, not in separate files. Is that normal?

I was hoping the content would be in separate files, because we want to use those for something else. Actually not interested in the book, only in the XHTML. (Should I be generating DITA instead?)

-=- J