PDF Generator

The PDF Generator enables Administrators to create custom PDF transformation scenarios in easyDITA.

PDF Generator Interface

You access the PDF Generator configuration interface from the Administration interface.

PDF Generator Operation

The PDF Generator includes a DITA to HTML processor and a fast PDF publishing engine that uses CSS to style the PDF output. In addition to CSS, for advanced customizations, the PDF Generator enables you to use HTML and XSLT. The PDF Generator uses Prince XML as the publishing engine and supports the following CSS specifications.

In contrast to the PDF Generator, other publishing engines (for example, DITA Open Toolkit) use much less user-friendly markup languages for PDF styling.

Once you create and save a publishing scenario, you can use it to transform your DITA content. The publishing scenarios are editable so you can change the styling associated with a scenario at any time.

Publish Content with the PDF Generator

The PDF Generator enables you to quickly publish PDF documents.

  1. In the content library, hover over a map, click the Output icon, and click Publish.
  2. From the list on the left, select a PDF Generator publishing scenario.
    The publishing scenarios are configured by your easyDITA administrator. For more information, see PDF Generator Publishing Scenarios Management.
  3. Optional: In the Enter Description field, enter a meaningful description.
    Once you publish the document, this description appears in the list of finished publishing jobs.
  4. Set the publishing parameters.
    The publishing scenario can include the following parameters.
    Ditaval (or args.filter)
    Enables you to select a DITAVAL file for conditional publishing.
    Locales
    Enables you to select a locale when publishing localized content.
  5. Click Publish.
    The resource publishes. It may take a moment to complete.
  6. Download the published files by hovering over the publishing job and clicking the Download icon.

Republish Content

You can republish a previous publishing job to troubleshoot publishing issues or apply new changes to the published output.

CAUTION: Republishing a publishing job replaces the previous output with the new output. easyDITA uses the publishing parameters of the previous publishing job.
  1. In the content library, hover over a map, click the Output icon, and click Publish.
  2. Click the previous publishing job that you want to republish.
    The Publish window appears.
    Figure 1. Publishing Job Details
  3. In the top-right corner, click and select Republish .

PDF Generator Publishing Scenarios Management

easyDITA enables you to add, edit, remove, enable, and disable the PDF Generator publishing scenarios.

Tip: For detailed information on PDF Generator templates customization, see PDF Generator Templates Development.

Create a PDF Generator Scenario

easyDITA Administrator can create PDF Generator publishing scenarios.

  1. In the Dashboard interface, from the Administration menu, select PDF Generator.
  2. Click New scenario.
  3. In the New scenario window, fill in the Scenario Name field with letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscore characters only.
    The name that you enter will be visible in the publishing interface.
  4. From the Template drop-down menu, select a template.
    Tip: The Gray and Color templates are complete and modular templates that you can use to publish your content with very little customizations out of the box.
  5. Click the Browse button and select where you want to save your configuration files.
    Tip: We recommend saving your templates in a single, obvious, and easily accessible directory in the content library.
    Figure 2. Suggested Scenarios Directory
  6. If you want to generate chapter-level tables of contents (TOCs):
    1. Select the Chapter Tocs check box.
    2. Specify the maximum chapter-level TOCs depth by filling in the Chapter Toc Depth field.
      Enter 5
    Figure 3. Main TOC
    Figure 4. Chapter-Level TOC
  7. If you want to add XSLT parameters:
    1. Click Add XSLT Param.
    2. Fill in the parameter fields.
      fig.caption.placement = below
      Tip: You can then use the XSLT parameters in the XSLT tab.
  8. Click Create.
  9. Click Save Scenario.

Enable or Disable a PDF Generator Scenario

Administrators can show or hide a publishing scenario in the publishing interface.

  1. In the Dashboard, click PDF Generator.
  2. Hover-over a publishing scenario and click .
  3. From the context menu, select an action:
    • To disable a publishing scenario, select Disable.

      Disabled publishing scenarios are not visible in the publishing interface.

    • To enable a disabled publishing scenario, select Enable.

      Enabled publishing scenarios are visible in the publishing interface.

Delete a PDF Generator Scenario

Administrators can delete publishing scenarios that are no longer needed.

  1. In the Dashboard, click PDF Generator.
  2. Hover-over a publishing scenario and click .
  3. From the context menu, select Delete.
  4. If prompted, confirm the scenario deletion.