Managing Related Topics

Related topics (also known as "subtopic links") can be created/edited and viewed using the Related Topics pane and the Topics window. The related topics feature is very powerful, because it lets you customize relevant "See Also" links for any topic, without the need to create individual cross-reference links. Combined with the automatically created subtopic relations, this means your online outputs can help your users find the exact topic they need, when they need it. It can also eliminate topic "dead ends" in your online output.

By default, related topics will display at the bottom of an online topic like this:

Using the Related Topics view, you can add additional subtopic links to a topic, as well as disable or hide links.

Subtopic links are created automatically by Doc-To-Help based on heading styles. They display in online outputs at the bottom of the topic.

By default, the related subtopics are the children of the main topic (Heading 1 styles will display Heading 2 styles as subtopics; Heading 2 styles will display Heading 3 styles.) The display of subtopic links is controlled by the topic type of the heading style, and can be turned on/off in the Project Styles dialog using the Auto Subtopic Links check box. See Project Styles.

In the bottom section of the Related Topics view, these automatic relations are flagged as "Subtopics."

You can note where any topic displayed in the lower half of the Related Topics pane belongs in the topic hierarchy by selecting it and clicking the Go to Related Topic button in the local toolbar.

The Filter icon can be used to easily search through any of the Subtopics.

  1. Open the Related Topics window view and select a topic. This topic could already have automatic subtopics, custom related topics, or no related topics.

  2. Go to the Topics window, select the desired related topic, and drag it into the lower half of the Related Topics view. The new relation will be flagged as a "Custom Related Topic."

    This custom relation will display in the Related Topics list for that topic after the target is rebuilt.

  • Choose the relation and click the Remove Relation button.

If you would prefer that the entire related topics list does not display in a specific topic.

  1. Open the Related Topics window view and select the topic.

  2. In the local toolbar, click the Disable Subtopic Relations button.

    In the bottom section of the Related Topics view, the message will read "Subtopic Relations Disabled by User."

  1. Select the Target ribbon.
  2. Click the Target Properties button. The Help Targets dialog opens.
  3. From the list on the left, choose the appropriate online target.
  4. Change the Label field. (By default, the label is "More:").
  1. Open the Topics Panel window and select the topic.
  2. Select the Doc-To-Help ribbon, and click Topic Properties.
  3. Edit the Related Links Label field in the Topic Properties window.
  1. Select the Target ribbon.
  2. Click the Target Properties button.The Help Targets dialog opens.
  3. From the list on the left, choose the appropriate online target.
  4. Change the Label style and/or Links style field(s).

Note For more information, see Related Topics Window Pane.