AW: [dita] DITA 1.2 packages [updated]

Here is a new version of the DITA 1.2 packaging proposal updated based on comments and suggestions received on the first draft. No major changes to the original proposal from 7 April. A few additional questions for the TC at the end. Changes are highlighted in blue.

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).
All packages include documentation (DITA source, PDF, and chunked HTML output, and possibly HTML Help (chm) and unchunked HTML output).
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, software, programming, UI, Learning topic, and Learning Metadata domains.

c) Learning and Training topic, map, and metadata domains.

d) Learning and Training map doctype shell (map plus the Learning Map,
Learning Metadata, and Learning topic domains).

e) Learning and Training bookmap doctype shell (bookmap plus the Learning Map and Learning Metadata domains).

f) Learning and Training map domain specialization.

g) Learning and Training Ditabase doctype shell (all of the Learning and Training topics,
plus topic, concept, glossary, reference, task, plus the core topic, software, programming, UI, Learning topic, and Learning Metadata 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 thinks they should, but will check with the subcommittee.

II. Do we want a Learning and Training map doctype shell that is based on bookmap? John says yes.

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.

IX. There was a suggestion that we have an additional package that would contain the combined documentation and none of the DTD, XSD, and related files. This is not included in the above proposal, but could be if members of the TC think it would be useful.

X. We will include the DITA source, PDF, and chunked HTML output. Do we want to include HTML Help (chm) and unchunked HTML output as well?

XI. Are seven or eight packages too many (six individual, one combined, and possibly a combined documentation package)?

XII. Questions about how to coordinate Robert’s proposed changes to the organization of the DITA Language Reference documents with the packaging proposal were raised during the 8 April DITA TC call.

XIII. There is a question about the name for what is labeled the “core” package above. Is “core” OK or would “base”, “common”, or something else be better.

XIV. There are questions about the right place to put the xNAL and Hazard Statement domains that we need to sort out.

XV. Is Technical Content a good name for item #2 above? Would Technical Publications be better? Something else?

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