Just to confirm:
This proposal (as well as 13051) suggests adding to the current set
of things included in the DITA distribution for 1.3, but not removing or
altering the current DTDs/XSDs, correct?
My concern is that we don't break something from the 1.2
distribution in 1.3. (If we want to break something, it has to wait until
DITA 2.0.)
paul
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of Michael Priestley
Sent: Monday, 2011 December 05 13:20
To:
Subject: [dita] Simplified DITA authoring/schemas proposal for 13076
Also relates
to:
13051 providing a DITA starter set
Many
authoring scenarios would benefit from the structure that specialization
provides, without requiring the full flexibility of DITA's advanced
capabilities. For example, occasional or contributing authors have no room for
the learning curve for every DITA element and behavior, but would still benefit
from guided authoring through specialization, as well as a simplified reuse and
metadata framework that also makes their work available to other DITA authoring
communities.
We can
make it easier for authoring communities to adapt DITA to their needs by:
Simplifying
authoring:
· creating simplified authoring DTDs/schemas that limit
flexibility, with strict nesting rules and limited attributes and behaviors
· providing easily readable simplified DTDs/schemas that
don’t expose full DITA
Simplifying
specialization:
· creating the required simplified topic DTDs by
assembling and sequencing a set of common section-level components that can be
easily shared between specializations
· creating the required simplified map DTDs by defining
type-specific topicrefs that can set the required types and sequences of the
topics a map can point to
· creating simple rules for others to follow when
creating their own specializations (topic or map based) or specialized
components
By codifying
standard approaches to simplified authoring (markup nesting and attribute
choices) we will make it easier for editors to quickly support simple authoring
scenarios with no or minimal configuration.
By codifying standard approaches to build new specializations (of maps
or topics) or specialization components (at the section level, or with phrase
or attribute domains) we will make it easier for architects or even
authors to quickly adapt DITA to new authoring scenarios.
By providing a starter library of simplified topic and map types, and
sharable components, we can provide immediate benefit to already known
simple authoring scenarios, and also provide a pattern for others to follow
when they create their own.
Michael
Priestley, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM)
Lead IBM DITA Architect
http://dita.xml.org/blog/25
