Moving content into XMetal

[Peggy]

Hello.

Our current documentation was created in Adobe InDesign, so we have a major undertaking to migrate it into XMetal. Has anyone had experience with this? We can export as HTML, but then what? I am dedicated to getting our content into DITA compliant form - do I need to accept the reality of spending 2012 typing?

Thanks,

Peggy

[Derek Read]

Three main options (perhaps other people can suggest more):

1) Open each HTML file in a browser. Copy and paste it into a new DITA topic (of the correct type -- which you must decide upon yourself). XMetaL Author will do its best to try to convert it to DITA for you. There are limitations to this but it the quickest option, in that it is immediately available and does not require any coding or further expense (beyond your own time fiddling with the results to clean them up). This is meant to be used for a small number of documents, or perhaps if someone sends you an HTML email, HTML file, or MS Word document that you need to copy a section out of for use in DITA.

2) Automate the conversion using one of (possibly) various tools. IBM has a solution for this here: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita8a/

3) Hire one of our partners or another company that specializes in migrating legacy content to DITA. One of our partners just did a webinar on this topic. You should be able to view that here: http://forums.xmetal.com/index.php/topic,1669.0.html

[Peggy]

Thank you very much, Derek.

We are preparing to do quite a bit of clean up as part of this process, and it is simply going to have to be one of our costs. I'm absolutely convinced the benefits will fully reward us!

Best wishes,

Peggy