The steps-unordered element contains a series of steps that can be performed in any order to complete a task. It's suitable for procedures where sequence doesn't affect the outcome.

The steps-unordered element serves these primary purposes:

• Presenting procedural instructions where order is not important

• Documenting tasks with interchangeable or independent actions

• Providing flexibility in task execution while maintaining structured documentation

Key characteristics of the steps-unordered element:

• With the exception of the presentation of steps as unordered, behaves like and supports the same elements as the steps element

• A container element that contains one or more step elements, each with a required command (cmd) and optional supporting elements

• Can include stepsection elements to group steps and provide introductory text

• Supports complex content within steps, including substeps, choices, and notes

• Must appear within the taskbody element of a task topic

• Can replace the steps element (steps and steps-unordered can't coexist)

A steps-unordered element consists of these components:

Step Section (stepsection)

An optional element that provides additional content between steps. It can be used to group related steps together, introduce a set of steps, or provide transitional information. Unlike steps, stepsections are not numbered or bulleted.

Step (step)

Contains a single step in the procedure, including a required command and optional additional elements such as information, examples, or substeps.

Content within the steps-unordered element typically follows these output formatting rules:

• Steps unordered with one step element might be presented as a paragraph

• Steps with two or more step elements are presented with bullets or similar non-sequential markers to indicate sequence independence

• Unlike steps, step sections are not numbered or bulleted but may be emphasized (bold)

• Supporting content provided in info, stepresult, and stepxmp is presented from a new line

Use steps-unordered when:

• The steps can be performed in any sequence

• Each step is independent of the others

• Users should have flexibility in how they complete the task

• The task consists of a set of optional configurations or preferences

<task id="task-7803">
    <title>Customizing Application Settings</title>
    <shortdesc>Configure the application settings according to your preferences. These settings can be adjusted at any time and in any order.</shortdesc>
    <prolog>
        <author translate="no" type="creator">Heretto User &lt;user@heretto.com&gt;</author>
        <metadata>
            <keywords/>
        </metadata>
    </prolog>
    <taskbody>
        <steps-unordered>
            <stepsection>Access the Settings panel to configure any of these options:</stepsection>
            <step>
                <cmd>From the main menu, open the Settings panel.</cmd>
            </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Configure the display theme.</cmd>
                <choices>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>Light</uicontrol> for bright environments.</choice>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>Dark</uicontrol> for low-light conditions.</choice>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>System</uicontrol> to match your operating system theme.</choice>
                </choices>
            </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Set your preferred language.</cmd>
                <info>This setting affects all menus and system messages.</info>
            </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Configure notification preferences.</cmd>
                <stepxmp>Enable or disable notifications for: updates, messages, and system alerts.</stepxmp>
            </step>
        </steps-unordered>
    </taskbody>
</task>