Using Multiple Master Pages in Your Project

 Article #: FMP1001F  Product: Flare   Version: ALL

 

Summary:

Users can select one master page per target; however, more than one master pages can be applied to the help topics in a single target using a stylesheet. If you would Like to use multiple stylesheets please see this alternate method FMP1002F - Using Multiple Master Pages in a Help Target.htm

Note: As of Flare 12 master pages can be applied directly to topics through the Topic Properties menu. For more information see "Associating Master Pages with Topics"

Solution:

  1. Create the master pages that you want to use in the project. For example, say you have a master page for your topics (topicMaster.flmsp) and another master page just for your welcome topic (welcomeMaster.flmsp).
  2. In the main stylesheet, left-click on the HTML tag to select it, then expand the "Unclassified" category, and set the mc-master-page property to the master page that will be used by default on the topics. In this example, set it totopicMaster.flmsp
  3. Click the Add Class icon at the top of the Stylesheet Editor and gave the new HTML class a name. For this example, give it the name "welcome".
  4. Set the mc-master-page property for the custom HTML tag to a different master page. In this example, set it to welcomeMaster.flmsp
  5. Save the stylesheet.
  6. In the Target Editor, set the Master Page field to the default master page. In this example, it would be topicMaster.flmsp. Save the target.
  7. Open any topics that won't be using the default master page. In this example, this would be the "welcome" topic. With the Show Blocks option enabled, right-click on the HTML block and select Style Class > {class name}. In this example, it would be Style Class > html.welcome.
    • To apply master pages to multiple topics in a batch type process:
       
      1. Set the "Primary Target" and "Project Properties" defaults for the Stylesheet to "(default)". This allows the topic properties for the master page to be changed. Once this process is done, the defaults can be set back the Stylesheet desired.
      2. Click View > File List
      3. Using CTRL + Click > Select the topics that will use the master page
      4. Right click the topics and choose Properties (F4)
      5. Click on the Topic Properties Tab
      6. Verify the correct stylesheet is applied
      7. Click the "Topic Style Class" drop down and choose the HTML.Class containing the mc-master-page created in step 3 above
      8. Click OK. This will write the class name in each topics HTML tag
      9. Set the default stylesheet back in the Primary target or project properties if needed.
      10. Click Save All and jump to step 9
  8. Save the Topic
  9. Generate the output

Attribution:

Last updated:

January 9, 2017

Author:

Lisa Tinker

Contributions by:

Rob Hollinger