delivering XML on the web

[Mollye Barrett]

Hi Yves,
 
Thanks! sounds cool and you've provided great details. The creation process
sounds relatively easy. For sure, if I used DITA everything from this very
large doc set would need rewriting... It's likely time to do a serious
content cleaning so I'll do some projections on time and cost.
 
Does each xhtml file truly stand-alone? When topics with prescribed
relationships (rel table) change, do you have to recompile to maintain those
relationships?  
 
Thanks again. You've provided perspective and that's what I need!
 
Best!
Mollye
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Yves Barbion [mailto:yves.barbion at gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 4:18 AM
To: mollye at clearpath.cc
Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Re: delivering XML on the web



Hi Mollye,

I'm currently also working on a fun project: authoring structured content
for a corporate website.

I'm using the DITA information model and I'm writing DITA topics in
FrameMaker with the DITA-FMx plug-in. This is how I do it:


1.	We do a brainstorm and make a list of the topics which we want to
have on the site. 

2.	We open this list in FrameMaker and save it as a regular,
unstructured FrameMaker file. This list is resembles the traditional
outline: the indents define the level of the topics and headings. 

3.	We  use DITA-FMx to create a ditamap and "stubs" from this list. The
"stubs" are topics which already have the correct title and some metadata.


4.	Write standalone, information-typed topics, which means filling in
the stubs.


5.	We (re)arrange the topics in the ditamap, which will later become
the sitemap. 

6.	In the ditamap, use a "relationship table" to add links to my topics
(navigation). 


I use the DITA Open Toolkit to generate the following output:


*	xhtml. These are the files which I deliver to my web developer.


*	HTMLHelp, which I then convert to WebHelp. This gives me a pretty
good idea of how my "pages" look in a web browser and how the navigation and
linking works.


Lessons learned?


*	Authoring, and (re)structuring web content has never been easier.
Just take the ditamap and drag the topics around in the structure to the
position where you want to have them. 

*	The DITA-FMx plug-in is really the must-have tool if you want to
author DITA content in FrameMaker. 


More information about DITA and DITA-FMx?


*	http://leximation.com/dita-fmx/


*	http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=dita 

*	http://dita.xml.org/ 

*	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DITA 


Kind regards
 

Yves Barbion 

Documentation Architect

Adobe-Certified FrameMaker Instructor

____________________________________



Scripto bvba

Asselsstraat 65

9031 Gent

Belgium

T: +32 494 12 01 89

F: +32 9 366 50 23

BTW (VAT) BE 0886.192.394

skype: yves.barbion

____________________________________


Mollye Barrett wrote: 

Dear Framers,



I'm working on a fun project (for an equipment manufacturer) using Frame

to author structured files that may (for a time) be published to PDF as

well as to XML. The XML files will be checked into a CMS and delivered to

the web for dynamic publication based on metadata and/or search.



Is anyone doing the same or something similar? I'm interested your

production path details, information model, lessons learned and, very

soon, navigation in the delivery environment.



I look forward to and appreciate any replies.



Mollye Barrett

ClearPath, LLC

414-331-1378

_______________________________________________





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