Creating a Browse Sequence

You can easily create a browse sequence manually, adding books, as well as links to topics, other browse sequences, and external files, in any kind of structure you want. Another option is to create a browse sequence automatically. This method is based on the heading levels in your topics (h1 through h6). When you create browse sequence automatically, you will use some of the same steps that you used when creating a browse sequence manually; you still add topic entries to a browse sequence manually. The difference is that the automatic method lets you automatically create sub-entries in a browse sequence for the subheadings in your topics.

Which method should you choose (a manual browse sequence or an automatic browse sequence)? There are advantages to both methods. Plus, you can use both methods if you want. You can start by using the automatic method and then supplementing the TOC manually.

The advantage of creating a browse sequence manually is that you have more flexibility in the way to structure a browse sequence. In addition, you can include more than just topics and books when creating a browse sequence manually. For example, you can include links to other browse sequences.

The advantage of automatic method is that it can be faster.

How to Create a Browse Sequence Manually

1. If you do not already have one in your project, add a new browse sequence file. See Adding a Browse Sequence File.
2. If it isn't already displayed in the Browse Sequence Editor, open your browse sequence from the Advanced folder in the Project Organizer. See Opening a Browse Sequence.

3. Do one of the following:

   To Create Browse Sequence Entries using Drag and Drop

   1. Open the Content Explorer or File List window pane.

      (Optional) If you want to choose multiple files at the same time from the Content Explorer, click the Show Files button in the local toolbar. The Content Explorer splits into two halves. On the right half of the Content Explorer, find and select the folder and topic files that you want to include in the browse sequence. You can hold the SHIFT key to select a range, or you can hold the CTRL key to select individual items.

      (Optional) If you want to choose files from the File List window pane, you might need to float and position it (see Customizing the Workspace) so that you can see both the File List window pane and Browse Sequence Editor.

      Note Make sure you do not select the "Resources" folder in the Content Explorer. This holds your ancillary content files (e.g., images, stylesheets). If you select it, the folder and all of its contents will be included in the browse sequence.

   2. Click and drag topic files from the Content Explorer or File List window pane to the Browse Sequence Editor.

   To Create Browse Sequence Entries Manually

   You can manually create different types of browse sequence entries, such as a book or topic entry. You can also create a topic from the Browse Sequence Editor and link it to the browse sequence at the same time. See Creating Browse Sequence Entries.

   To Link Browse Sequence Entries

   You can manually link browse sequence entries to topics, books, and bookmarks. Additionally, you can link an entry to external files or Help systems, other browse sequences, TOCs, other Flare projects, HTML Help systems, and Mimic movies. See Linking Browse Sequence Entries.

4. Click to save your work.

How to Create a Browse Sequence Automatically

1. Make sure your topics include headings with the h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, or h6 styles.
2. Create at least part of a browse sequence manually.
3. Double-click a browse sequence entry for which you want to auto-create sub-entries. The Properties dialog opens.
4. Select the Auto-generate tab.
5. Select the check box Compute sub-entries from linked file.
6. In the Action field, select either Insert Computed Entries or Replace with Computed Entries. "Insert Computed Entries" will add the browse sequence sub-entries below the one you selected. "Replace with Computed Entries" will remove the browse sequence entry that you selected, replacing it with the sub-entries based on the h1 through h6 styles in the topic.

7. In the Depth field, click the down arrow and select a number from the list to specify how many levels of headings you want to include in the auto-generation.

   Example If you select 3, Flare will create browse sequence sub-entries for all h1, h2, and h3 headings in the topic.

8. Click OK.
9. Click to save your work.

Blue Text = Links to System Variables

When you drag a topic into a browse sequence to create a link to it—or if you click to create a new topic at the same time that you add a new browse sequence entry—you’ll notice that the text is blue.

This doesn’t mean that the text will show up as blue in the output. Instead, what it means is that the browse sequence entry contains a system variable (see System Variables). This variable is called “LinkedTitle.”

It means that the browse sequence entry text is tied to the title for that topic. The title can be changed in the properties dialog for the topic.

It can also be changed in the markup.

If the title for the topic changes, the browse sequence entry will automatically change too so that you don’t have to remember to do it manually.

If your topic doesn’t have a title (and it doesn’t have to), Flare will then use the first heading it finds in the topic instead.

And if it doesn’t find a heading, it will use the file name for the topic.

You can keep the browse sequence entry associated with the LinkedTitle variable. But you also have the option of forcing it to use something else instead.

In the Properties dialog for the entry, you can click next to the Label field to open the Variables dialog. You can choose the LinkedHeader variable if you want the browse sequence entry to always use the heading instead of the title.

You also have the option of choosing the LinkedFile variable if you want to force it to use the file name.

And finally, you might decide not to use a variable at all and simply type text manually for the label, in which case the text will be black in the Browse Sequence Editor.

What’s Noteworthy?

What’s Next?

After you create a browse sequence, you can edit various properties for the individual entries within it. See Editing Browse Sequences.

You also need to enable browse sequences in a skin. See Enabling Browse Sequences in Skins.