Number of topics in a DITA Map

You can include as many topics as you need in a DITA Map. In addition to the bookmap, use a DITA Map for each chapter in the document.

Hiding a topic from TOC

If your output includes topics that should not be displayed in the table of contents, set the Toc attribute to no. For example, use this attribute to ensure that subtopics in an article are not displayed in the table of contents.

Create hierarchy by nesting

You can do the following to create hierarchy:

• Add component maps within a chapter map for large chunks of content.

• Nest topicrefs within other topicrefs in a DITA Map.

• Nest topics under a topichead element.

Nesting under topicref vs. topichead

Start a chapter or module with a topic if you have meaningful introductory content to include. If not, you can use a topichead. The topichead element provides the navigation title under which the topics are displayed.

Number of levels in a DITA Map hierarchy

Keep the structure of a chapter simple. Do not add unnecessary levels of hierarchy. The more you nest, the harder it becomes for users to read and navigate through the content. For more information about heading levels and nesting, see GIS Customer Documentation Standards.

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