september 2004 © 2004 ibm corporation presentation subtitle: 20pt arial regular, teal r045 | g182 |...

September 2004 © 2004 IBM Corporation

Introduction to DITA specialization

Showing information type, domain, and processing specializations

DITA specialization © 2004 IBM Corporation2

Agenda

Review of DITA and specialization

Specializing an information type

Specializing a domain

Customizing processing


DITA defined

Darwin: DITA utilizes principles of inheritance for specialization

Information Typing: DITA was originally designed for technical information based on an information architecture of Concept, Task and Reference

Architecture: DITA is a model for extension both of design and of processes


Core design principles of DITA Topic orientation

Discrete units of information covering a specific subject with a specific intent

Topic granularitySelf-contained topics combine with other topics into information sets

Strong typingDTDs and schemas guarantee that DITA types follow identical

information structures Specialization

Architecture for extending basic types to new types adapted for a particular use within an information set

Common base classTop-level "generic" base type provides “fallback” for all descendants


The core DITA topic types – The “IT” in DITA

topic

concept task reference

Provides background information that users need to know.

Provides quick access to facts.Provides procedural details such as step-by-step instructions.

A unit of information which is meaningful when it stands alone.


Specializing from Topic to Task

Small DTD additions to enforce document structure.

May have no CSS or XSL process changes.

topic

title

prolog

metadata

related-links

body

task

title

prolog

metadata

taskbody

prereq

context

steps

taskxmp

result

postreq

step

cmd, (info | substeps | tutorialinfo | xmp | choices)*, result?

related-links

topic

title

prolog

metadata

related-links

body

task

title

prolog

metadata

taskbody

prereq

context

steps

example

result

postreq

step

cmd, (info | substeps | tutorialinfo | stepxmp| choices|choicetable)*, stepresult?

related-links


From Task to Business Task

Additional structure changes.

businesstask

title

prolog

metadata

related-links

btaskbody

prereq

context

bsteps

example

result

postreq

step

appstep

appdesc

task

title

prolog

metadata

taskbody

prereq

context

steps

taskxmp

result

postreq

step

cmd, (info | substeps | tutorialinfo | xmp | choices)*, result?

related-links

task

title

prolog

metadata

taskbody

prereq

context

steps

example

result

postreq

step

cmd, (info | substeps | tutorialinfo | stepxmp| choices|choicetable)*, stepresult?

related-links


Specializations from Topic

Java APIs C++ APIs

Topic

Concept TaskReference

minitask bctaskmanpages UI help APIs Messages

Java APIs C++ APIs

Topic

Concept TaskReference

minitask bctaskmanpages UI help APIs Messages

Topic is the core.

Each specialization is a delta in design, and if it needs special processing that's a delta too.


Benefit of design reuse through specialization

No need to reinvent the base vocabulary - Create a module in 1/2 day with 10 lines vs. 6 months with 100s of lines; automatically pick up changes to the base

No impact from other designs that customize for different purposes - Avoid enormous, kitchen-sink vocabularies; Plug in the modules for your requirements

Interoperability at the base type - Guaranteed reversion from special to base

Reusable type hierarchies - Share understanding of information across groups, saving time and presenting a consistent picture to customers

Output tailored to customers and information - More specific search, filtering, and reuse that is designed for your customers and information not just the common denominator

Consistency - Both with base standards and within your information set

Learning support for new writers - Instead of learning standard markup plus specific ways to apply the markup, writers get specific markup with guidelines built in

Explicit support of different product architectural requirements - Requirements of different products and architectures can be supported and enforced, rather than suggested and monitored by editorial staff


Specialized processes handle the delta for specialized topic types

Basetopic

Task

Concept

Reference

bcTask

bcReference

Specialization-specific processors

Base processors

Base and delta DTDs Base and delta processors

Specialized processesSpecialized processes

bcConcept


Overview of exercises

Review of setup

Creating samples (in base markup, then in specialized markup)

Identifying new tags

Creating the information type

Creating the domain

Adding override processing

Summary


Setting up

Install DITA packagehttp://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita6/x-dita_downloads.html

Install an XSLT interpreter (eg xalan, saxon, xt...)


