I’ve looked through the User Manual and the Forum for a quick answer to my question, but to no avail…
I’m trying to figure out what the difference is between using a folder as opposed to a text document as regards document organization (since both can act as the top level of nested documents).
My inclination is to forego folders all together, since it seems that text documents offer the same functionality (and if you want it empty, you can just leave the text document empty)…but perhaps I’m missing something?
This is of particular concern as I’m trying to compile and export as an eBook, and I’m trying to figure out how choosing one or the other is going to affect the final output.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!
There’s not really any difference except for the default view modes. When you click on a folder in the binder, it gets opened in “Group Mode”; when you click on a text document, it gets opened in single document mode. (Although, you can set text groups to be treated the same way as folders in the “Navigation” preferences.
So, just use what you prefer. Also, bear in mind that you don’t have to make a choice up front. A folder is just a special kind of text document anyway - it just has a different icon and a different view opening mode by default. You can convert folders to text documents and vice versa via the Documents > Convert menu, so you can always change your mind later.
Though folders and text enclosures are much the same in the binder, they are treated differently when it comes to compiling the project, right? In the formatting section, they are separated.
This lets you distinguish between how the two are formatted in the compiled document. For instance, you could choose to include the title of folders but not the titles of text enclosures.