Skip to content
Merged
Changes from all commits
Commits
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension

Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
120 changes: 75 additions & 45 deletions guide/src/format/summary.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,66 +4,96 @@ The summary file is used by mdBook to know what chapters to include, in what
order they should appear, what their hierarchy is and where the source files
are. Without this file, there is no book.

Even though `SUMMARY.md` is a markdown file, the formatting is very strict to
allow for easy parsing. Let's see how you should format your `SUMMARY.md` file.
This markdown file must be named `SUMMARY.md`. Its formatting
is very strict and must follow the structure outlined below to allow for easy
parsing. Any element not specified below, be it formatting or textual, is likely
to be ignored at best, or may cause an error when attempting to build the book.

#### Structure
### Structure

1. ***Title*** It's common practice to begin with a title, generally <code
class="language-markdown"># Summary</code>. But it is not mandatory, the
parser just ignores it. So you can too if you feel like it.
1. ***Title*** - While optional, it's common practice to begin with a title, generally <code
class="language-markdown"># Summary</code>. This is ignored by the parser however, and
can be ommitted.
```markdown
# Summary
```

2. ***Prefix Chapter*** Before the main numbered chapters you can add a couple
of elements that will not be numbered. This is useful for forewords,
introductions, etc. There are however some constraints. You can not nest
prefix chapters, they should all be on the root level. And you can not add
1. ***Prefix Chapter*** - Before the main numbered chapters, prefix chapters can be added
that will not be numbered. This is useful for forewords,
introductions, etc. There are, however, some constraints. Prefix chapters cannot be
nested; they should all be on the root level. And you can not add
prefix chapters once you have added numbered chapters.
```markdown
[Title of prefix element](relative/path/to/markdown.md)
[A Prefix Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)

- [First Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown2.md)
```

3. ***Part Title:*** Headers can be used as a title for the following numbered
1. ***Part Title*** - Headers can be used as a title for the following numbered
chapters. This can be used to logically separate different sections
of book. The title is rendered as unclickable text.
of the book. The title is rendered as unclickable text.
Titles are optional, and the numbered chapters can be broken into as many
parts as desired.
```markdown
# My Part Tile

- [First Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)
```

4. ***Numbered Chapter*** Numbered chapters are the main content of the book,
they will be numbered and can be nested, resulting in a nice hierarchy
(chapters, sub-chapters, etc.)
1. ***Numbered Chapter*** - Numbered chapters outline the main content of the book
and can be nested, resulting in a nice hierarchy
(chapters, sub-chapters, etc.).
```markdown
# Title of Part

- [Title of the first Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)
- [Title of the second Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown2.md)
- [Title of a sub Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown3.md)

- [First Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)
- [Second Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown2.md)
- [Sub Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown3.md)

# Title of Another Part

- [More Chapters](relative/path/to/markdown4.md)
- [Another Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown4.md)
```
Numbered chapters can be denoted with either `-` or `*`.

1. ***Suffix Chapter*** - Like prefix chapters, suffix chapters are unnumbered, but they come after
numbered chapters.
```markdown
- [Last Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)

[Title of Suffix Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown2.md)
```
You can either use `-` or `*` to indicate a numbered chapter.

5. ***Suffix Chapter*** After the numbered chapters you can add a couple of
non-numbered chapters. They are the same as prefix chapters but come after
the numbered chapters instead of before.

All other elements are unsupported and will be ignored at best or result in an
error.

#### Other elements

- ***Separators*** In between chapters you can add a separator. In the HTML renderer
this will result in a line being rendered in the table of contents. A separator is
a line containing exclusively dashes and at least three of them: `---`.
- ***Draft chapters*** Draft chapters are chapters without a file and thus content.
The purpose of a draft chapter is to signal future chapters still to be written.
Or when still laying out the structure of the book to avoid creating the files
while you are still changing the structure of the book a lot.
Draft chapters will be rendered in the HTML renderer as disabled links in the table
of contents, as you can see for the next chapter in the table of contents on the left.
Draft chapters are written like normal chapters but without writing the path to the file
```markdown
- [Draft chapter]()
```

1. ***Draft chapters*** - Draft chapters are chapters without a file and thus content.
The purpose of a draft chapter is to signal future chapters still to be written.
Or when still laying out the structure of the book to avoid creating the files
while you are still changing the structure of the book a lot.
Draft chapters will be rendered in the HTML renderer as disabled links in the table
of contents, as you can see for the next chapter in the table of contents on the left.
Draft chapters are written like normal chapters but without writing the path to the file.
```markdown
- [Draft Chapter]()
```

1. ***Separators*** - Separators can be added before, in between, and after any other element. They result
in an HTML rendered line in the built table of contents. A separator is
a line containing exclusively dashes and at least three of them: `---`.
```markdown
# My Part Title

[A Prefix Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown.md)

---

- [First Chapter](relative/path/to/markdown2.md)
```


### Example

Below is the markdown source for the `SUMMARY.md` for this guide, with the resulting table
of contents as rendered to the left.

```markdown
{{#include ../SUMMARY.md}}
```