Creating samples

Always easiest to start with something concrete and then figure out the general rules

So start by authoring a sample document in the closest existing information type

Then go through and rename tags that should be more specific

Then reverse-engineer the document type from its instance


Sample: A task for a wizard

Assuming that wizards do sometimes require documentation

A series of screens with next, back, and finish buttons

Let's say that each wizard task needs to describe how to open and finish the wizard, with one step per page in between

Can use markup to enforce consistency

Can also use special markup for the wizard title and the wizard-specific controls (next and finish)

This sample is for demonstration purposes only, not a best practice

Sample using task.dtd (mytask.xml)<task id="atest">

<title>Creating a foo</title><taskbody>

<steps><step>

<cmd>Click <menucascade> <uicontrol>File</uicontrol> <uicontrol>New</uicontrol> <uicontrol>Foo</uicontrol> </menucascade> to open the <wintitle>New Foo</wintitle> wizard.</cmd>

<info>The <wintitle>New Foo</wintitle> wizard opens to the Name page, where you provide a name for the foo.</info>

</step><step>

<cmd>Click <uicontrol>Next</uicontrol> and turn to the <wintitle>Properties</wintitle> page.</cmd><info>The Properties page lets you define the color and shape of your foo.</info><substeps>

<substep><cmd>Set the color of the foo using the color wheel.</cmd></substep><substep><cmd>Set the shape of the foo using the shape selection bar.</cmd>

<info>You can edit the shape of the foo after you create it; this shape is just your starting point.</info></substep>

</substeps></step><step>

<cmd>Click <uicontrol>Next</uicontrol> and turn to the <wintitle>Location</wintitle> page.</cmd><info>Select the project you want to save your foo in.</info></step>

<step><cmd>Click <uicontrol>Finish</uicontrol> to close the wizard and create your foo.</cmd></step></steps><result>The foo, with the shape and color you selected, should appear in your project folder.</result>

</taskbody></task>


Sample output from mytask.xml

Sample with renamed tags<wiztask id="btest">

<title>Creating a foo</title><wiztaskbody>

<wizsteps><wizopen>

<cmd>Click <menucascade> <uicontrol>File</uicontrol> <uicontrol>New</uicontrol> <uicontrol>Foo</uicontrol> </menucascade> to open the <wiztitle>New Foo</wiztitle> wizard.</cmd>

<info>The <wiztitle>New Foo</wiztitle> wizard opens to the Name page, where you provide a name for the foo.</info>

</wizopen><wizpage>

<cmd>Click <wiznext>Next</wiznext> and turn to the <wintitle>Properties</wintitle> page.</cmd><info>The Properties page lets you define the color and shape of your foo.</info>

<substeps><substep><cmd>Set the color of the foo using the color wheel.</cmd></substep><substep><cmd>Set the shape of the foo using the shape selection bar.</cmd>

<info>You can edit the shape of the foo after you create it; this shape is just your starting point.</info></substep> </substeps>

</wizpage><wizpage>>

<cmd>Click <wiznext>Next</wiznext> and turn to the <wintitle>Location</wintitle> page.</cmd><info>Select the project you want to save your foo in.</info></wizpage>

<wizclose><cmd>Click <wizfinish>Finish</wizfinish> to close the wizard and create your foo.</cmd></wizclose>

</wizsteps> <result>The foo, with the shape and color you selected, should appear in your project folder.</result> </wiztaskbody></wiztask>


Identify information type and domain tags

Structural (information type) - tags you need in certain places, plus their containers

wiztask (from task)

wizbody (from body)

wizsteps (from steps)

wizopen, wizpage, wizclose (from step)

Pervasive (domain) - tags you want available everywherewiztitle (from wintitle)

wiznext (from uicontrol)

wizfinish (from uicontrol)


Creating the information type

Copy the parent module (task.mod) to a new module (wiztask.mod)Keep anything related to task, taskbody, steps, and step

Three main sections: entities, element declarations, specialization attributes

In the entity section, delete everything except the DTD entity, included-domains entity, and entities for elements you're specializing, and the task-info-types entity

