<navtitle>

The navigation title (<navtitle>) element is one of a set of alternate titles that can be included inside the <titlealts> element. This navigation title might differ from the first level heading that shows in the main browser window. Use <navtitle> when the actual title of the topic isn't appropriate for use in a table of contents, navigation pane, or online content (for example, because the actual title is too long). Beginning with DITA 1.2, the <navtitle> element is also available in the <topicmeta> element in a <topicref> in a map, and its use is preferred over the <topicref> element's @navtitle attribute.

When <navtitle> is used in a map, it functions in the same way as the @navtitle attribute; both are used to specify a navigation title for the target of the <topicref> element. That is, the title itself will only be used as an actual navigation title when the title is locked; the title is locked when the <topicref> element sets the attribute locktitle="yes". If the title is not locked, processing systems will typically retrieve the current title from the target topic, looking first for a <navtitle> element and second for the general <title>.

When both a <navtitle> element and a @navtitle attribute are specified, the <navtitle> element SHOULD be used.

Because the <navtitle> element is available within <topicmeta>, and <topicmeta> is used in many different contexts, it is possible that <navtitle> can be specified in contexts where a navigation title does not make sense (for example, on the <topicgroup> element). In those situations, the <navtitle> element has no defined purpose.

Content models

See appendix for information about this element in OASIS document type shells.

Inheritance

- topic/navtitle

Example

<navtitle> sample in a topic

<task id="progexample">
 <title>Publishing a DITA information set in PDF</title>
  <titlealts><navtitle>Publishing in PDF</navtitle></titlealts>
 <taskbody><context>Some text</context></taskbody>
</task>

<navtitle> samples in a map

In this sample, the first title is not locked, and will generally be replaced with a title retrieved from a.dita. The second title is locked, and will be displayed when this map is used as a basis for navigation.

<map xml:lang="en">
  <title>This is a sample map</title>
  <topicref href="a.dita">
    <topicmeta>
      <navtitle>Title of A</navtitle>
    </topicmeta>
  </topicref>
  <topicref href="b.dita" locktitle="yes">
    <topicmeta>
      <navtitle>Short Title for B</navtitle>
    </topicmeta>
  </topicref>
</map>

Attributes

The following attributes are available on this element: Universal attribute group.

Parent topic: Basic topic elements