Branch filtering, DITA 1.3

[barbwire]

As you have to know, DITA 1.3 gives a new feature, branch filtering to the DITA maps and XMetal 11 “includes ability to work with scoped keys and branch filtering.”

Well, I read the manual and it gives instructions, how to append ditaval reference to the map and that works okay, but my question is:

How to create ditaval topics at the Xmetal 11?

DTD's contain ditaval.dtd, but when I try to create a new ditaval, I cannot see template from anywhere (though I have wooden eye, but anyhow…). So how do I create ditaval-file at the Xmetal 11? Or should I create the template by myself?

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[mag3737]

We don't include a proper XMetaL customization for editing DITAVAL files, so the out-of-box editing approach would be to accept XMetaL's default-generated customization. This would mean no special visual styling, no custom forms, toolbars, or menus. But you would have Normal/TagsOn views, the Element List and Attribute Inspector windows available, which are technically all you need.

If you have an existing DITAVAL file to edit, you can use File>Open to select it. You will almost certainly be prompted to browse for the DTD. In XMetaL Author Enterprise 11 (32-bit installation), the ditaval.dtd from DITA 1.3 is located here:
C:Program Files (x86)XMetaL 11.0AuthorDITADITA_1.3_DTDditavaldtd

If you want to work from a template, you can create a DITAVAL template by copying any DITAVAL file and placing it into any subfolder here (or you can also make a new subfolder):
C:Program Files (x86)XMetaL 11.0AuthorTemplate
Then if you do File>New, you will see your DITAVAL template included among all the others. Once again, you will probably need to browse for the DTD after opening the file.

A third option, to open a new, one-time-only blank DITAVAL file, is to use File>New, then select the template called “Blank XML Document” (from the “General” tab), and then select the DITAVAL DTD from the subsequent browse dialog.

The very first time you open a DITAVAL file, by whichever of the above methods, you will see a message about XMetaL automatically generating some configuration files. Those could serve as the beginning of a “proper customization”, if desired.

If you wish to avoid the “browse for a DTD” prompt every time, you must (1) ensure that the DITAVAL file or template you are opening includes a DOCTYPE declaration that references a DTD and (2) ensure that the DTD is in a location where XMetaL can find it by resolving the information in the DOCTYPE.

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[XMetaLOldTimer]

Beware that the DITA Open Toolkit, at least the ones included with XMetaL, choke on ditaval files that have a doctype declaration.  This limitation is why we decided to not include an authoring customization for them at this time.

Addam

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[barbwire]

Beware that the DITA Open Toolkit, at least the ones included with XMetaL, choke on ditaval files that have a doctype declaration.  This limitation is why we decided to not include an authoring customization for them at this time.

Addam

Okay, that is interesting to know. However, most of our customers does not use DITA OT at all, but in future this is good thing to know. I assume, that you mean DITA OT 2.2.x? And I have to add, that I already tested ditaval topic making with XMetal and it worked great (topic is created in Content Management System and schema and file are sent to the XMetal editing).

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