¤ Training and Workshops

Suite Solutions offers a variety of courses and workshops. Feel free to email or call if you have any questions regarding the training, or if you wish to discuss a custom training class. We can combine any of the above topics to train your team on the topics you need, when you need them.

DITA Open Source Toolkit Workshop

Given by an experienced consultant who’s slogged through the trenches on real projects, this workshop is intensive, technical, and useful with plenty of hands-on exercises.

Day 1: Nuts and Bolts of the DITA Open Source Toolkit (DITA-OT)
Day 2: Understanding and Configuring the FO Plug-In for Generating PDF
Day 3: Understanding and Configuring DITA-OT for Publishing HTML formats
See full outline below

Boston, MA - Hosted by XyEnterprise
September 16-18, 2008 - Click for more details

Silicon Valley, California
September 9-11, 2008 - Click for more details

Europe and Asia
Please contact us.

To request a workshop in your area, please contact us.

Webinar Schedule

The DITA Open Source Toolkit Workshop is also offered as a series of webinars. Each webinar runs 3 hours with a short break in the middle.

Each webinar starts at 1:00PM Eastern Time. (If you are in a time zone that is unsuitable to this time slot, let us know.) You may pick any number or combination of webinars.

1. Nuts and Bolts of the DITA Open Source Toolkit
2. Understanding and Configuring the FO Plug-In for Generating PDF
    ¤Part 1: Introductory Level – Under the Hood
    ¤Part 2: Advanced Level – Making it Work for You
3. Understanding and Configuring DITA-OT for Publishing HTML formats
    

DITA Workshops - Israel
Suite Solutions and Method M partner in Israel to provide training courses that provide critical value to those using or considering using DITA.
Get full details in PDF

Course Descriptions

Nuts and Bolts of the DITA Open Source Toolkit

• Overview of DITA and the DITA-OT

• DITA-OT Components

• Installing the DITA-OT

• Running the DITA-OT

• Rendering outputs using different transtypes

• Filtering output using DITAVAL

• Using the DITA-OT with Antenna House and RenderX

• Common Errors and Mistakes

Understanding and Configuring the FO Plug-In for Generating PDF

¤Session 1: Introductory Level – Under the Hood

• Review of PDF Generation

• Getting Started with XSL, XSL-FO and XPath

• Introduction to the FO Plug-in

• Customizing the FO Plug-in - Intro

¤Session 2: Advanced Level – Making it Work for You

• Brief Review of FO Plug-in

• Customizing the FO Plug-in - Advanced

• Customization Case Studies

• Customizing for Localization

• Configuration Issues

• Debugging Tips

Understanding and Configuring DITA-OT for Publishing HTML formats

• Overview of HTML Formats: Web, HTML Help, JavaHelp, Eclipse Help

• Review of DITA-OT Components

• Overview of Transtypes and Files Generated for Each Format

• Customizing Style Sheets: XSLT and CSS

• Case Studies and Samples

• Overview: Publishing via FrameMaker DITA-FMx, WebWorks, Robohelp

Understanding and Implementing Information Architecture

Designing, building and maintaining a coherent information architecture is critical to proper planning, creation, management and delivery of documentation and training content. This is especially true when your content is based on a modular or topic-based model such as DITA and SCORM or if you are migrating to such a model.

But where to start? Terms such as “taxonomy”, “semantics” and “ontology” can be intimidating, and recognized standards like RDF, OWL, Topic Maps (XTM) and SKOS seem so abstract. This pragmatic workshop will provide an overview of the standards and concepts, and a chance to use them “hands-on” to turn the abstract into tangible skills. We will demonstrate how a well-designed information architecture facilitates reuse and how the information model is integrally connected to conditional and multi-purpose publishing.

We will introduce an innovative, comprehensive methodology for information modeling and content development called SOTA – Solution Oriented Topic Architecture. SOTA does not aim to be yet another new standard, but rather a concrete methodology backed up with open-source and accessible tools for using existing standards. We will demonstrate – and practice hands-on – how this powerful methodology can help not only organize and express information but is used to determine which content actually needs to be created or updated, and build documentation and training deliverables from your content based on rules you define.

This workshop is essential for successfully implementing topic models like DITA and SCORM, multi-purpose conditional publishing, and successfully facilitating content reuse.

Understanding and Using FrameMaker with DITA

Syllabus:

• Installing and setting up the DITA-FMx Plug-in (FM 7.2 Users)

• Overview of the DITA components and their function: configuration files, template, EDD, struct files, input/output rules, etc.

• Authoring topics using FrameMaker

• Creating and maintaining maps

• Configuring and publishing via the DITA Open Source Toolkit

• Methods for conditional publishing

• Adding DITA specializations

• Differences between DITA-FMx and FM 8 DITA support

This workshop can be fine-tuned to your specific needs and starting level of the attendees. As an option, additional training may be provided focusing on publishing context-sensitive help and other publishing and integration topics.