Info: Where to modify DITA Open Toolkit Files

If you are using XMetaL Author Enterprise to work with DITA documents, you can change the appearance of output that you create using the "Generate Output" feature, by changing files in XMetaL's installation of the DITA Open Toolkit (DITA OT). This article describes where to find those files on most machines. For a more thorough discussion, please see http://forums.XMetaL.com/index.php?topic=224.msg687#msg687.

DITA OT Location for XMetaL Author Enterpise prior to Version 5.5
The DITA Open Toolkit is installed in C:\Program Files\Common Files\XMetaL Shared\DITA_OT by default. Back up that folder and then modify the files within it.

DITA OT Location for Most Installations of XMetaL Author Enterprise 5.5 and Later
The DITA Open Toolkit is installed in C:\Program Files\Common Files\XMetaL Shared\DITA_OT by default. This is also known as the "Program Files" folder. Some documents refer to it as the %PROGRAMFILES%folder.

The first time you use the "Generate Output" feature, XMetaL copies the DITA OT to a folder that is probably in one of the following locations:

In Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\SoftQuad\XMetaL Shared\DITA_OT
In Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\SoftQuad\XMetaL Shared\DITA_OT
A different folder depending on how the system has been configured. A quick way to find this folder is to type %APPDATA% in a Windows Explorer address bar and then press Enter.

This is also known as the "per-user" folder. Some documents also refer to it as the %APPDATA% folder. From then on, whenever you generate output, XMetaL uses the per-user folder.

From then on, XMetaL uses the copy of the DITA OT from the per-user folder. The copy of the DITA OT in the Program Files folder is used in the following cases:
- If you delete the copy of the DITA OT in the per-user folder, the next time you generate output, XMetaL will copy the DITA OT from the Program Files folder to the per-user folder.
- If a different user who not used the "Generate Output" feature of XMetaL on this machine logs in and generates output, XMetaL will copy the DITA OT from the Program Files folder to the per-user folder for that user.

Therefore, if you want to customize output:
1) Generate Output at least once from XMetaL.
2) Back up the copy of the OT that is in the Program Files folder.
3) Open the copy of the OT that is in your per-user folder and make your changes there.
4) After you have finished testing your changes, it is a good idea to copy any changes you made in the per-user folder to the copy of the OT that is in the Program Files folder.

The above instructions apply to all installations of XMetaL 5.5 and later except machines in which the xmetal60.ini or xmetal55.ini file has been modified as described below.

Advanced: Forcing the DITA OT Location to be the Program Files Folder
In XMetaL 5.5 and later, if you want XMetaL to only use the copy of the DITA OT that is is in the Program Files folder and not the per-user folder, you can set it up to do this as follows:

1) Open the xmetal60.ini file in C:\Program Files\XMetaL 6.0\Author, or the xmetal55.ini file in C:\Program Files\XMetaL 55\Author.
2) Change user_setting_mode=per_user to user_setting_mode=default.
3) Save the file.
4) Restart XMetaL.

Advanced: Using a copy of the DITA Open Toolkit on a shared drive
See: Using a copy of the DITA Open Toolkit on a shared drive. If you follow this procedure, the shared drive essentially takes the role of the per-user folder. XMetaL will not put a copy of the DITA OT into the per-user folder.