Publish with PDF Generator

Any user with publishing permissions can use PDF Generator publishing scenarios. Only users with the Administrator role in Heretto CCMS can create publishing scenarios.

PDF Generator enables you to publish your content to PDF files in source and target languages (locales). It also supports DITAVAL files for conditional processing.

Heretto CCMS has the Preflight Check validation mechanism built into the publishing interface that automatically performs content checks and informs you about issues in your publication that will prevent successful publishing. We recommend resolving any issues identified by the Preflight Check before publishing your content.

Commonly Used Publishing Parameters

Depending on their configuration, publishing scenarios have different publishing options available. Here are some of the most commonly used ones.

DITAVAL

Optional parameter. Enables you to select a DITAVAL file for conditional processing. This parameter may be pre-set and fixed in a publishing scenario.

Locales

Optional parameter. Enables you to select a locale (target language) when publishing localized content. If your content is not localized, this parameter defaults to the source language.

Track changes

Optional parameter. Controls whether suggestions added in the Suggesting mode in the Content Editor are included in the PDF output.

Publish without track changes included (default) - Generates output that appears as if all suggestions were rejected. Available in PDF Generator and DITA Open Toolkit.
Publish with track changes included - Generates output that appears as if all suggestions were accepted. Available in PDF Generator and DITA Open Toolkit.
Publish with suggestions included - Generates output with suggestions highlighted as they appear in the Content Editor, where added content is color-coded, and deleted content is color-coded and crossed out. Available in PDF Generator only.
Important:
If your PDF Generator scenarios are not based on the default Color or Grey templates, include this import in your scenarios to ensure suggestions are highlighted:
```
@import url("https://jorsek.github.io/pdfgen.github.io/styles1.1/modules/styling/suggestions.css");
```
Users with the Administrator role in Heretto CCMS can edit publishing scenarios.

Debug publish

Optional parameter. Generates additional files that are added in the debug folder to the output ZIP file. You can use those files to troubleshoot publishing issues in your publication. This option is only available in DITA-OT and PDF Generator publishing scenarios for those users with Administrator privileges.

Publish Content with a PDF Generator Scenario

The Heretto PDF Generator enables you to quickly publish PDF documents.

In the Content Library, click a map and in the right pane select Output > Publish.
Verify that your content has no preflight issues. If the Publish window shows a preflight issues warning, click the notification and fix the issues.

Figure 1. Preflight Issues Warning. Preflight issues are, for example, broken links and validation issues. These issues will prevent successful publishing and should be addressed before you attempt any publishing activities.
From the list on the left, select a PDF Generator scenario.
Publishing scenarios are configured by your CCMS Administrator.

The Publish window opens.
Optional: In the Enter description field, add a meaningful description of the publishing job.
Once you publish the document, you can see that description in the list of completed publishing jobs.
Set publishing parameters like Ditaval, Locales, or Track changes as needed.

For information about the most commonly used parameters, see Commonly Used Publishing Parameters.
Optional: If you want to stay in the Publish window to publish more content, clear the Navigate to output list check box next to the Publish button.
If applicable, provide the XSLT parameters values.
Click Publish.

PDF Generator publishing jobs have a maximum running time of ten (10) minutes, after which they time out. Publishing duration depends on several factors. For details, see Important Considerations.

The resource publishes in the In progress section. A progress bar provides details about the publishing process.

Tip:
You can cancel the publishing process by clicking Cancel publishing in the publishing progress bar.

Figure 2. A Successfully Completed Publishing Job
Access publishing job details and resources:
- Click the publishing job to view job details and, if the job was successful, download the PDF file.
- Hover over the publishing job and click Download to download a ZIP file with all publishing-related resources.

Depending on the state of your content, one of these options happens:

Output is generated successfully, no errors.
Output is generated with errors/warnings: A PDF file and a cr.log file are generated.
This happens when errors/warnings do not prevent output from being generated. For example, your map links to a resource that is not included in the map. Review the cr.log file and resolve issues in content.
Publishing job failed and output is not generated.

This happens when errors are severe and prevent output from being generated. Resolve errors reported in the publishing job.

Note:
When publishing, users assigned the Administrator role can also select the Debug publish option that generates additional files in the debug folder of the output ZIP file. Those files can also be used to troubleshoot publishing issues.

Republish Content

You can easily republish content without the need to set parameters like you would when starting a new publishing job. It's useful when you troubleshoot publishing issues or want to publish new changes in your content.

When you republish content, Heretto CCMS uses the same publishing parameters that were originally set for the completed publishing job. You can view the details set for any completed publishing job in the Publish window that opens after you click a completed publishing job.

Important:

Republishing a publishing job replaces the previous output in the publishing job. The publishing job number remains the same.

All users with publishing permissions can re-publish content they or other users published.

In the Content Library, click a topic or map, and in the resource drawer select Output.
Click a publishing job that you want to republish.
In the top-right corner of the Publish window, click More options and select Republish.

New output published according to the original parameters is ready to view and download.

Preview Content with PDF Generator

The PDF Generator enables you to preview content you are working on. Previewing content is helpful when you want to quickly check what your content looks like in the PDF output without generating numerous publishing jobs in the Output tab. Previews are not saved as publishing jobs in the Output tab.

In the Content Library, open a map or a topic.
From the Preview menu available in the top-right corner, select a publishing scenario.
The listed scenarios include both default PDF Generator scenarios, and your custom PDF Generator scenarios, if any.

A new tab opens in the browser. Depending on the state of your content, one of these options happens:

Preview is generated successfully, no errors: The PDF is shown in the new tab, from where you can view, download, and print it.
Preview is generated with errors/warnings: A .zip file with the PDF and a cr.log file is downloaded and the new tab remains empty.
This happens when errors/warnings do not prevent output from being generated. For example, your map links to a resource that is not included in the map. Review the cr.log file and resolve issues in content.
Preview failed: The Failed message is shown in the new tab.
This happens when errors are severe and prevent output from being generated. Publish your content instead of previewing it and resolve errors reported in the publishing job.
Note:
When publishing, users assigned the Administrator role can also select a Debug publish option that generates additional files in the debug folder of the output ZIP file. Those files can also be used to troubleshoot publishing issues.

Under maintenance

Heretto Help