In the element section, delete everything except the elements you're specializing

In the specialization attributes section, delete everything except the elements you're specializing

Review wiztask-intermediate.mod to compare your results

Specialize entities

In the entities section, change entity names and values from task ones to wiztask ones

eg: <!ENTITY % task "task"> becomes

<!ENTITY % wiztask "wiztask">

you'll need to create three copies of step, since step has three specializations (wizopen, wizpage, wizclose)

eg: <!ENTITY % step "step"> becomes

<!ENTITY % wizopen "wizopen">

<!ENTITY % wizpage "wizpage">

<!ENTITY % wizclose "wizclose">

This prepares your specialized elements for extension by domains Rename task-info-types entity to wiztask-info-types

This prepares your module for integration with other modules in a DTD

Specialize elements

In the elements section, rename the element and attribute declarations to wiztask equivalents, and rename and adjust entities in the content model where you have changed entities from the original. For example:

<!ELEMENT steps ((%step;)+)>

<!ATTLIST steps %univ-atts;

outputclass CDATA #IMPLIED>>

becomes:<!ELEMENT wizsteps ((%wizopen;), (%wizpage;)?, (%wizclose;))>

<!ATTLIST wizsteps %univ-atts;

outputclass CDATA #IMPLIED> Again, you need three copies of the declaration for <step>, since it gets

specialized to <wizopen>, <wizpage>, and <wizclose>

Specialize specialization attributes

Add copies of the entry for step, since you need to specialize it three times

Rename the attribute declarations to point to your new element names

To the end of each attribute value string, add wiztask/elementname

For example:<!ATTLIST steps %global-atts; class CDATA "- topic/ol task/steps ">

becomes:<!ATTLIST wizsteps %global-atts; class CDATA "- topic/ol task/steps wiztask/wizsteps ">

Make sure you include a space after the value before the string closes


Result: wiztask.mod

Review file to compare results

Creating wiztask-simple_shell.dtd

Copy task.dtd to wiztask-simple_shell.dtd in your wiztask directory

Adjust paths (to point back to the .mod and .ent files in the dtd directory)

Change <!ENTITY % task-info-types "task"> to <!ENTITY % wiztask-info-types "wiztask">

Lets wiztask topics nest, for no good reason

Add an entry after "Embed task to get specific elements" that does the same things for wiztask:

<!ENTITY % wiztask-typemod PUBLIC "-//IBM//ELEMENTS DITA

Wiztask//EN" "wiztask.mod"> %wiztask-typemod;

Testing wiztask-simple_shell.dtd

Create a copy of your sample file (eg mywiztask-test.xml) and rename the element wiztitle to wintitle, and wiznext and wizfinish to uicontrol (since we haven't added support for them yet)

Add a DTD reference at the top of your sample file:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE wiztask SYSTEM "wiztask-simple_shell.dtd">

Try opening the file in IE to make sure it is well-formed

Try processing it to HTML, eg:saxon mywiztask-test.xml d:\dita13\xsl\dita2html_shell.xsl >mywiztask-test.html

Compare results with mywiztask-test.html in the accompanying samples

Test with a validating editor or parser


Sample output: mywiztask-test.html


Creating the wiztask domain

We have three new elements:wiztitle (from wintitle)

wiznext (from uicontrol)

wizfinish (from uicontrol) All are specialized from elements in the user interface domain, so

start by copying its files over to wiztask:ui-domain.ent to wiztask-domain.ent

ui-domain.mod to wiztask-domain.mod

Creating wiztask-domain.mod

As with wiztask.mod, there are three sections: entities, element declarations, and specialization attributes.

In each section:– Delete everything except the entries for uicontrol and wintitle

– Create an extra copy of entries for uicontrol (since we have two specializations of it) Rename the entities and values to wiztask equivalents - eg:

<!ENTITY % uicontrol "uicontrol"> to <!ENTITY % wizfinish "wizfinish">

Rename the element declarations

Rename the specialization attribute declarations, and add wiztask-d values to the end of each attribute, eg:

<!ATTLIST wiztitle %global-atts; class CDATA "+ topic/keyword ui-d/wintitle wiztask-d/wiztitle ">

Compare with wiztask.mod in the accompanying samples


domain.ent files

The domain.ent files are what make domains different from information types - they allow the elements declared in the domain to be substituted wherever an ancestor element is declared.

