AEM: How to enable and create DITA projects

Owned by Damian Rozmiarkowski (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 17, 2024 by Damian Rozmiarkowski
5 min read

Introduction

The AEM connector supports the use of DITA XML files. It enables the joining function in XTM Cloud to be used. Before you can benefit from this feature, however, you need to install a relevant DITA package.

Installing a package

  1. Download the DITA package (“fmdita") from the official AEM Package Distribution.

  2. Go to Adobe Experience Manager → Tools → General → CRXDE Lite.

  1. Click on the Package “icon”, and then Upload Package.

  1. Choose the previously downloaded package.

  1. Once it has been uploaded, click Install.

  1. Wait until it is installed.

IMPORTANT!

Installing a package can overwrite or delete existing content. Only upload a package if you are sure that it will not delete or overwrite the content you need.

Creating a DITA project

  1. Go to Adobe Experience Manager → Navigation → Projects.

  1. Click on Create, and then Project.

  1. Select a DITA Project template, and then click Next.

  1. Fill in the Basic fields, and then click Create.

  1. Click Open to see the details for a newly created project.

Configuring a DITA project structure

  1. Once you are inside a newly created project, click on “three dots” in the Assets tab.

  1. Click on Create, and then Folder to create new folders, naming them like language codes; e.g. “English (US)” would use the name en, "French (France)" would use fr, etc.

  1. Enter a relevant Title, and then click Create.

  1. Click on the required source folder, and then Properties.

  1. Go to the Cloud Services tab, select the right Cloud Configuration, and then click on Save & Close.

Creating DITA files

  1. Once you are inside your DITA project, click on “three dots” in the Assets tab.

  1. Go to your source folder.

  1. Click Create, and then DITA Topic.

  1. Choose the required template, e.g. “Topic”, and then click Next.

  1. Enter a Title, and then click Create.

  1. Once the topic has been created, click Open Topic.

  1. Open the file.

  1. Add the relevant description and paragraphs, etc. Next, click on the Save icon, and then click Close to exit the view.

Creating DITA MAP files

  1. Once you are inside your DITA project, click on the “three dots” in the Assets tab.

  1. Go to your source folder.

  1. Click Create, and then DITA Map.

  1. Choose the required template map, and then click Next.

  1. Enter a Title, and then click Create.

  1. Once the map has been created, click Open Map.

  1. Open the file.

  1. Go to the References tab and and add previously created DITA items by dragging them to the right panel. Next, click on the Save icon and Close the view.

Creating a translation project for DITA MAP

  1. Once you are inside your DITA project, click on the “three dots” in the Assets tab.

  1. Go to your source folder.

  1. Click on the DITA Map that you want to translate.

  1. Go to the TRANSLATION tab, select the Target language into which you would like to translate the DITA Map. Then click Done.

  1. Now you have a list of DITAs that you can choose to send for translation in XTM Cloud.

  1. Select all, click on Create/Update language copies, select Create a new translation project in the Project field, enter a project name in the Project Title field, and finally click Start.

  1. This should create a translation project. After that, you will see the new project in the Projects list in AEM, and you will have to treat it as a standard project: open it and send it to XTM Cloud, as another step in the overall project roundtrip process.