Creating Maps
Create a Map
- In the content library, navigate to a folder and click Create New.
- Select the map type you want to create.
- Enter a title and file name.
- Optional: Create the file in a folder different from the current folder by clicking Change and selecting a new location.
- Optional: Assign the file to collections by clicking Collections and selecting collections from the list.
- Optional: Assign metadata to the file by filling in the Metadata fields.
- Do one of the following:
- To create and open the file, click Create & Edit.
- To create the file and return to the content library, click Create.
Create a Multilingual Map
Creating a multilingual map enables you to publish a multilingual deliverable.
- Localize your content.
- Create a map that you will use as a multilingual map. See Create a Map.
- In the content library, right-click the multilingual map and select Dock.
- In the content library, navigate to the localized map or topic.
- Add the localized map or topic to the multilingual map by doing the following:
- Drag and drop the localized map or topic into the Map Editor.
- Click Insert.
- Repeat step 4 with the same localized map or topic for each language that you want to publish the resource in.
- Set language attributes for localized maps or topics by doing the following:
Change the Map Title
You can modify the title of an existing map.
- In the content library right-click a map and select Dock.
- In the left pane, click .
- Enter a new map title.
- Click Save.
Add Existing Content to a Map
You can insert existing maps and topics from your content library to a map.
Insert New Content to a Map
Add new topics or maps to a map.
Add an Element to a Map
You can add elements to the map by using the Map Editor or Content Editor.
Move an Element in a Map
Organize topics and other elements in a map in the way that you want them to appear in the final output.
- In the content library, open a map by doing one of the following:
- Right-click the map and select Dock.
- Double-click the map.
- In the pane on the left, do one of the following:
- To move the topic as a peer, drag and drop the topic above or below another peer topic.Tip: A line indicates where the component will be added.
- To make the topic a child, drag and drop the topic on top of another topic.Tip: A green box shows around the topic to indicate that the topic will be a parent topic.
- To move the topic as a peer, drag and drop the topic above or below another peer topic.
Remove an Element from a Map
Remove unwanted content from a map by using the Map Editor or Content Editor.
- In the content library, open a map by doing one of the following:
- Right-click the map and select Dock.
- Double-click the map.
- In the pane on the left, right-click the element you want to remove and select Remove element.
Navigational Headings
Map Without Navigational Headings
In this example, the “Master Map” (outlined in black) contains a hierarchy of submaps (outlined in blue and green). Publishing the “Master Map” generates the following navigation in PDF and WordPress outputs.
The topic titles (“Topic A”, “Topic B”, “Topic C”, etc) display but the map titles (“Getting Started”, “Interface”, “Features”, “Controls”) do not. To display map titles, you need to define navigational heading elements in the map.
Map with Navigational Headings
The following examples show a map with hierarchy.
- User Guide (master-map)
- Topic Editor (submap)
- Interface (topic)
- Using the Topic Editor (topic)
- Map Editor (submap)
- Interface (topic)
- Using the Map Editor (topic)
- Topic Editor (submap)
The following example shows the source code for a map with navigational headings for each submap:
<map id="_m_user_guide" title="User Guide">
<title>User Guide</title>
<topichead>
<topicmeta>
<navtitle>Topic Editor</navtitle>
</topicmeta>
<mapref href="_m_topic_editor.ditamap" />
</topichead>
<topichead>
<topicmeta>
<navtitle>Map Editor</navtitle>
</topicmeta>
<mapref href="_m_map_editor.ditamap" />
</topichead>
</map>
Create a Navigational Heading
Insert navigational elements in your DITA map to display map titles in the output.
- In the content library, open a map by doing one of the following:
- Right-click the map and select Dock.
- Double-click the map.
- Right-click the map element, and select .
- Hover over the topichead element and click .
- Fill in the Navtitle field with the title of your navigational heading.
- Drag a map from the content library or the pane on the left and drop it onto the topichead element.
- If a dialog appears, select mapref element and click Insert.
Map Elements Attributes
Assigning attributes enables you to manage the properties of elements in a map.
For detailed information on the DITA attributes, see DITA 1.3 Specification.
Edit Map Element Attributes
Edit the attributes of an element in a map to manage its properties.
Chunk Attribute
When you specify a chunking attribute, it overrides the default chunking behavior, which is to show each topic on its own page. For example, if you have a parent topic with several children, you can use the chunking attribute to specify if the topics appear on a single page or separate pages when publishing to HTML.
Here's an example map with some hierarchy:
When you publish this map with no chunking attribute applied, the parent topic shows on the page with links to each of the children topics. The following HTML example highlights this behavior.
When you publish this map with the to-content
chunking attribute, the parent topic and each of it's children show on the same page. The following PDF example highlights this behavior.
You can apply a chunk attribute to a single topic or to a map. When you apply a chunk attribute to a topic, the chunking behavior applies only to the topic and any children of that topic. When you apply a chunk attribute to a map, the chunking behavior is established for the entire map.
Here are the chunk attributes in DITA:
Attribute | Behavior |
---|---|
by-topic | Produces a separate output chunk for the target topic and each of its descendants. |
by-document | Produces a single output chunk for the referenced document. |
select-topic | Selects an individual topic. |
select-document | Selects the topic and any other topics in the document. |
select-branch | Selects an individual topic and any nested topics. |
to-content | Generates a single document containing an individual topic and any nested topics. |
to-navigation | Generates a new chunk of navigation, such as a Table of Contents. |
Collection-Type Attribute
Collection Type | Description |
---|---|
Unordered | Links generate from parents to children and from children to parents. |
Family | Links generate from parents to children, from children to parents, and from sibling to sibling. Parent topic shows on a different page than children topics. |
Sequence | Links generate from parents to children and from sibling to sibling in sequential order. Parent topic shows on a different page than children topics. |
Choice | Links generate from parents to children and from children to parents, but where one child topic is selected to proceed. |
Unordered Collection Type
If you're documenting unrelated items that don't follow a specific order, use an unordered collection type. For example, each topic is about a different aspect of a software that is unrelated to the others. In this map, Classic Software is the parent topic and the other topics are children of Classic Software:
When published the parent topic contains links to each of the children topics:
Each of the children contains a link to the parent topic, but not to one another:
Family Collection Type
In a family collection type, all items are related to one another. For example, you have a map discussing troubleshooting strategies for a printer. In this map, Printer Troubleshooting is the parent topic and each of the strategies are children of that parent topic:
When published, the parent topic contains links to each of the children topics:
Each of the children topics contains links to the parent topic and all related topics:
Sequence Collection Type
A sequence collection type is good for information that must be presented in a specific order. For example, you have a series of software installation tasks that need to be completed in order. In this map, Classic Software is the parent topic and each of the procedure topics are children of that parent topic:
When published, the parent topic contains numbered links to each of the children topics:
Each of the children topics contains links to the parent topic and to the previous and next topics in sequence:
Choice Collection Type
A choice collection type is good for information that requires you to choose from two or more options. For example, you are creating a new file in Classic Software and have the option to choose from a blank file, default template, or uploaded template. In this map, Creating a New File is the parent topic and each of the options for creating a file are children of that parent topic:
When published, the parent map contains links to each of the children topics:
Each of the children topics contains links to the parent topic, but not to one another:
Map XML Code
Heretto CCMS enables you to edit the source code of your maps.
Edit the Map XML Code
You can open a map in the Source Editor directly from the content library or by using the Map Editor or Content Editor.
Find and Replace the Map XML Code
You can find and replace the XML code of a map in the Source Editor.