A chunk of information about a particular subject. Topics are the most important part of a project. Everything else is contained within topics (e.g.,hyperlinks, text, pictures) or points toward topics (e.g., table of contents, index, browse sequences). The very reason end users open a Help system is to find information, a little direction. They find that help within individual topics.

A pre-set chunk of content that you can use in your project over and over. Snippets are similar to variables, but snippets are used for longer chunks of content that you can format just as you would any other content in your topic. In snippets, you can also insert tables, pictures, and whatever else can be included in a normal topic.

A navigation link that lets you connect text in one topic to another topic (or a bookmark within a topic). Cross-references let you create "automated" links that are based on commands you provide. This allows you to keep links consistent and change them in just one place by using the "xref" style.

An element to which you assign a certain look and/or behaviour. You can then apply that style to your content. Different kinds of styles are available in a stylesheet, to be used for various purposes in your content.

A marker that you can apply to different areas of your content so that some sections show up in some of your outputs but not in others.