Contents

The Contents list automatically stays in sync with the topic file loaded into the main pane, unless that topic file is not listed in the Contents (that is, is not a part of the current project). If subprojects are defined, OmniHelp checks to see if the selected file belongs to a subproject, and if so merges the subproject into the main project. Otherwise, the Contents continues to display the context of the last-displayed topic file.

As with WinHelp and HTML Help, the OmniHelp Contents list expands and contracts if in the .ohx file tocExpand is set. In addition, buttons at the top of the panel permit full expansion or contraction of the Contents in one operation. The tocGroupsOpen .ohx setting determines whether groups are all open or closed at the start.

Closing the groups containing the current topic

It is problematic to close groups that contain the currently-displayed topic, as that would break the synchronization between topics and Contents. So OmniHelp ignores any such request; even if the Close All button is pressed, all of the ancestors of the current topic remain open. This may be startling to those used to the HTML Help way of dealing with this situation, which is to close the group and change the current topic to the one at the top of the group just closed. One can accomplish this in OmniHelp simply by clicking on the topic itself, to select it, before clicking on the minus box to close its group. That way, the change of topic is an explicit choice, rather than an inconsistent side-effect of closing.

Contents list for Nav 4 can be Full, Medium, or Short

If the expanding Contents is not selected, or if Nav 4 is detected; the Contents is fully expanded instead, so that every entry is an immediately clickable link. Because a fully expanded Contents can take several seconds to display for a large project, the user can choose to view a subset of Contents entries, using radio buttons in the second row of the navigation-control table. These buttons offer a choice of Short, Medium, or Full display; the start-up default is Medium; however, any user-specified setting is retained, using persistent cookies.

Short Contents list

The short display is designed to fit in the navigation pane without requiring scrolling under almost all conditions. The short display includes the current topic; above the current topic, its direct ancestors up to the top level of the document, much like the list shown in trails (“bread crumbs”); below the current topic, one level only of children of the current topic. The short display ends with the next topic at the same level as the current topic, and the next after that at a higher level; this allows easy movement forward through the system to later major heads. This configuration displays very quickly.

Medium Contents list

The medium display gives a bit more information, although usually a lot less than the full display. The medium display includes all items in the short display, plus above the current topic the siblings of the direct ancestors (aunts and uncles, but not cousins). Below the current topic the medium display includes all levels of descendants (grandchildren), and all following siblings (not just the next sibling).