3.2.1.5 <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 may 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.

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