Adobe RoboHelp 7: Multiple TOCs

by Kevin A. Siegel

 

A typical Help system has a Contents tab which you create in RoboHelp's Table of Contents folder on the Project Manager pod.

 

A typical Contents tab is made up of books and pages. Books can contain pages or other books. The pages typically point to topics in your project. 

 

RoboHelp 7 allows you to create multiple TOCs, each of which can be attached to a Single Source Layout. Using this feature, you can create myriad versions of your Help System, each with a unique TOC. 

1. On the Project Manager pod, open the Table of Contents folder
   
   By default, there is always one TOC in the Table of Contents folder.
   
   
2. To create a new TOC, right-click the Table of Contents folder and choose New Table of Contents
   
   
3. Give the new TOC a name
   
   
4. To make you new TOC look like an existing TOC (you will be able to modify the new TOC later), select Copy existing Table of Contents
   
   
5. Click the button to the far right of the dialog box and open an existing project TOC (any .hhc file within your project folder)
   
   
   
   
6. Click OK
   
   For the moment, your new TOC is identical to the project's existing TOC.
   
   
7. Open the new TOC and move, delete and rename books and pages as you see it
   
   In the image below, the TOC at the left is the original TOC; the one on the right is the new one. While similar, the one on the right is missing one of the books.
   
   
   
   The only remaining task is to attach the new TOC to a Single Source Layout.
   
   
8. On the Single Source Layouts pod, show the Properties of a layout (right-click the layout and choose Properties)
   
   
9. Select your new TOC from the Table of Contents drop-down menu
   
   
10. Click Save
    
    You will see your new TOC the next time you generate and view the layout.  

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Want to learn more about Adobe RoboHelp 7? Click here.