Using Folders in a Book and publishing as HTML5

[Urthie2011]

If I use folders in my book to organize content and then generate the book as HTML5, there are too many levels in the sidebar TOC. I have a folder named Administration with a single file named Install and Configure. When I generate HTML5, it creates a top level folder Administration, a second level folder Install and Configure, then the hyperlink to the actual page is listed. Administration>Install and Configure>Install and Configure. Three clicks to get to a single page. If I remove the folders, then the content is generated correctly Install and Configure>Initial configuration.Two clicks to get to the page. OK, for smaller books that might be doable, but large command references which are alphabetized and contain hundreds of files, not doable.

This is FM2017.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Check your pagination settings - sounds like it's creating too many layers of topics because of extra pagination on other heading levels.

[Urthie2011]

They're all set to delete empty pages. And if you make the book file flat, it removes the extra level. So instead of structuring the book as Book>Folder>Doc, it's now

Book

Folder

Doc

Folder and Doc are at the same level.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

No, I meant pagination in the sense of the Publish module - what rules should the publishing engine (which is really RoboHelp btw) use to split up FM content into topics.

[Urthie2011]

It's set to Default. None of the other settings have any effect on the HTML generation when you change them.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

They should - can you post a screenshot of how your Conversion Settings are set for paragraph tags?

[Urthie2011]

I even turned off Twisties to see if that had any effect and it did not.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Hi Urthie2011, it sounds like you might benefit from the 3 posts/webinars/videos I did for Adobe on HTML5 publishing.

​Go to http://www.techcommtools.com/free-html5-publish-training/  to get these free resources sent to you via email.

[vinayakrishnabhat]

Hello Urthie2011,

Even I had faced the same issue last month. I don't know whether the procedure (or workaround) which I follow is correct or not as I didnt find any help topics on this, but this works for me. I think every folder you create in a book must be associated with a fm file. You can't keep a folder empty. This is what I did.

1. Create a folder in the book.

2. Add all the fm files to the book inside the folder.

3. Right click the folder. The following options are listed.

4. Click Properties. The following pop-up opens.

5. Select the Template Path check box and browse for the associated FM file for the folder. (As I mentioned, there must be some content even for the folder, so I create a fm file to associate with the folder)

6. Click Set.

7. Publish the book.

This worked wonderfully for me. This must work for you too.

But, as you mentioned even I found this very strange that they have provided a folder structure in book but it doesn't work well in the output!! Very strange. We can log this is as a bug I guess.

Hope this helps.

Vinay