STRUCTURED CONTENT

MANAGEMENT, UPDATED

DITA – Myths and Legends

tekom France – 27 Jan 2014

Componize Software

Nolwenn Kerzreho @nkerzreho

nolwenn.kerzreho @componize.com

Componize Software @componize sales@componize.com

www.componize.com

“Componize DITA CMS is a one-stop-shop open platform for authoring, managing, and publishing business-critical information”

Summary

• What is DITA

• Organization Benefits

• Project Plan

• QA

• Resources

WHAT IS DITA…

…

What is DITA?

r

t

c

Topic-based, structured

documentation Topics Map (ToC) Document

Topic-based, structured

documentation

Topic-based, structured

documentation

Topic-based, structured

documentation

Information types

•

<task/> <title/> <shortdesc/> <indexterm/> <taskbody/>

<prereq/> <step/> <step/>

<uicontrol/>

DITA uses metadata DITA uses data about data

DITA uses data about data

DITA links data

DITA links data

Phrases and variables reused

Images and icons

Segments injected during publishing (captions, links, signal words, …) +

Relationship table

Filters

DITA is NOT a tool

XML vocabulary: where and when the element fits, depending on the information type. Reuse & conditional publishing mechanisms. Reuse and links topics, references, and so on. Tag content with labels. + explanations on constraints & specialization. The DITA open toolkit is NOT part of the standard. It is a separate open source project and a de facto standard for publishing.

BENEFITS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

…

Open standard

Good fit if:

Your information must be perennial over long period of time

Your information must be accessible by multiple stakeholders

• You can use any tool to author and publish the content – the information is NOT linked to a specific tool or organization

• You can participate in the development of the standard

• The standard evolves with the community and information consumption trends

“Reuse content from subsidiaries, providers, third-party contributors.”

Separation of content and styling

Good fit if: You can the writers to get out of the formatting business You change branding You need to update the published content rapidly • Format and style are neatly separated • Writers spend more time on the content and less

time on formatting • Branding is applied at the time of publishing – no

tweaking possible

“10-25% of time is spent on manual formatting.”

Modularity and automated publishing

Good fit if:

You have multiple contributors and constrained processes

The documentation set reuses a lot of content

You have numerous releases of content

• Faster publishing when reusing topics

• Don’t submit for review what’s already been reviewed, approved, translated…

• Update only the content that need republishing

“70% faster publishing (time)”

Single source and structured

Good fit if:

You want a better consistency on multiple formats (PDF, XHTML, embedded help, EPUB)

You want to constrain the writers to follow a structure

• Single source enables fast publishing to multiple formats

• Writers follow the pattern designed for each information type (task, concept, QA…)

“Near-instantaneous publishing to new formats”

Automated linking

Good fit if:

You want to cut back on quality control for links (external, cross references, navigational)

You use clickable maps and schemas

• The links are created automatically from the topics available in the deliverable (cross-references, external links, table of contents, glossaries…)

• You can also use indirect linking in topics.

“Cut entirely the time spent checking and manually updating links in publications.”

PROJECT PLAN

…

Project overview

1. Set your objectives 2. Get information 3. Analyze your content 4. Make a proof of concept with one project 5. Draft your templates and business rules: decide

to specialize or not 6. Create your business plan or ROI 7. Train your writers 8. Get your stylesheets 9. Get tooling and into production

Roll out

• Understanding of DITA advantage for business (faster, easier, new, cheaper) : understand what DITA can do for your team, your business, and your customers

• DITA training - train in the DITA architecture • Selection of tools - select and editor and a DITA CMS • Developing the information model - analyze your content, list reuse

opportunities, model your content with DITA • Developing templates - templates should be adapted to the authors • Developing classification - categorize your content for findability • Proof of concept - measure success • Developing stylesheets • Enterprise roll-out

Project plan

• Snakes and ladders?

Dragons and swamps

• Get involved into the details and loose focus

• Deal only with those who resent the change

• Dive into production without testing

• Let your writers in the dark ; let your managers in the dark

• Select an editor based on the requirements of some of your contributors

• Purchase the CCMS too late

STRUCTURED CONTENT

MANAGEMENT, UPDATED

Questions?

www.componize.com

Resources

DITA Maturity Model (white paper), by Michael Priestley Amber Swope: http://na.justsystems.com/files/Whitepaper-DITA_MM.pdf Taking the pain out of your DITA Project (white paper) http://www.componize.com/additional-ressources/ The DITA Style Guide, by Tony Self (Scriptorium publishing): http://www.scriptorium.com/books/#dsg DITA Users Yahoo! group (focus on XSL-FO and publishing) Adult learning session in multicultural environment in a project for process improvement http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/jsaimm/v113n10/06.pdf