Practical Scalar Guide for the Field of Digital HistoryMain MenuMediaNavigationAestheticsAdvanced Scalar TechniquesContextCitationsBlake Hatton668ed8e064332293f5252d57bb106581fc79a416Jonathan Rees3c1d30e7d6075de94f4565f942234014223611d6
1media/Scalarpaths.jpg2017-02-15T19:41:26-08:00Paths4image_header2017-04-27T20:44:45-07:00For Scalar's quickstart guide to paths, click here. Paths are a unique feature of working with the Scalar platform. Since a Scalar book is for all intents and purposes still a website, ordered consumption of information is difficult- this is a double edged sword when it comes to information on the web. Information does not have to be- and often isn't- consumed in a linear fashion. This allows web users to access the information they want without having to sift through the information they don't, but also allows them to disregard any order the author may have intended for information to be consumed in.
Paths allow Scalar authors the ability to guide their readers on a linear path through their book. The path is not binding, i.e. it can be left at any time, but it allows authors to create a narrative between pages that allows for a more regimented consumption of information. For example, paths can be used to construct timelines. In a book where an understanding of the order of events is critical, an unordered consumption of information can lead to incorrect conclusions, whereas a Scalar path allows for a proper understanding of events as they unfold.
What's more, paths can branch, and in Scalar 2, paths that have been added to the book's table of contents will be displayed with their subpages in the book's table of contents.
