Changing Topic Titles

You can change the name of a topic title.

Where the Title is Used

This title is used in the following situations.

  • Help Control Links The title displays as a selection when users click Help control links (i.e., related topics links, concept or "see also" links, and keyword links) that are associated with that topic. See Links.
  • Search Results When someone performs a search in online output, each result has a title to identify it. See Search.
  • TOC Entry If you drag the topic from the Content Explorer to the TOC Editor in Flare, the label for that new entry automatically takes on the property title of the topic. See Creating a TOC.
  • Window Title Bar If the topic is opened in a new window or outside of the project, the title is shown in the title bar of that window.

There is an order of precedence for which element is used:

  1. Topic Title in Properties Dialog The title set in the Properties dialog has the highest level of precedence.
  2. Headings in Topic If there is no topic title specified in the Properties dialog, Flare uses text associated with h1 through h6 heading styles.
  3. File Name If there is no topic title or headings in a topic, Flare uses the topic file name.

How to Change the Title of a Topic

  1. Open the Content Explorer.
  2. Locate and click on the topic file.
  3. In the local toolbar, click Display properties for the selected item.. The Properties dialog for the file opens.
  4. Click the Topic Properties tab.

  5. In the Topic Title field, you can enter a title. If you want to insert a variable in a field, you can click Add a variable definition.. The variable will appear as syntax in the field, but in the output the variable definition will be shown.

    If you leave this field empty, it will automatically use the first heading text it finds in the topic. Therefore, the title will be adjusted automatically if you later change the heading text in the topic.

  6. Click OK.

Word Import—Use First Heading for Topic Title

You can use an automatic topic title option when importing Word documents (via the Import Microsoft Word Wizard or Word Import Editor). See Importing Word Files.

If this option is enabled, the properties setting for the topic title automatically uses the first heading in the topic.

Therefore, if you later change the heading text in the topic, the title adjusts automatically as well.

If this option is disabled, the properties setting is based on that text as it existed at the time of the import only, and it remains so unless you manually change it later.