Basic Training in the Arbortext Techinfo DITA Doctype
Upcoming deliveries
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No open dates? Prefer a specific time and date or private delivery? You don't have to wait. Contact a Training Advisor to schedule a delivery that meets your needs.
About training courses in this category
These classes are for Arbortext users who want to learn more about the Techinfo doctype. Techinfo is a DITA specialization that is used by Windchill to take advantage of it's advanced content management features. Individual courses are topic-focused on the specific Techinfo concepts, functionality, or interactions that stretch beyond DITA and Arbortext basics.
These classes are good for anyone new to the Techinfo doctype or simply curious about it. No experience required. We cover everything about the techinfo doctype: the nature of this DITA specialization (its tags and topic types); creating and publishing with techinfo-based stylesheets; working with Windchill-based Information Structures and Publishing structures, including how techinfo interacts with them; and how to troubleshoot the whole thing.
All deliveries are a combination of lectures mixed with examples and hands-on exercises. Each attendee will be their own a computer to gain experience building and authoring techinfo-based content and stylesheets.
Prerequisites
Previous Experience: Previous experience in Arbortext Editor and DITA is necessary. For stylesheet courses, previous experience with Arbortext Styler is necessary.
Software License: Attendees must have their own license of Arbortext Editor and/or Arbortext Styler; attendees who do not have a license are welcome to attend and observe.
Where is the class held?
We offer both public and private deliveries, either fully remote or in-person. Regardless of the delivery style, all workshops are led by a live, online expert instructor, making for a fully interactive and engaging experience. Virtual Public Deliveries are held online and, when you share your screen, it's just as if we're just like we're standing behind you and looking over your shoulder. All students can speak and hear each other and the instructor during lecture and hands-on lab exercises. The only difference between this class and in-person? No travel costs. Private deliveries can be held virtually using your environment, on-site at your facility, or at a location nearby. Contact a training advisor to discuss specific requirements.
Our training sessions are highly interactive and engaging. All sessions are designed to be hands-on using standard, out-of-the-box Arbortext Editor and Styler. All training is done through hands-on exercises to increase adoption and solidify learning.
Training sessions focus on specific topics such as:
- Introduction to the TechInfo DITA Specialization
- Structures (declaration, elements, text, attributes, comments, processing instructions, namespaces)
- TechInfo Topics types
- XML Namespaces
- Understanding the Information Structure and the Publication Structure
- Reuse strategies
- Using graphics
- Collaboration, content management, shared authoring
- Using the Resource Manager
- Content management, file sharing (workflows, check in/check out, file locking, best practices)
- Stylesheets (basics, supporting multiple stylesheets, output options)
- Storing your content (content management basics)
- Styling your content (raw content though 1+ stylesheet)
- Creating your output (different stylesheets for different outputs)
- How to find the TechInfo RDS from Windchill Information and Publication Structures
- Troubleshooting Techinfo Styler Stylesheets
- Where to go for help
- Other topics…
Individually scheduled courses identify the specific topic focus.
LIZ FRALEY, Single-Sourcing Solutions, is a long-time Arbortext user, customizer, stylesheet developer, and implementer. In addition to being a senior software architect, she is the founder of Single-Sourcing Solutions, a qualified, experienced trainer of Arbortext Products. She has over 25 years experience programming, teaching, and supporting knowledge growth in the communities she serves. She holds degrees in Computer Science and English from the University of Maryland College Park and a Masters in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. She's the author of “Arbortext 101: Best Practices for Configuring, Authoring, Styling, and Publishing with Arbortext” and “Arbortext 102: Best Practices for Creating Arbortext Styler Stylesheets,” both available on Amazon, and has several more planned.
JANICE SUMMERS, Single-Sourcing Solutions, specializes in helping people who’ve only ever used unstructured desktop publishing applications learn structured authoring. She graduated with a degree in I/O Psychology from San Jose State University and finds that her background helps adult learners in mastering new material. In fact, she’s been successfully transitioning Word users to XML authoring since 2005 and hasn’t lost anyone yet! She's the author of “Arbortext for Authoring: An Author's Guide to Getting Started with Arbortext Editor” (available on Amazon).
What Attendees Have Said
Thank you so much, Liz and Janice. This class was wonderful and informative. I loved learning about new things, most especially thinking about topic types and how we write them. I feel reassured over what I am already doing in DITA daily. Thank you so much!
I said it the other day and I wasn't exaggerating. This is THE BEST training I've had in decades
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