For each ancestor element, you need an entity that declares the elements you are specializing off of it.

You also need an entity that declares the ancestry of the domain as a whole, for inclusion in the domains attribute.

We need the information separated into two files - .ent and .mod - so that they can be included in the right order in the integrating DTD file.

Creating wiztask-domain.ent

Delete the existing entries for the UI specializations, leaving only the last entity (the d-att entity)

Create the entities for specializations of keyword:<!ENTITY % wiztask-d-keyword "wiztitle"><!ENTITY % wiztask-d-wintitle "wiztitle">the name of the entity says this entity is part of the wiztask domain, and is

defining specializations of keyword (via wintitle) and of wintitle (directly).

Create the entity for specializations of uicontrol:<!ENTITY % wiztask-d-ph "wiznext | wizfinish"><!ENTITY % wiztask-d-uicontrol "wiznext | wizfinish">note that there are two specializing elements, separated by a bar

Rename the d-att entity, and add the wiztask domain to its list:<!ENTITY wiztask-d-att "(topic ui-d wiztask-d)">this gets used in the domains attribute, so that processes can tell what domains

are in use by a document


Integrating domains with information types

Create a copy of wiztask-simple_shell.dtd called wiztask_shell.dtd

We are specializing ui-domain, so look for existing entries for that module (ui-domain, or ui-d)

It appears in four places:vocabulary declarations (where the .ent files are pulled in)

vocabulary substitutions (where content models that allow parent elements are extended to allow elements specialized off them)

vocabulary attributes (where the domain attribute is defined)

vocabulary definitions (where the .mod files are finally pulled in)

Integrating wiztask-domain At the end of vocabulary definitions, add an entry for wiztask-d:<!ENTITY % wiztask-d-dec PUBLIC "-//IBM//ENTITIES DITA Wizard Task Domain//EN" "wiztask-

domain.ent"> %wiztask-d-dec;

At the end of vocabulary substitutions, add entries for wintitle and uicontrol (which you are expanding to allow specialized elements):

<!ENTITY % wintitle " wintitle | %wiztask-d-wintitle;"><!ENTITY % uicontrol " uicontrol | %wiztask-d-uicontrol;">

And expand the definitions of ancestor elements to include the new entities (in this case, keyword for wintitle specializations, and ph for uicontrol specializations):

<!ENTITY % keyword "keyword | %pr-d-keyword; | %sw-d-keyword; | %ui-d-keyword; | %wiztask-d-wintitle;"><!ENTITY % ph "ph | %pr-d-ph; | %sw-d-ph; | %hi-d-ph; | %ui-d-ph; | %wiztask-d-uicontrol;">

Under vocabulary attributes, add the wiztask domain to the end of the included domains:<!ENTITY included-domains "&ui-d-att; &hi-d-att; &pr-d-att; &sw-d-att; &ut-d-att; &wiztask-d-att;">

At the end of the vocabulary definition section, pull in the .mod file:<!ENTITY % wiztask-d-def PUBLIC "-//IBM//ELEMENTS DITA Wizard Task Domain//EN" "wiztask-

domain.mod"> %wiztask-d-def;

Testing the newly integrated DTD

Go back to your original sample file, mywiztask.xml

Add a DTD reference at the top of your sample file:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE wiztask SYSTEM "wiztask_shell.dtd">

Try opening the file in IE to test it (quickest/easiest way to validate against a DTD on Windows)

Try processing it to HTML, eg:saxon mywiztask.xml d:\dita13\xsl\dita2html_shell.xsl >mywiztask.html

Compare results with mywiztask.html in the accompanying samples


Sample output (mywiztask.html)


Are all these outputs starting to look the same?

They should - we've added new markup, but are reusing existing processing rules that get applied based on the class attribute of each element.

As long as each specialized element obeys the rules of specialization - the same or more restrictive content models - the processing can safely handle what the specialized element throws at it.

In the next exercise, let's see what it takes to shake up the output a little.

