Arbortext Supports Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)

Arbortext Announces DITA Support

Enables Information-Architected Topic-Based Authoring

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. April 13, 2004.

Arbortext, the leading global provider of automated publishing software, today announced the next release of Arbortext 5 will include support for Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA), an IBM-created, OASIS-sponsored initiative that is an XML-based, end-to-end architecture for authoring, producing, and delivering technical information. This architecture consists of a set of design principles for creating "information-typed" modules at a topic level and using that content in delivery modes such as online help and product support portals.

DITA is an innovative open standards initiative to develop specialized data models for XML publishing applications that can readily adapt to the requirements of diverse applications while retaining both information and application compatibility. Starting with the DITA 'topic' data model, different groups can modify it to support their unique requirements without fear of breaking enterprise publishing software applications or creating incompatibilities with other groups or divisions that would prevent information sharing. DITA specializations can be "snapped on" as deltas to the base support, preventing the need to create or update massive DTDs. The core of DITA provides rich set of semantics for creating architected information.

"We are excited to be among the first to include support for DITA in our software," said PG Bartlett, Vice President of Product Marketing at Arbortext. "We believe this is a very important initiative because it addresses the 'brittleness' of traditional data models, thereby alleviating much of the expense of creating and updating them. Arbortext is the first to include provisions for DITA specialization in our core product. This allows DITA customizations to be programmed once and then used in all specialized DITA documents."

"Arbortext continues to be a leader in the industry with its support for standards," said David Schell, Corporate Lead for Technical Publications and User Assistance for IBM. "Because they are building support for DITA into the core of their software, organizations that use Arbortext software will be able to build highly customized applications while taking full advantage of the benefits that DITA has to offer."

About Arbortext

Arbortext is the leading global provider of automated publishing software that enables organizations to provide more personalized, dynamic and easily searchable content for Web, mobile and print usage. Arbortext's software is installed at over 1,400 organizations worldwide.

Current customers include American Express Financial Services, Audi, Boeing, Bombardier, British Aerospace, Caterpillar, DaimlerChrysler, Ericsson Telecom, Ford, General Electric, GM, IBM, International Thomson Publishing, Lucent, Nokia, Nortel Networks, PeopleSoft, Pfizer, Ricoh, Sun Microsystems, Toyota, United Airlines, Volkswagen and Volvo. Arbortext is a founding member and active participant in the XML Activity of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Arbortext has offices around the world. For more information, please visit www.arbortext.com.

Contact

Arbortext, Inc.
Beth Ambaruch
Tel: +1 734-327-6014
Email: bea@arbortext.com

[Source: http://www.arbortext.com/html/release041304.html]

Update:

[September 20, 2004] Arbortext Version 5.1 Supports Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). Arbortext, Inc. has announced the Version 5.1 release of its enterprise publishing software with enhanced support of the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) specification. Arbortext's XML-based single-source publishing architecture "helps companies capture their information in a single media-independent form and automatically publish from XML to multiple media types, including Web, print, CD-ROM and wireless devices." Arbortext's software is applicable especially to the production of catalogs, datasheets, operating instructions, user guides, service manuals, training courses, technical journals, reference publications and other complex documents. The Arbortext Version 5.1 release features several enhancements for DITA. The Darwin Information Typing Architecture was originally designed by IBM, and is now under development in the OASIS DITA Technical Committee. DITA is an architecture for creating topic-oriented, information-typed content that can be reused and single-sourced in a variety of ways. It is also an architecture for creating new information types and describing new information domains based on existing types and domains. This allows groups to create very specific, targeted document type definitions using a process called specialization, while still sharing common output transforms and design rules developed for more general types and domains. Five new document types have been added for DITA support in Arbortext Version 5.1 (Topic, Task, Reference, Concept, and Ditabase) these types enable authors to create content based on the DITA methodology. Arbortext now also provides custom table support: "also referred to as semantic tables, Arbortext 5.1 supports custom tables, which not only conforms to DITA's table models (simpletable, choicetable) and properties, but also allows users to select their own tags to be displayed and edited in a tabular form." The Arbortext Version 5.1 software includes 'Conref' support: "Conref is DITA's inclusion method used to include content from another file, which enables efficient reuse of information." Enhanced specialization support is also feature in the Arbortext release: "With the ability to use a single stylesheet to control the style of Topic, Task, Concept, Reference and other DITA applications, users can quickly expand their publishing applications as well as easily incorporate content produced in other DITA-aware systems."

