Editing Expanding Text

You can edit expanding text that you have inserted into a topic in at least three different ways: (1) edit the content in the expanding text, (2) edit the style of expanding text, and (3) unbind (or remove) the expanding text effect (see Removing/Unbinding Drop-Down Text). Following are steps to edit expanding text content and styles.

How to Edit the Content in Expanding Text

The first way to edit expanding text is to change the actual content in the expanding text heading (or hotspot) or in the expanding text body.

  1. Open the content file.

  2. In the XML Editor, click in the area containing the expanding text hotspot or body. Then add, remove, or replace the content as necessary.

  3. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

Example You have expanding text in a topic that contains the words "click here" as the hotspot, and the rest of the sentence after the hotspot is the expanding text body. If you want to change the text of the hotspot to "see this," you would simply replace the hotspot text (which is the text between the first set of brackets). And if you want to add another sentence to the expanding text body, you would simply click at the end of the current expanding text body (within the second set of brackets) and type the additional sentence.

How to Edit the Style in Expanding Text

You can edit the style (e.g., font, color) of an expanding text hotspot or body. When you do this, the style changes for all expanding text in any topics in your project.

  1. From the Content Explorer, open the stylesheet that you want to modify.

  2. Complete one of the following sets of steps, depending on whether you want to use the Simplified view or Advanced view in the Stylesheet Editor.

    • Simplified The Simplified view displays styles in a grid view and is often best for brand new users.

      This view provides an easy way to apply properties to styles, with format options available from a toolbar and dialogs (similar to the way one would use an interface such as Microsoft Word). In some cases, only the most common property options are available in the Simplified view (e.g., font, letter/word spacing, paragraph alignment/indentation, autonumbering format, borders, background). One advantage of the Simplified view is that you can apply a property to multiple styles at the same time. You can also click a check box to hide the properties in the editor, allowing you to see only the styles.

    • Advanced The Advanced view displays styles in a tree structure, and despite the name, is user friendly for authors of all levels.

      For the properties, you can toggle between a grouped display and an alphabetical display. The Advanced view of the Stylesheet Editor lets you edit more settings than are available in the Simplified view. In addition, the Advanced view lets you see and apply settings to multiple mediums and media queries at the same time.

    3. If Using Simplified View

    1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays The button to change the stylesheet to the simplified view. (which means that the Simplified view is currently shown in the editor). If the button displays The button to change the stylesheet to the advanced view. instead, then click it.
    2. In the upper-left corner of the editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
    3. From the grid in the bottom portion of the editor, find and select one of the expanding text styles:
      • MadCap|expanding This style affects the entire container holding an expanding text effect, including the image that is shown when an expanding text effect is open or closed.
      • MadCap|expandingBody This style affects the expanded text portion of an expanding text effect (i.e., the area that is displayed or hidden when users click the hotspot link).
      • MadCap|expandingHead This style affects the hotspot portion of an expanding text effect.
    4. In the local toolbar of the editor, click Display properties for the selected item.. The Properties dialog opens.

    5. Use the tabs and fields in the Properties dialog to change values for any of the style's properties.

      For more information see Styles and Stylesheets, as well as Editing Styles in a Regular Stylesheet.

    6. In the Properties dialog, click OK.

    If Using Advanced View

    1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays The button to change the stylesheet to the advanced view.. If the button displays The button to change the stylesheet to the simplified view. instead, then click it.
    2. In the upper-left corner of the editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
    3. On the left side of the editor, find and select one of the expanding text styles:
      • MadCap|expanding This style affects the entire container holding an expanding text effect, including the image that is shown when an expanding text effect is open or closed.
      • MadCap|expandingBody This style affects the expanded text portion of an expanding text effect (i.e., the area that is displayed or hidden when users click the hotspot link).
      • MadCap|expandingHead This style affects the hotspot portion of an expanding text effect.
    4. From the Show drop-down list on the upper-right side of the editor, select Filter using the drop-down to show assorted relevant properties in the stylesheet.. The most relevant properties for that style are shown on the right side of the editor.
    5. (Optional) You can use the toggle button in the local toolbar to show properties below in a group view Stylesheet local toolbar button to show properties in a group view. or an alphabetical view Stylesheet local toolbar button to show properties in an alphabetical view..

    6. Locate the property you want to change.

    7. The area to the right of the property is used for selecting and entering values. If you know how to enter the information correctly, you can click in the value field and type it directly. Otherwise, click the ellipsis button Display more options. to the right of the property. Depending on the type of property, the appropriate controls and options display, allowing you to choose or enter values (e.g., select from a drop-down list, click a button, complete fields in a dialog or popup). If you completed values in a popup, click OK at the bottom of the box.

      Following are some of the more common properties that you might change:

      • mc-closed-image This style, located in the Unclassified property group, lets you select an image to be shown next to the expanding text effect when it is in a closed state. To use this property, first select the MadCap|expanding style mentioned above.
      • mc-closed-image-alt-text This style, located in the Unclassified property group, lets you set alternate text for the expanding text effect when it is in a closed state. See Accessibility.
      • mc-open-image This style, located in the Unclassified property group, lets you select an image to be shown next to the expanding text effect when it is in an open state. To use this property, first select the MadCap|expanding style mentioned above.
      • mc-open-image-alt-text This style, located in the Unclassified property group, lets you set alternate text for the expanding text effect when it is in an open state. See Accessibility.
      • mc-image-spacing This style, located in the Unclassified property group, lets you set the spacing around the image next to the expanding text effect.

      For more information see Styles and Stylesheets, as well as Editing Styles in a Regular Stylesheet.

  3. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

What’s Noteworthy?

Note To edit alternate text for this feature in a specific language, you can modify the language skin. In the Language Skin Editor, select the desired language skin target, then adjust the values for the related AltText property. See Applying Alt Text.