Hello everyone,
I am successfully using ditaval files to filter content in a series of documents. What I have is a question about simplifying the process.
- We use the props attribute for *specific* elements in our topics (for example, section)
- Our list of values for the props attribute is maintained in a spreadsheet because it is updated on a regular basis
- Our list of values are updated regularly because FrameMaker requires the list of values be *exactly and completely* defined - which is great until you end up with what I have now
- Content in a topic may apply to more than one document (we filter by destination document rather than product)
- When filtering, FrameMaker treats, for example, HGNHP HGEXO differently than HGEXO HGNHP
- So the spreadsheet contains every combination we use - and is updated each time we change or add combinations of destination documents, so for example we could need a new entry HGNHP HGEXO HGEP
- Using the spreadsheet, I generate a text file listing all the combinations, then I format them to be included in the appropriate EDD documents
- I also use the spreadsheet to populate the ditaval file adding the appropriate formatting - such as <prop att="props" val="HGNHP HGEXO" action="exclude"/> <prop att="props" val="HGNHP HGEXO HGEP" action="exclude"/>
This manual process is time consuming and error-prone. Why can't I just use
<prop att="props" val="HGNHP" action="include"/>
<prop att="props" val="HGEXO" action="include"/>
<prop att="props" val="HGEP" action="include"/>
I'd like to be able to simplify the maintenance of this system. I'd like to have simple ditavals that are not limited to excluding every combination BUT the ones that include the destination document.
I'd rather not list every possible combination (the list is getting VERY long and difficult to navigate). I'd rather let the writers add or remove document destinations without worrying about the exact order. I'd like to be able to have a ditaval that said, simply, <prop att="props" val="HGNHP" action="include"/> that is associated with the HGNHP document. I would like FrameMaker to include everything that had HGNHP as its props value and exclude everything else.
Am I missing something simple here? I encountered this issue early on and found that Oxygen would filter the way I wanted but that FrameMaker treats the props value as a single value, not a chain of values (even though they are formatted as separate entries). If HGNHP is embedded in a list of potential values, FrameMaker does not pick it out as a separate entry/value.
Get in touch with me if you are filtering using ditavals and have any insight into this.
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