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See: (1) the news story "OASIS Members Form New TC for the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)"; (2) general references in "Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA XML)."

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This architecture consists of a set of design principles for creating "information-typed" modules at a topic level and using that content in delivery modes such as online help and product support portals. DITA is an innovative open standards initiative to develop specialized data models for XML publishing applications that can readily adapt to the requirements of diverse applications while retaining both information and application compatibility. Starting with the DITA 'topic' data model, different groups can modify it to support their unique requirements without fear of breaking enterprise publishing software applications or creating incompatibilities with other groups or divisions that would prevent information sharing. DITA specializations can be "snapped on" as deltas to the base support, preventing the need to create or update massive DTDs. The core of DITA provides rich set of semantics for creating architected information. "We are excited to be among the first to include support for DITA in our software," said PG Bartlett, Vice President of Product Marketing at Arbortext. "We believe this is a very important initiative because it addresses the 'brittleness' of traditional data models, thereby alleviating much of the expense of creating and updating them. Arbortext is the first to include provisions for DITA specialization in our core product. This allows DITA customizations to be programmed once and then used in all specialized DITA documents." "Arbortext continues to be a leader in the industry with its support for standards," said David Schell, Corporate Lead for Technical Publications and User Assistance for IBM. "Because they are building support for DITA into the core of their software, organizations that use Arbortext software will be able to build highly customized applications while taking full advantage of the benefits that DITA has to offer." About Arbortext Arbortext is the leading global provider of automated publishing software that enables organizations to provide more personalized, dynamic and easily searchable content for Web, mobile and print usage. Arbortext's software is installed at over 1,400 organizations worldwide. Current customers include American Express Financial Services, Audi, Boeing, Bombardier, British Aerospace, Caterpillar, DaimlerChrysler, Ericsson Telecom, Ford, General Electric, GM, IBM, International Thomson Publishing, Lucent, Nokia, Nortel Networks, PeopleSoft, Pfizer, Ricoh, Sun Microsystems, Toyota, United Airlines, Volkswagen and Volvo. Arbortext is a founding member and active participant in the XML Activity of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Arbortext has offices around the world. For more information, please visit www.arbortext.com. Contact Arbortext, Inc. Beth Ambaruch Tel: +1 734-327-6014 Email: bea@arbortext.com [Source: http://www.arbortext.com/html/release041304.html] Update: [September 20, 2004] Arbortext Version 5.1 Supports Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). Arbortext, Inc. has announced the Version 5.1 release of its enterprise publishing software with enhanced support of the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) specification. Arbortext's XML-based single-source publishing architecture "helps companies capture their information in a single media-independent form and automatically publish from XML to multiple media types, including Web, print, CD-ROM and wireless devices." Arbortext's software is applicable especially to the production of catalogs, datasheets, operating instructions, user guides, service manuals, training courses, technical journals, reference publications and other complex documents. The Arbortext Version 5.1 release features several enhancements for DITA. The Darwin Information Typing Architecture was originally designed by IBM, and is now under development in the OASIS DITA Technical Committee. DITA is an architecture for creating topic-oriented, information-typed content that can be reused and single-sourced in a variety of ways. It is also an architecture for creating new information types and describing new information domains based on existing types and domains. This allows groups to create very specific, targeted document type definitions using a process called specialization, while still sharing common output transforms and design rules developed for more general types and domains. Five new document types have been added for DITA support in Arbortext Version 5.1 (Topic, Task, Reference, Concept, and Ditabase) these types enable authors to create content based on the DITA methodology. Arbortext now also provides custom table support: "also referred to as semantic tables, Arbortext 5.1 supports custom tables, which not only conforms to DITA's table models (simpletable, choicetable) and properties, but also allows users to select their own tags to be displayed and edited in a tabular form." The Arbortext Version 5.1 software includes 'Conref' support: "Conref is DITA's inclusion method used to include content from another file, which enables efficient reuse of information." Enhanced specialization support is also feature in the Arbortext release: "With the ability to use a single stylesheet to control the style of Topic, Task, Concept, Reference and other DITA applications, users can quickly expand their publishing applications as well as easily incorporate content produced in other DITA-aware systems." Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See: (1) the news story "OASIS Members Form New TC for the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)"; (2) general references in "Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA XML)."