Here is some initial thinking about how we should package
the DITA 1.2 specifications, DTDs, schemas, and related files.
We’d like to discuss this during an upcoming DITA TC
call. And, as always, comments and suggestions by e-mail to the list or
directly to me (jogden@ptc.com), Robert (robander@us.ibm.com), and Michael (mpriestlo@ca.ibm.com) are welcome.
The items below are numbered just to make it easier to refer
to specific items in discussions and via e-mail.
General comments:
- The proposal is to organize the DITA 1.2 specification
into a set of six individual
packages plus an additional combined package as outlined below.
- All packages include both DTD and XSD doctype shells
and modules.
- All packages include catalog files (both XML and text).
- Packages will contain a mix of normative and
informative (non-normative) materials.
- Directories and files will be organized and named so
that they can be combined and
installed into the same directories without conflict.
- Except for the combined package, individual packages
won’t duplicate
the content from other packages.
- The Core Package can be used by itself.
- Each of the individual non-core packages requires the
Core package and may
require other packages.
- The Core Package plus the Technical Content Package gives
what
is available in DITA 1.1 without bookmap and with the addition of
the Hazard
Statement domain, and the Basic Topic and Basic Map document type shells.
- The written specifications, references, and guidelines
are being divided into
smaller independent documents to make them more manageable, to allow
them to be maintained somewhat independently, to allow readers to
avoid sections that they may not need or may not be interested in, and to
make
it easier to add more structural and domain specializations in the future.
- The DITA TC and eventually OASIS will be asked to approve
the specifications,
DTDs, XSDs, modules, and related files in the combined package.
1) Core Package
a)
DITA 1.2 Core Architectural Specification
(introduction, topic, map, and
metadata markup, processing, specialization including constraints).
b)
DITA 1.2 Core Language Reference (map, topic,
metadata, map group domain).
c)
DITA 1.2 Utility Domain Specializations Architecture
and Language Reference (utilities,
highlighting, xNAL, and hazard statement domains).
d)
DITA 1.2 Processing Guidelines and Examples
(non-normative).
e)
Basic Topic document type shell (topic type, no
domains).
f)
Topic type modules.
g)
Topic domain specialization modules for the indexing,
utilities,
highlighting, and hazard statement domains.
h)
Basic Map document type shell (only map type plus the
map group domain).
i)
Map modules.
j)
Map Group domain specialization modules.
k)
Delayed Resolution domain specialization modules.
l)
xNAL domain specialization modules.
m)
Basic Ditabase document type shell (topic type, no domains).
n)
ditaval document type.
2) Technical Content Package
a) DITA 1.2
Technical Content Specializations Architecture and Language
Reference (concept, task, reference, glossary).
b) DITA 1.2
Software Specializations Architecture and Language
Reference (software, programming, and UI domains).
c) Topic
document type shell (topic plus core topic domains plus the
software, programming, and UI domains).
d) Concept
document type shell (concept plus core topic domains plus
the software, programming, and UI domains).
e) Glossary
document type shell (glossentry plus core topic domains plus
the software, programming, and UI domains).
f)
Reference document type shell (reference plus core topic domains plus
the software, programming, and UI domains).
g) Task
document type shell (constrained task plus core topic domains plus the
software, programming, and UI domains).
h) Concept,
glossary, reference, and task specialization modules.
i)
Software, programming, and UI domain specialization modules.
j)
Map document type shell (map plus map group, and indexing domains).
k) Technical
Content Ditabase doctype shell (topic, concept, glossentry,
reference, task plus the core topic domains plus the software,
programming, and UI domains).
3) Book Specializations Package
a) DITA 1.2
Book Specialization Architecture and Language Reference (bookmap).
b) Bookmap
document type shell (bookmap plus map group, indexing,
and xNAL domains).
c) Bookmap
specialization modules.
4) Learning and Training Content Specializations Package
a) DITA 1.2
Learning and Training Content Specializations Architecture and Language Reference.
b) Doctype
shells for all of the Learning and Training topic specializations except
learningBase,
includes the core topic, Learning, and Learning Metadata domains.
c) Learning and
Training topic and metadata domains.
d) Learning and
Training map doctype shell (map plus the Learning Map and
Learning Metadata domains).
e) Learning and
Training map domain specialization.
f)
Learning and Training Ditabase doctype shell (all of the Learning and
Training topics,
plus topic, concept, glossary, reference, task, plus the core topic domains).
5) Machine Industry Specializations Package
a) DITA 1.2
Machine Industry Specializations Architecture and Language Reference.
b) Machine
Industry Task doctype shell (task plus the core topic and
Machine Industry domain specializations).
c) Machine
Industry domain specialization modules.
d) Machine
Industry Ditabase doctype shell (topic, concept, reference, Machine Industry
Task,
plus core topic and Machine Industry domain specializations).
6) Semantic Linking, Controlled Values, and Taxonomies
a)
DITA 1.2 Semantic Linking, Controlled Values, and
Taxonomies Specializations
Architecture and Language Reference.
b)
Subject Schema Map document type shell.
c)
Subject Schema Map modules.
d)
Classification Map document type shell.
e)
Classification domain specialization modules.
7) Combined Package
a) All of the
above in one combined package.
Questions:
I.
Should the Learning and Training topics and ditabase
doctype shells include the software, ui, and programming domains? John?
II.
Do we want a Learning and Training map doctype shell
that is based on bookmap? John?
III.
Is it nuts to include so many variations of Ditabase
doctype shells? Do we want a ditabase in each package? Should we leave this up
to the sub-committees?
IV.
Should we include the approved Best Practice
documents as an informative part of the core package? Should we combine the
existing best practice documents into a single document?
V.
Which map document type shells should include the
Delayed Resolution domain? Basic map? Technical Content Map? Bookmap? Leaning
Map?
VI.
We have a constrained task doctype shell as part of the
Technical Content Package. Do we need to include an unconstrained task?
If so, in which package? Or is the Machine Industry Task an unconstrained
task that can serve this role?
VII.
Notice that the Delayed Resolution domain is included
in the core package, that it is not included in any doctype shells. Is
this OK?
VIII.
Notice that the xNAL domain is included in the core
package, but it is only included in the Bookmap doctype shell.