Users are familiar with a table of contents because they are standard in printed materials and in most online documents. Tables of contents (TOCs) allow them to get an idea of the overall outline and organization of the Help system. Users can browse through the TOC to find a topic or to see the relationship between topics.
The Help system's table of contents is contained in a file called the Contents file. This file controls the appearance and attributes of the Contents tab - the tab that displays the Help system's contents. The Contents file uses the books and pages metaphor:
Books. Group topics into chapters or sections. Users click on a book to display its contents - pages.
Pages. Represent individual topics. Users click on pages to display topics.
You can arrange the books and pages in any order. You can include all the topics in your Help system or only those topics you think users are most likely to need.