Many companies require PDF and webhelp output from their DITA-based content. However, the PDF plugin that comes with the DITA Open Toolkit (OT) is difficult to modify, and it doesn’t offer attractive formatting or indexing capability by default. The OT also lacks a plugin for creating HTML-based tripane webhelp.

To resolve these deficiencies of the DITA OT, we have developed two plugins: Scriptorium PDF and Scriptorium Help.

Consider our plugins when:

• You want to keep costs down.
• Time is a consideration, and custom coding should be kept to a minimum.
• You have flexible output requirements (that is, the output from these plugins is sufficient without significant customization, or you’re willing to customize the output yourself).

Scriptorium PDF plugin

The Scriptorium PDF plugin is an enhanced version of the DITA OT’s PDF plugin. One of our strongest modifications is the addition of indexing capability. By default, indexing is not supported when you use the open-source FOP XSL-FO processor with the OT’s PDF plugin.

Features of the Scriptorium PDF plugin include:

• Indexing support for FOP, with modified index formatting to provide better control
• Better control over the order of front matter sections
• Enhanced TOC and alignment of numbers
• MiniTOCs stacked on top of body text rather than displayed side by side
• Enhanced headers and footers
• Consistent formatting of first pages, chapters, and appendices
• Rules removed from titles to make them a more generic starting point for format changes
• Enhanced font specification and other format settings
• Modified page-master formatting
• Additional support for the “expanse” attribute for figures
• Folio numbering for figures and tables when they are numbered on a per-chapter basis
• On-demand vertical text in table headings

Click the following thumbnails to see full-size screen shots of the plugin’s default formatting and index:

The Scriptorium PDF plugin is $10,000. Pricing includes basic customizations such as:

• Page settings (size and margins)
• Header and footer design
• Fonts

Scriptorium Help plugin

The Scriptorium Help plugin adds a traditional tripane interface to the standard DITA OT XHTML transform.

Features of the Scriptorium Help plugin include:

• Table of contents (TOC) with expanding and collapsing sections synchronized with the currently selected page
• Index
• Search supporting multiple words and phrases in Western languages and supporting multiple sequences of characters in non-Western languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
• Search-term highlighting (which can be turned off by user)
• Browse sequences
• Print current page
• Breadcrumbs enabling easy access across the TOC hierarchy
• Context sensitivity that allows developers to provide links from a GUI
• Single configuration file for turning features on and off
• Browser independence/testing with all major browsers
• User interface strings using standard DITA Open Toolkit (OT) practices for ease of localization

Click the following thumbnails to see full-size screen shots showing the webhelp’s TOC and search capability:

The Scriptorium Help plugin is $4,000. Pricing includes basic customizations such as:

• Company logo
• Colors

If you are interested in purchasing one or both plugins, or if you would like more information, please contact us at info@scriptorium.com, or call 919-481-2701.

Some situations call for specific PDF or webhelp output. We have a wealth of experience designing and building custom implementations. Contact us for details.