Make click of topic heading <topichead> expand branch in web

[jasowen]

When <topichead> is used in the hierarchy of a map, the Webhelp output shows it as a topic heading with a book icon. To expand the branch under the topic heading, you click on the book icon. We would like for the topic title itself to also be clickable so that if a user clicks on it, the branch expands (just like when they click on the book icon). This change would improve the accessibility of information in the Webhelp, especially for users who struggle with finite hand and mouse control. The book icon alone is a bit of a small target for some users to click on.
Jason

[Radu]

Hi Jason,

Actually someone asked us a couple of days ago about doing this for any clicked link in the TOC (expanding the available children).
I've also added your use case to the registered issue so probably in a future version we will have some parameters to control this behavior.

Below you can find the workaround I gave for expanding TOC nodes when clicking topic reference links. Maybe you can adapt it to do so only for topic heads. Or maybe this behavior is OK to happen for all topic references.

The Oxygen WebHelp plugin stylesheets and Java Script are available in the "OXYGEN_INSTALL_DIR/frameworks/dita/DITA-OT/plugins/webhelp" directory.

The TOC is based on jQuery.

You can open the XSL "OXYGEN_INSTALL_DIR/frameworks/dita/DITA-OT/plugins/webhelp/xsl/map2webhelptoc.xsl" stylesheet, search for the:

function select(){
selectLink(this.parentNode.id);
}

and replace with:

function select(){
selectLink(this.parentNode.id);
//And also expand it
$(this.parentNode).find(">.hitarea")
.replaceClass("expandable-hitarea", "collapsable-hitarea")
.end().replaceClass("collapsable", "expandable")
// find child lists
.find(">ul")
// toggle them
.heightShow("fast", false);
}

Regards,
Radu

[jasowen]

Hi Radu, could you tell me what version of oXygen Editor you think this change will be in?
Jason

[Radu]

Hi Jason,

Oxygen 13 will be available in a couple of weeks but unfortunately we did not have time to discuss and fix this issue in it. So hopefully this improvement will probably get included in the next minor version after Oxygen 13 (in a couple of months).

Regards,
Radu

[jasowen]

Okay. Thanks for letting me know your roadmap plans. This helps with our planning. We appreciate it.

[Radu]

Hi,

When building WebHelp with Oxygen 13.2 which was just released the clicked topic references will be expanded if they contain child topics.

Regards,
Radu

[kate.webtrends]

I'm using <oXygen/> XML Author 13.2, build 2012012413. After I build WebHelp, I still need to click the book icon to expand the branch under the topic heading. The topic heading itself <topichead navtitle="Request Methods"> is not a link. Should it still be working this way?
I opened map2webhelptoc.xsl to make the recommended edits, but it looks like the markup has changed since that suggestion was posted.

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

Only the elements with a href attribute are expanded on click on the topic title. A topichead does not have a href attribute so it is not expanded. You have to click on the book icon for expanding it. We will make all the elements from a map expandable in a future version of Oxygen so that a click on the book icon will not be necessary.


Regards,
Sorin

[ricfis]

Hello I am also using <oXygen/> XML Author 13.2. After I build WebHelp, I still need to click the book icon to expand the branch under the topic heading.

Also the cursor shows the hand symbol which suggests the user can click on it yes the topic does not expand and there are subtopics and references.

Thanks
Richard

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

Hello I am also using <oXygen/> XML Author 13.2. After I build WebHelp, I still need to click the book icon to expand the branch under the topic heading.

I cannot reproduce the problem in Firefox, in Internet Explorer or in Chrome. The WebHelp output created with Oxygen 13.2 also expands the branch when I click on the text, I don't have to click on the book icon. In what browser (name and version) do you get the problem? What is your Oxygen build number (that is visible in the Help -> About dialog box)? Can you send us some sample files for reproducing the problem: a zip archive with both the input files and the output files?


Regards,
Sorin

[ricfis]

Hi Sorin

Sure here are some details. We are using Internet Explorer Version 7.0 and <oXygen/> XML Editor 13.2, build 2012040515

What should I set any of these to:
Type:
Format:
Scope:

I'll have to see what file I can send you.

Richard

Hello,

Hello I am also using <oXygen/> XML Author 13.2. After I build WebHelp, I still need to click the book icon to expand the branch under the topic heading.

I cannot reproduce the problem in Firefox, in Internet Explorer or in Chrome. The WebHelp output created with Oxygen 13.2 also expands the branch when I click on the text, I don't have to click on the book icon. In what browser (name and version) do you get the problem? What is your Oxygen build number (that is visible in the Help -> About dialog box)? Can you send us some sample files for reproducing the problem: a zip archive with both the input files and the output files?


Regards,
Sorin

[sorin_ristache]

Hi Richard,

Sure here are some details. We are using Internet Explorer Version 7.0 and <oXygen/> XML Editor 13.2, build 2012040515

I tried in IE 7 too and the branch is expanded when I click in the text of that branch.

What should I set any of these to:
Type:
Format:
Scope:

I'll have to see what file I can send you.

Do the branches that are expanded only by clicking on the book icon generated from <topichead> elements in the DITA map that do not have a href attribute? If yes then that is expected behavior as I explained above in this discussion.

Please check if clicking on the text of a branch (not on the book icon) that is generated from a <topicref> elements that has a href attribute expands the branch correctly. If this type of branch is not expanded when clicking on the text please archive the whole directory where the input files (DITA map and topics) and output files (the out directory) are stored and send us the zip archive.


Thank you,
Sorin

[ricfis]

Hello,

Do the branches that are expanded only by clicking on the book icon generated from <topichead> elements in the DITA map that do not have a href attribute? If yes then that is expected behavior as I explained above in this discussion.

No none of my branches have a href attriburte. An currently we don't want them to. We only want the enduser to be able to expand a topic by clicking on the book. However, the hand icon is still appearing when the user hovers over the topic title making it appear clickable and of as expected nothing happens. Will you still need some files for examples?

Please check if clicking on the text of a branch (not on the book icon) that is generated from a <topicref> elements that has a href attribute expands the branch correctly. If this type of branch is not expanded when clicking on the text please archive the whole directory where the input files (DITA map and topics) and output files (the out directory) are stored and send us the zip archive.

This is not the case. Although if we can't get the hand icon to be in the form of an hour glass then we may go the 'href' route.



Thanks
Richard

[sorin_ristache]

Hi,

No none of my branches have a href attriburte. An currently we don't want them to. We only want the enduser to be able to expand a topic by clicking on the book.

Sure here are some details. We are using Internet Explorer Version 7.0 and <oXygen/> XML Editor 13.2, build 2012040515

The problem was fixed in Oxygen 14.0 (which was released in June 2012). When clicking on the title that comes from a topichead element which does not have a href attribute (so there is no target page to be opened) the element was not expanded in the WebHelp output created with version 13.2 but it is expanded correctly in the WebHelp output created with version 14.0.


Regards,
Sorin