Opening a generated HTML project with no sections exposed

[GeoffreyMarnell]

RH2020 query: I have a ToC where every topic is a child of some section or other. When I generate the HTML5, the project always opens with the topics in the first section displayed (that is, we see that particular branch of the tree exposed). Is there some way to get RH to open in a browser without any section open?

[Background: Logically speaking, Section 1 – being an introduction – should be at the start of the help. But it is a group of topics that will probably only be read once and only by newbies. But by being dsplayed with all topics exposed, it takes up critical screen real estate. This is sure to frustrate non-newbie users.]

Thanks

Geoffrey

[Amebr]

The only way I'm aware of is to not place your default topic in any books in the ToC.

The Frameless output has a skin home page option, which displays the top level of your toc as a series of tiles rather than the standard toc hierarchy. Which gets around the ToC expanding but the look is not to everyone's taste and would require you to customise a whole new skin and potentially adjust code for any CSH in your application.

Another option might be to create a new topic to use as your default topic, which you'd place at the top of your toc, outside any books. It could just include the corporate logo centred on the page or something?

[GeoffreyMarnell · Accepted solution]

Once again, many thanks Amebr. You are spot on.

[Amebr]

And, to prevent the topic showing in the toc, tick the "Hide in output" checkbox. I think that should allow the topic to display, but not show up in the toc...

(On a side note, I had a brilliant idea that works perfectly in RH2019 but not in RH2020, and I can't decide if it's a bug or deliberate 😄 )