Presenter: Joe Gelb, President, Suite Solutions Abstract: In this webinar, you will learn about the software, integration and customization which enable you to effectively author, manage, localize, publish and share your DITA XML content. We will review how each tool fits into the content lifecycle and discuss options for an incremental DITA XML implementation using a basic toolset as the starting point.

1. System Architecture of a Basic DITA
Toolset
Joe Gelb
October 29, 2013

2. Who is this guy?
Joe Gelb
• Founder and President of Suite Solutions
Suite Solutions
Our Vision: Enable you to engage your customers by providing quick access to
relevant information: DITA provides the foundation
• Help companies get it right the first time
• XML-based Authoring/Publishing Solutions
• Enterprise Intelligent Dynamic Content: SuiteShare Social KB
• Consultancy, Systems Integration, Application Development
• Cross-Industry Expertise
• High Tech, Aerospace & Defense, Discrete Manufacturing
• Healthcare, Government
• Blue Chip Customer Base
• Hundreds of Person Years of Experience on Staff

3. Main Topics
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Goal of this webinar
DITA Maturity Model
• Basic Architecture
• Drill Down

4. Goal of this Webinar
Primary Goal: Empower (not overwhelm) you with a fundamental
understanding of the solution components and how they fit together
• One size does NOT fit all: select tools based on requirements and budget
• Few tools are really plug-and-play
• Require some level of proficiency
• Train or hire Internal staff
• Acquire assistance from independent consultants and solution
providers
• Best solution: combination of both

5. DITA Maturity Model
White Paper by Michael Priestly (IBM) and Amber Swope (formerly of Just Systems)

6. Level 1: Topics
Achieve simple single-sourcing by migrating current XML content sources
Toolset Requirements
• Authoring
• Publishing
• Repository: File system

7. Level 1: Basic DITA Toolset
XML Authoring
File System
Automated Publishing
Web Help
Help Manuals
Mobile

8. Basic DITA Toolset
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Authoring
Publishing
Repository

9. Authoring Tools
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Typical Tools
• XMetaL, oXygen, Arbortext Editor
• FrameMaker: also supports PDF composition
• MS Word-based tools: SimplyXML, Quark, Rocket Sled
• Browser-based tools: easyDITA editor, SDL Xopus, XMetaL Xmax,
oXYgen applet
The more complex the content model, more you need an editor that
clearly show tags and easily support specializations
Marketing / sales / support writers: use browser-based or Word-based

10. Publishing Tools
Multi-channel Publishing
• PDF, XTHML / HTML / HTML5, Help / Webhelp
• Mobile
• ePub
• jQuery Mobile (etc.)
• Responsive webhelp
• Content feed for apps
• Enterprise systems
• CRM (e.g. Salesforce)
• Support portals
• Collaboration tools (e.g. Jive)

11. Publishing Tools
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DITA Open Toolkit
• Custom style sheets for different transformation types (transtypes)
• PDF rendering via XSL-FO, requiring an XSL-FO rendering engine
 Antenna House
 RenderX
 Apache FOP
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• Help compilation: HTML Help, Eclipse
• RTF, Docbook, many other plug-ins
• DITA 4 Publishers: Word, ePub, others
Arbortext Publisher: PDF and HTML
DITA Accelerator: SuiteHelp, ePub, InDesign, others
WebWorks: HTML-based formats, PDF
SDL XPP: PDF composition
Other tools: XML Mind, dita2go

12. Publishing Tools
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Launch publishing via
• Home-grown ANT scripts or other code (Java, etc)
• Authoring tools that integrate the DITA Toolkit
• CMS (Level 3+….)
Document compare and change markup
• DeltaXML
• CMS-based tools (Level 3+…)

13. Level 1 Repository
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File system
Other repository tools built for other data types provide version control,
history, check-out / check-in
• Source control: SVN, etc.
• PLM and Engineering tools
• Web CMS

14. Level 2: Scalable Reuse
Achieve flexible reuse by architecting content using DITA topics and maps
From “DITA Maturity Model”, Michael Priestly and Amber Swope

15. Level 2: Scalable Reuse
Multi-channel publishing
Toolset Requirements
• Authoring
• Publishing
• Repository: CCMS
• Dynamic Publishing
From “DITA Maturity Model”, Michael Priestly and Amber Swope

16. Level 2: Typical DITA Toolset
XML Authoring
SME Review
Bridge to LSPs
CCMS
Localization
Management
Component Content
Management System
Dynamic Docs
Automated Publishing
Web Help
Help Manuals
Mobile
On-demand

17. Level 2 Repository: CCMS
What it gives you
• Component management
• Manage publications / maps
• Link management: Where used, maintain links as IDs
• Integration with DITA Toolkit or other publishing tools
• Workflow
• Translation management
• SME and editorial review
• Revision management, branching

18. Level 2 Repository: CCMS
What to look for
• Basic CCM capabilities: link management
• Ease of use
• Core team spearheading the implementation
• Other teams that may come up in the future
• Budget
• Cost of ownership: License + configuration
• Maintenance for your user base
• SAAS option
• Integration with authoring tools
• Integration with publishing tools: DITA-OT or home-grown system

19. Level 2 Repository: CCMS
What to look for
• Translation Management
• Different levels of robustness and granularity
• Support for standards like XLIFF
• Auto translation
• Integration with tools that your localization vendors use
• SME Review
• Hosted vs. on-premises deploy

20. Level 2: Dynamic Publishing
What it gives you
• Access to a variety of content types
• Customer-centric: Access to contextually relevant information
• Assembly of a variety of different content types on demand according to
each individual’s requests
• Quick rendering, packaging and delivery of the personalized product to the
device, format and language of choice
• Audience engagement: comments, add new content, build custom
documents and publish
Options
• SuiteShare
• SDL Live Content Reach
• Mekon
• Antidot
• MindTouch

21. Level 3: Specialization and Customization
Achieve quality and consistency by expanding DITA architecture to a full
content model, which explicitly defines the content types required to
meet different author and audience needs and specifies how to meet
those needs using structured, typed content.
Toolset Requirements:
Same as Level 2
From “DITA Maturity Model”, Michael Priestly and Amber Swope

22. Level 4: Automation and Integration
Achieve speed and efficiency by leveraging investments in semantics with
automation of key processes, and unify the semantics across different
specializations or authoring disciplines.
From “DITA Maturity Model”, Michael Priestly and Amber Swope

23. Level 4: Advanced Toolset
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Content sharing and publishing across multiple groups: techdocs,
training, support, marketing, sales
Requirements
User-friendly XML editors
Integration with enterprise systems like CRM (Salesforce) and PLM
Integration with enterprise workflow/BPM
Publish to
• InDesign (marketing)
• WebCM
• Support KB like Salesforce
• Collaboration tools like Jive
• LMS, SCORM
• IETM

24. Level 4: Advanced Toolset
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Terminology management
Simplified English
Adherence to style guide and standards
Options: Acrolinx, other

25. Keep in Touch! Let us know how we can
help you.
For additional information, contact:
Joe Gelb
solutions@suite-sol.com
U.S. Office
(609) 360-0650
EMEA Office
+972-2-993-8054
www.suite-sol.com
Follow us on Linked-In
http://www.linkedin.com/company/527916