DITA Single Source technology

What is Single Source? Single source technology is a concept of publishing documents when same content can be used in different released documents or in different formats. All the fragments that make up the output documents are in a mutual fund, a single source is (depending on the implementation) a set of individual files in the file system or some kind of database. Each output document is an ordered sample from a single source which, in principle, can have a certain structure, convenient for compilers; however, it is not directly transformed into the structure of a document. In other words, the relationship between the single source and the instrument is approximately the same as between the database and the report. Create a document in such a system - it means to describe the structure and rules of formation of fragments of a single source. The fragments may be page templates, graphics, and other passages of text. This labor-intensive and expensive work to create a system of documentation based on the principle of a single source held at a same time. Further work on creating and editing new documents maintained by the use of special software. The output documents are published automatically in the required configuration.

Introducing DITA Publishing groups by necessity develop common guidelines and processes, as well as a common architecture, for their contributors. Organizations that deal with the interchange of content have two options. One option enables them to build a very detailed, complex document type definition (DTD) that takes into account all possibilities and requirements for all of the different content and organizations involved in developing product information. The second option is to use a more generic DTD that can be specialized to support specific functionality for different departments. DITA - Darwin Information Typing Architecture was developed to be more then “just another DTD” document type definition. Because optimization of the content development process is directly related to a company’s specific product/service line and its internal document development processes, the number of universal DTDs is very small. However, the efficiencies that can be realized by publications groups have a direct relationship to the amount of DTD and schema customizations they can implement to support their specific needs.

In which cases, it is advisable to use the principle of a single source?  Development of the documentation done by the team of experts  The same document or document fragment edited by several specialists  It is necessary to publish the output documents in various formats: PDF, HTML, RTF, etc.  Each set of output documents have to look in your own style.  Support multi-language documentation

Stages of implementation of the process of documentation 1.Development and approval of the requirements for the result (size, appearance, completeness, the number of languages, the storage system source files, tools to be used for editing and publishing, etc.). 2.Requirements of the documentation system (if required purchase of software licenses, installation and debugging of software, customization setting (XSLT stylesheet), etc. 3.Conversion of existing content (from Word, FrameMaker, etcs formats) into DITA format 4.Debugging of content, configuring publishing of output documents. 5.Training of personnel and/or creation of technical specifications for the use of the new storage system and share content. 6.Support documentation system

Content management system (CMS) Authors Content Customizaition XSLT-Style Output documents Organization scheme process of documentation

Storage of original documents Single source technology means that the source document files (created by technical writers) and complete documents (created by the program for the assembly document) - two different files Original documents storage Complete documents storage Publishing

Design DITA technology enables:  Use of a separate set of drawings for the pdf and a separate set of pictures for xhtml- Help  Use of your own styling, for example, if the publication of various sets of documents using different logos and colors

Benefits of DITA Release of documents in various formats (PDF, HTML5 and XHTML, Eclipse Help, TocJS, HTML Help, Java Help, ODE, RTF, troff) Rigid sections structuring by typed “topics” (concept, task, reference, etc. ). Several text developers can simultaneously work on the same document. Ability to create documents in the same style. Ability to customize the output styles of documents to the requirements of various projects