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38784 DTD - Multiple Authors

mdaly
3-Visitor

38784 DTD - Multiple Authors

I have a 38784 DTD. The major content section of this DTD is the chapter element. How can I have writers working on different chapters at the same time?

Surely there must be a way to chunk it up into different files, be able to parse them individually, and somehow pull them altogether at publication time. I am just not getting it.

Mike

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Hi Mike,

You can split XML files into smaller chunks based on a specific tag and then reference the chunks within the <chapter> file.

Are you using a content management tool like Windchill? If so, you can set your bursting rules to split the file based on criteria like a specific tag. Windchill would maintain the relationship between the sub files for you. Multiple authors could check-out the portion they are editing without disrupting the flow of other others.

If you are working from a file system, then you would need too split the files in to chunks manually and reference them into the <chapter>. However, I would recommend a CMS to track where files are used.

Despite the approach, when you open the <chapter> file, you would see the <chapter> in its entirety. The same goes for pub time. Arbortext would assemble the pieces for publishing.

Hope that helps!

-Jeff

View solution in original post

8 REPLIES 8

Hi Mike,

You can split XML files into smaller chunks based on a specific tag and then reference the chunks within the <chapter> file.

Are you using a content management tool like Windchill? If so, you can set your bursting rules to split the file based on criteria like a specific tag. Windchill would maintain the relationship between the sub files for you. Multiple authors could check-out the portion they are editing without disrupting the flow of other others.

If you are working from a file system, then you would need too split the files in to chunks manually and reference them into the <chapter>. However, I would recommend a CMS to track where files are used.

Despite the approach, when you open the <chapter> file, you would see the <chapter> in its entirety. The same goes for pub time. Arbortext would assemble the pieces for publishing.

Hope that helps!

-Jeff

Jeff - That makes sense. I should have figured that out. So one cannot parse the chunked files standalone, they are parsed when pulled into the master file? I think I got it.

Thanks a lot.

Mike

mdaly
3-Visitor
(To:mdaly)

Back again. See the shell of a 38784 doc below.

<doc>

<front numcols="2">

<idinfo>

<tmidno></tmidno>

<doctype></doctype>

<prtitle></prtitle>

<distrib type="other"></distrib>

<authnot></authnot>

<pubdate></pubdate>

</idinfo>

</front>

<body numcols="2">

<chapter>

<title></title>

<para0>

<title></title>

</para0>

</chapter>

<chapter>

<title></title>

</chapter>

<chapter>

<title></title>

<para0>

<title></title>

</para0>

</chapter>

<chapter>

<title></title>

<para0>

<title></title>

</para0>

</chapter>

</body>

<rear numcols="1"></rear>

</doc>

So If I want to create a standalone chapter chunk file, how do I assign a DTD to the chunk? If I assign the 38784 DTD to the newly created chunk file, It must contain all the elements that wrap around the chapter element. That would never parse in the overall document. Can you follow what I am trying to say?

Mike

Hi Mike,

The easiest way is to declare the root element in your doctype declaration.

<!DOCTYPE %root_element% PUBLIC "%identifier%" "%DTD_location%">

This is where Windchill helps, too. Arbortext knows the file has been bursted from a larger file and is able to handle the chunk appropriately without more these modifications.

Jeff - This worked. I am able to create standalone chapter files that I can reference of insert into the body file. However, I need to bone up on declarations and all that syntax. I entered what you told me. Now I need to understand more about declarations.

Thanks again.

Mike

Are you doing this with Entities or simply by pasting/inserting into the document. If you use the entity functionality in the master document, then Arbortext loads the individual chapters each time. so if authors are updating chapters, each time you open the master book you are seeing the latest chapters.

So if you did it using entities, then the master document would look like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!--Arbortext, Inc., 1988-2016, v.4002-->

<!DOCTYPE svcman SYSTEM "file://///brksvw387/styles/doctypes/VehicleServiceWkpkg/VehicleServiceWkpkg.dtd" [

<!ENTITY section3 SYSTEM "C:\Operating DTDs-engine-truck\PTCcommunity_test\section3.xml">

<!ENTITY Section2 SYSTEM "C:\Operating DTDs-engine-truck\PTCcommunity_test\section2.xml">

<!ENTITY section1 SYSTEM "C:\Operating DTDs-engine-truck\PTCcommunity_test\section1.xml">

]>

<?Pub Inc?>

<svcman>

<title>The test Document</title>

<highlight></highlight>

<safety></safety>

&section1;

&Section2;

&section3;

</svcman><?Pub Caret -1?>

Thanks Ray. This looks like an interesting approach also. It works!

Thank you,.

Mike

Michael

This is essentially what happens when you use Windchill, It stores the data as entities in the CMS and then allows access. If you want to deliver the data as a complete file you can export it from the CMS which then gives a master document file with file entities or include statements. Then if you want to make it one file you can run the function "flatten" in Arbortext to remove the entities and create one complete file.  Good luck and let me know if you have any questions regarding this approach.

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