Package Behavior in Publishing

The behavior of package files in publishing depends on the type of published output, the type of package file, and the level at which the package file is linked, as described below.

Player Outputs

Package files linked at all levels are included in all Player outputs in Try It! and Do It! modes. When linked at the concept level, most package files appear directly in the Concept pane when the user selects the parent document. Depending on the type of file, some concept package files open in a new window instead. When linked at the frame or bubble text level or when linked from a web page, users access the package file by clicking on the link icon or hyperlinked text/image. In these cases, all package files open in a new window, although the precise appearance and behavior of package files depends on the setup and browser settings of the computer on which they are viewed (see Package Considerations).

Warning! If a user's browser/system does not support a specific type of package file, the browser displays an error when the user attempts to access the linked package file, whether in the Concept pane or through a link. Therefore, you should consider your users' system setup when determining which types of package files to use.

Note: Package files linked to frames or bubble text are not available in See It! or Know It? playback modes in the Player.

Document Outputs

With one exception, package files do not appear in document outputs. The exception is graphic files, which can be included when you publish a Business Process Document, Training Guide, or Instructor Manual. Specifically, package graphic files linked directly at the concept and frame levels are included in these document outputs. Package graphic files linked to bubble text are excluded from all document outputs.

When linked at the concept level, the package graphic appears immediately after the name of the parent document to which it is linked. When linked at the topic frame level, the package graphic immediately follows the screen shot and steps for the frame to which it is linked. It appears in a lightly shaded box that is indented slightly to set it off from the surrounding content, with the link icon to its left. Although the graphic appears within the borders of the shaded box, it does not have a shaded background. When the same frame links to multiple package graphics or other attachments that are included in document outputs, each attachment is displayed as a separate item, in the order in which it is linked. If desired, you can use publishing format options to exclude directly linked package graphic files from all document outputs.

In addition, package graphics inserted as images in web pages can also be included in the above document outputs. In this case, the images appear as part of the web page, for web pages linked at the concept and frame levels. If desired, however, you can use publishing format options to exclude web page images, including those linked through packages, from all document outputs.

Finally, if a glossary term links to a graphic in a package as its definition link, the graphic appears in the Glossary section of a published Training Guide or Instructor Manual.

The maximum size for package graphics in document outputs is ½ page, so graphics that are larger than this are scaled accordingly and those that are smaller appear at full size.

Note: The Job Aid, Test, and HP Quality Center document outputs do not include linked package files.

Related Topics

Web Page Behavior in Publishing

URL Behavior in Publishing