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Authoring with DITA Yas Etessam XML Technology Specialist Blast Radius XMetaL [email protected] Agenda Key DITA Concepts DITA-Based Authoring Demo Q&A Key DITA Concepts Going Beyond Conventional Doc Types DITA Document Types Other DITA for Software DITA for eLearning DITA for Hardware Base DITA DITA Framework Other SGML Unicode Character Representation ` Other XML Elements, attributes, entities, DTDs, schemas XHTML S1000D DocBook DITA Architecture Topics, Maps, Content Reuse, Specialization Traditional Doc Types Topics and Maps Topic Orientation – Topic: a unit of information that is meaningful when it stands alone Maps – Organize topics into a coherent set – Typically for different deliverables (e.g. PDF, Website, Help) Topics DITA Maps Deliverables Key DITA Concepts II Information Type (infotype) – A specialization of a topic – Concept, Task, and Reference are primary types for technical documentation – New types can be created for other communities Domains – Collections of elements for a particular subject area, e.g. Typographic, Programming, Software, User interfaces, Utilities – Used across infotypes e.g. FAQ for End Users, FAQ for Programmers Key DITA Concepts III Specialization – Structural: Define new types of information – Domain: Define new markup (elements) that can be used across information types Property-Based Processing – Metadata and attributes for filtering, personalization, searching – Used to implement Conditional Text DITA is Designed for Reuse Reuse Opportunity Solution Multiple similar deliverables Flag some content as conditional (Filter Reuse) Piece of content used in many different contexts Include it in different topics using content references (Content Reuse) Topic used in many different deliverables Include it in different deliverables through DITA maps (Topic Reuse) DITA - Authoring Demo The Role of DITA Tools An authoring tool is a user interface for creating DITA content Tool usability affects: The learning curve Training costs Author productivity Adoption in and beyond the core tech pubs team Overall success of the DITA deployment Evaluating DITA Authoring Tools How easy is it to write using the tool? How does the tool support special elements and attributes? – E.g. cross-references, content references, and conditional text How does the tool support editing DITA maps? How well does the tool handle DITA's attributes? Does the tool make it easier to create deliverables through the DITA toolkit? Getting Started with DITA Option 1: Assemble a solution from parts – – – – Download and configure the correct version of JVM. Download and configure “Ant.” Download the DITA toolkit from sourceforge.net Create content in a separate authoring tool. Option 2: Install a free evaluation version of the XMetaL DITA Edition, which comes integrated with the toolkit Architectural Overview – XMetaL Author DITA Edition Maps Reusable Components CMS Interface Topics XMetaL DITA Extension XMetaL Author XMetaL Platform DITA Open Toolkit Single Source Publishing Demonstration DITA Authoring XMetaL Author DITA Edition XMetaL Author DITA Edition - Advantages Accelerates user adoption – Natural Structured Authoring™ Encourages reuse – Topic-Oriented User Interface Reduces implementation cost – Out of the box behaviour for all DITA elements Simplifies deployment – Transparent integration with DITA Open Toolkit XMetaL DITA Edition Features Visual DITA Map Editor Create headings and topics Organize topic hierarchy Set contextual metadata Natural Structured Authoring™ Smart insert Automatic IDs Attribute dialogs Mini-Templates Reusable Components Inline creation and display of conrefs Single Source Publishing Conditional Text PDF, HTML, Help generation Index/TOC generation XMetaL DITA Edition Recap New DITA Support – – – – Visual Map Editing Natural Structured Authoring™ Reusable Components Single Source Publishing Plus all the standard XMetaL features: – Multiple Views: Normal, Tags-On, Plain Text (Source), Preview, and Structured – Continuous validation – CMS and application integrations – Revision marking – Resource Manager – Embeddable forms and controls – and much more… XMetaL Family– The Big Picture COMPLETE CONTENT CREATION SOLUTIONS CONTENT RE-USE & SINGLE SOURCE PUBLISHING Desktop XML Authoring Websites XMetaL Central Web-based XML Reviewing & Collaboration XMetaL Author Handheld Devices XMetaL Reviewer Web-based XML Authoring XMetaL Author DITA Edition Content Management System XMAX CD-ROM Print Topic-Based XML Authoring XMetaL Developer About Blast Radius Develops products and solutions that integrate strategy, technology, and design to help clients deliver innovative, profitable customer experiences Founded 1996; Acquired XMetaL business in 2004 Growing rapidly: 350+ employees 8 offices worldwide: Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Amsterdam, London Named to Deloitte’s: North America Fast 500, 2004 and 2005 Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, 2004 Global, Visionary Customers 1,000 customers across 40,000 installed seats of XMetaL High-Tech Publishing Automotive Misc. Aerospace Financial For More Information XMetaL DITA Edition online help OASIS DITA Cover Pages: http://xml.coverpages.org/dita.html DITA Language Specification: http://xml.coverpages.org/DITAv10OS-LangSpec20050509.pdf Preparing for DITA: What you need to know: http://www.rockley.com/whitepap.htm DITA-Users Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ditausers/ DITA 2006 Conference: www.travelthepath.com/dita2006.html Watch for more DITA resources on: www.xmetal.com www.xmetal.com 1-866-793-1542 [email protected]