Changes between Version 3 and Version 4 of Public/StartPageDitaOt


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Timestamp:
Sep 14, 2022, 6:35:20 PM (19 months ago)
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Administrator
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  • Public/StartPageDitaOt

    v3 v4  
    1111
    1212DITA and DITA-OT do not necessarily require a [wiki:Public/StartPageCinnamon CCMS] or [wiki:Public/StartPagePim PIM] back-end, but due to the very modular character of real-world DITA data (a manual can easily contain more than 1,000 modules plus images) managing such data in the file system is practically impossible, not to speak of how to handle versioning, release cycles, translation and variant management. Thus, using DITA is practically linked to using a [wiki:Public/StartPageCinnamon CCMS] or in some cases, a [wiki:Public/StartPagePim PIM] for organizing the DITA source data.
     13
     14DITA-OT has a reputation of being suitable for simple PDF and HTML layouts only, while anything more sophisticated needs Adobe® !InDesign. This is not true, though. PDF layouts can be controlled by easily accessible parameters for common layout properties. This makes it relatively easy to influence basic settings like fonts, styles, borders, number of columns or the table of contents. However, if more complex layouts are required, DITA-OT allows to replace entire layout sections with custom code. We have experience with very complex DITA-OT PDF styles, including challenges like:
     15* One-column and two-column sections on the same page
     16* Manuals with several language versions of the documentation, each having their own table of contents and the whole manual with a table of contents pointing to the language versions
     17* Complex positioning rules for varying numbers of content blocks on one page
     18* Multiple table styles with complex layout
     19
     20The use case for Adobe® !InDesign is not for complex layouts, but for output that should be automatically created, but allow editing and fine-tuning in !InDesign. This is often true for marketing material like product catalogues or brochures.
     21
     22= What we can do for you
     23* Provide consultancy to decide whether DITA-OT or rather publishing tools like Adobe® !InDesign or the Open Source alternative Scribus should be used
     24* Build DITA-OT styles for PDF, HTML and other targets