Proxies

A proxy acts as a placeholder for auto-generated content or content that you have created elsewhere. When you build output, the content takes the place of that proxy. Proxies can be added to regular topics, as well as to template pages. The difference is that a proxy added to a topic will display that information in the output only once (wherever the topic occurs), but if a proxy is added to a template page, the content will show up everywhere that the template page has been applied. Proxies are quite often used for print-based outputs, especially to create navigation-like elements, such as TOCs, indexes, and glossaries. However, proxies can be used in online output as well. They can be especially useful if you are creating HTML5 Top Navigation output, where the traditional Tripane format is replaced by a more modern design that relies heavily on proxies.

Note Options in the Advanced tab of print-based targets let you automatically add glossary, index, and TOC proxies to output. This means you do not need to create unique topics and insert proxies into them manually. The auto-generate method is much quicker and easier than the manual method. The manual method is more flexible but requires you to perform a number of extra steps, such as creating topics, inserting proxies, and adding files to the outline TOC. So if you simply want to quickly create print output with generated TOCs, glossaries, or indexes, the auto-generate option might be best for you. But if you want more control over the placement and look of the generated TOCs, glossaries, and indexes, you should use the manual method. See Auto-Generating Glossaries, Indexes, and TOCs for Print Outputs.

Note When you generate content from a proxy (e.g., list-of, mini-TOC proxies), keep in mind that some content may not show up in the output if you have used an option in the target to include only certain content based on links. See Including Specifically Linked Content.