To use styles in a web page, the style sheet containing those styles must be assigned as a property of the web page document. There are several ways to assign (link) a style sheet to a web page.
Assign a default style sheet: You can assign a default style sheet in the Web Page category in the Options dialog box. The initial Style Sheet setting is the Standard style sheet found in the Style Sheets folder in the Library, but you can select a style sheet from any folder. When you assign a style sheet in the Options dialog box, newly created web pages open with the Style Sheet property automatically set to that sheet. The default style sheet setting does not affect existing web pages.
Manually assign a style sheet: For existing documents, use the Style Sheet property in the General category of the Properties toolpane to assign or change the style sheet from the Library, Outline Editor, or Web Page Editor. To assign a style sheet to a web page from the Outline Editor, you must change the Properties toolpane view to Concepts. See Use the Properties Toolpane in the View Document Properties chapter for more information about setting concept properties.
Inherit a style sheet: Style sheets are assigned to modules, sections, and topics for inheritance purposes only. Web page concepts created in the Outline Editor automatically inherit the style sheet property of their parent. Furthermore, when you create a new module, you can use the Style Sheet property in the New Module dialog box to assign a style sheet to this document. Then, all new documents that you link to this module will inherit the style sheet setting.
Note: You cannot link a style sheet to a file in a package; therefore styles are not available to HTML pages created in a package.
Multi-user Considerations
To change general, topic, and document output properties, you must check out the document. A message appears at the bottom of the toolpane if any of the documents in a selection are read-only. You can change general, topic and document output properties while working online or offline.
Styles sheets linked to content are excluded when you check in/check out with related documents. You must manually check in a style sheet to make it available to other authors or check it out to edit it.
From the Library, Outline Editor, or Web Page Editor, display the Properties toolpane.
From the Library or Outline Editor, select the document to which you want to assign a style sheet.
You can select multiple documents from the Library or Outline Editor using the standard Windows selection keys (CTRL+click and SHIFT+click). However, only modules, sections, topics, and web pages can be included in the selection.
To assign a style sheet to a web page from the Outline Editor, select a document in the outline that links to a concept and change the Properties view to Concept. You can select multiple documents in the outline using the standard Windows selection keys (CTRL+click and SHIFT+click). However, only documents linked to web page concepts can be included in the selection.
In the General category, click the Style Sheet cell then click .
In the Select a Style Sheet Document dialog box, navigate to the desired style sheet and click Open.
To remove a style sheet assigned to a document:
From the Library, Outline Editor, or Web Page Editor, display the Properties toolpane.
From the Library or Outline Editor, select the document from which you want to remove an assigned style sheet.
You can select multiple documents from the Library or Outline Editor using the standard Windows selection keys (CTRL+click and SHIFT+click). However, only modules, sections, topics, and web pages can be included in the selection.
To remove a style sheet from a web page in the Outline Editor, select a document in the outline that links to a concept and change the Properties view to Concept. You can select multiple documents in the outline using the standard Windows selection keys (CTRL+click and SHIFT+click). However, only documents linked to web page concepts can be included in the selection.
In the General category, click the Style Sheet property name and press DELETE to clear the field.