How can I customize dita output?

Report · Apr 27, 2018

Hi,

I would like to use dita for structured authoring; however, I still do not understand how I can customize the layout of my output. For the PDF output, I cannot change any character style or images on the reference page. Which template is applied and how can I modify it? Same question for the HTML5 output. I know that I can make changes in the CSS. But a dita hazardstatement becomes a bulleted list in the HTML output with typeofhazard, consequence, and howtoavoid as bullet points. Changing this via the CSS would not be an elegant way. BTW how can I define that FM will use always a particular CSS without creating a new one each time I publish my document?

Report · Apr 27, 2018

Here's part of my post at

http://techcommtools.com/xml-authoring-made-easy/

It should help you get started.

Regarding changing fonts, you can use the paragraph designer to modify the tags used in the template. After that, you'll see changes when you open files or create new topics.

-Matt

Customizing structure models and structured formatting

Along with built-in models like DITA and S1000D, FrameMaker provides the Structured Application Designer to help you set up the rules needed to use other custom XML or SGML content models.

Running FrameMaker as Administrator (recommended)

When modifying files in your application installation directories you may find you need additional write permissions to save files. Right-click on your FrameMaker application icon to choose Run as Administrator. This will allow you to save files that are normally protected during this FrameMaker session.

Modifying DITA templates

As DITA is a very popular content model, it makes sense to show you how to get to and modify the DITA templates. In the Structured Applications Definitions Document you can find the following default definitions for a DITA 1.3 topic:

The template file is stored inside the FrameMaker installation directory (represented by the $STRUCTDIR variable in this image) and we can open and modify this file to make branding or other format changes to the default template file.

If you decide to modify this file, I recommend making a backup copy and labeling it something like topic.template.backup.fm so that you don’t have to alter the current path or filename in this definition.

A previous post I wrote for Adobe contains some video for FrameMaker 11 that might help you visualize the process:

http://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2013/08/writeright-16-framemaker-word-modify-dita-templates-and-dita...

For more information on modifying the text formatting in a DITA file, see https://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/2016/03/customize-framemaker-2015-dita-templates-for-your-corporate...

Changing other DITA options

There are some other minor tweaks you can make to your DITA environment using the EDD and using your DITA initialization files. They include altering the strawman structure you see when starting a new file, and changing the appearance and behavior of helper text designed to guide new users through new file creation.

Report · May 03, 2018

Thank you very much, Matt. However, I need to use various templates for different company brandings and have to work on documents in different languages. Is there an easy way to change the applied template via the Framemaker user interface? Or do I have to copy the templates in the template folder each time I need them?

And a second question, the dita templates specify the PDF output; but how can modify the HTML5 output. I know that I can modify all layout issues via the CSS file, however, a hazardstatement ends up as a bulleted list in the HTML5. It would be nice being able to change this.

Thank you in advance.

Thomas.

Report · May 03, 2018

Hi Thomas, not surprisingly, more sophisticated requirements mean more sophisticated solutions.

From what I can gather here, you will want to create a series of structured applications, perhaps some DITA specialization, and will be customizing the CSS associated with the output.

All do-able. But probably a modest-sized project.