Specializing output 1: copy an existing template

Create a new XSLT module: wiztask-d.xsl

Add XSLT header stuff, and copy the template match for wintitle to use as a start:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">

<xsl:template match="*[contains(@class,' ui-d/wintitle ')]">



<xsl:call-template name="setclass"/>

<xsl:apply-templates select="@id"/>

<xsl:call-template name="flagit"/>

<xsl:apply-templates/>



</xsl:template></xsl:stylesheet>

Specializing output 2: change match statement and code

Change the match statement to point to wintitle, and change the behavior to make wiztitle bold:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">

<xsl:template match="*[contains(@class,' wiztask-d/wiztitle ')]"> <xsl:call-template name="setclass"/> <xsl:apply-templates select="@id"/> <xsl:call-template name="flagit"/> <xsl:apply-templates/> </xsl:template></xsl:stylesheet>

Specializing output 3: integrating the specialized code

Copy dita2htmlImpl.xsl into the workshop directory, and rename it to wiztask2htmlImpl.xsl

Modify the paths of the existing imports, and add a reference to the wiztask-d.xsl module at the end of the import list:

<xsl:import href="../../xsl/xslhtml/topic2html.xsl"/><xsl:import href="../../xsl/xslhtml/task2html.xsl"/><xsl:import href="../../xsl/xslhtml/ref2html.xsl"/><xsl:import href="../../xsl/xslhtml/xslhtml/domains2html.xsl"/><xsl:import href="wiztask-d.xsl"/>

Copy dita2html_shell.xsl into the workshop directory, rename it to wiztask2html_shell.xsl, and edit to point it at wiztask2htmlImpl.xsl


Test output

saxon mywiztask.xml wiztask2html_shell.xsl >mywiztask-new.html

Compare with mywiztask-new.html in the accompanying samples. The wizard title should now be bold.

Note that generic wintitles in the same document are not affected.

Exercise for the reader: create an equivalent specialization module and shell for PDF output, and re-run the taskbook build to get specialized output for wiztitle in PDF as well.


Sample output (mywiztask-new.html)


Mechanics

class attribute for a new information type element:starts with -

lists ancestor elements plus current element, scoped by information type (the topic-level element name)

ends with a space class attribute for a new domain element:

starts with +

lists ancestor elements plus current element, scoped by domain package name (arbitrary name, typically something-d, used consistently for element names and in domains attribute)

ends with a space domains attribute

lists the domains, and their ancestors, in use by the current document type

allows comparison of constraints (does task 1 allow the same things as task 2?)


Summary

Mechanics are simple

Design implementation is copy and extend, but copy only the parts you need to change - reuse everything else by reference

Design hierarchy has one module per information type or domain, that are integrated into doctypes by a shell DTD

Processing hierarchy has an equivalent structure: processing modules integrated into a transform by a shell XSLT

But processing hierarchy can get away with a subset of the design modules: don't need processing modules for every design module, only the ones that need special processing


What's the value?

A lot of work to define just seven elements

But no work to define the other 100-odd already defined

No work to get those tags enabled in existing processes

No work to get the content integrated in existing books and Webs

And reuse by reference means you can pick up enhancements to both base design and base processes when you want to.

The real work is in figuring out what your tags need to be. What DITA does is simplify the mechanics of getting those tags into an authoring and processing environment you can test with your users - shorten the feedback cycle, improve more quickly.

A rapid prototyping architecture that scales to a production one.


Recommended reading

Introductions

http://xml.coverpages.org/DITA-IntroductionBrief.pptslides 18-24 of the first briefing presentation provide an overview of specialization

http://xml.coverpages.org/DITA-EXTREME-SpecializationPres.pdfprovides a more technical overview, with checklists/instructions

Additional recommended reading:

http://xml.coverpages.org/priestleySIGDOC2002-DITA.pdfprovides in-depth view of the technology, process, and policy issues of specialization

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita2/index.htmlspecifics of information type specialization

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita5/index.htmlspecifics of domain specialization

september 2004 © 2004 ibm corporation presentation subtitle: 20pt arial regular, teal r045 | g182 |...

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