DITA-Word Starter Guide

DITA-Word is distributed as a MS Word Add-In. It requires the proper installation of several programs, not least of which is MS Word 2003. With everything properly installed the Add-In can be set for global use by selecting the “Templates and Add-Ins…” command from the tools menu.

Refer to the DITA-Word Installation Guide topic for guidance on how to install the DTIA-Word Add-In and its supporting files and programs.

If this is the first time DTIA-Word is being run, follow the procedures described in First Run.

From the resulting dialog box look for the Global add-in “DITA-Word.dot”. If add-in this is not present, click the Add button and open it from the C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates directory. Once this add-in is available to load, click the check box next to its name and click OK.

It the DITA-Word tool bar is displayed and the words “” as displayed in the status bar, the system is ready to use.

IMPORTANT: DITA-Word uses paragraph and character styles to control how DITA XML is written so understand XML is not necessary. However, what is necessary is that paragraph formatting be exclusively establish through the use of DITA-Word style command buttons. Character formatting is simple because you bold, italicize, underline, subscript _TEST and superscript ^TEST using the word interface. Be sure not to change the font from times except if you want to use the mono-spaced font courier. Greek symbols have not been implemented at this time.

At this time only topic, concept and map DITA info types should be created. These info-types require as title and short description. So when you try to save without the first and second paragraphs having the Title and Short Description styles respectively, an error will ensue.

The use of DITA-Word is centered on topic oriented writing. This style of writing is counter intuitive to the way most people write because it requires the good structuring the information being written. DITA-Word offers the focal concepts of subject and info-type file map to facilitate good structuring of information surrounding a subject.

• DITA-Word Installation Guide
  Installing DITA-Word requires that several programs and support files to be properly installed on the target computer. This start-up guide will list the tasks required to verify that a tested configuration is in place before attempting to user DITA-Word.
• DITA-Word First Run
  The first time DITA-Word is used the program will check to see that cretin files are present. This Add-In will also register the location of the DITA-OT directory. Before this can be done however, the supporting programs must be installed properly and this Add-In must be added to MS Word.
• Start by creating a map for a new subject
  To create a map and new subject click the New DITAFile button in the DITA-Word tool bar.
• Link and Edit Topic File
  Unlinked text in a map file can be used as the title for a new info-type file. With the insertion point in the paragraph were this action is desired click the New DITAFile button. Click OK twice for the two dialog boxes that are displayed and a new topic file with the desired title will be displayed.