Fun with XSL Getting content out of your CMS

Phase 1: The organization prepares (2004) For CHC, organizational pain was the only path to the cultural level change that CMS requires The solution proposal evolved and the scope of the requirements crept Need a clear mandate and a supportive Executive sponsor We picked Docbook over DITA simply because we got into CMS 3½ years ago

For CHC, organizational pain was the only path to the cultural level change that CMS requires

The solution proposal evolved and the scope of the requirements crept

Need a clear mandate and a supportive Executive sponsor

We picked Docbook over DITA simply because we got into CMS 3½ years ago

Phase 2: We have a CMS…now what? (2005) The implementation and conversion of documents to XML got ahead of the output capabilities Had a very helpful implementation coach in Jeff Hooker Used Norman Walsh XSL for a while Came to a crunch and we got a basic XSL that everyone used at first

The implementation and conversion of documents to XML got ahead of the output capabilities

Had a very helpful implementation coach in Jeff Hooker

Used Norman Walsh XSL for a while

Came to a crunch and we got a basic XSL that everyone used at first

Phase 2…continued Initial XSL basics included: Title page Reasonable rendering of images Internal links Page numbers Hyperlinked TOC Chapters that started on odd pages Provisions for a back of the book index (no tagging to make it work though)

Initial XSL basics included:

Title page

Reasonable rendering of images

Internal links

Page numbers

Hyperlinked TOC

Chapters that started on odd pages

Provisions for a back of the book index (no tagging to make it work though)

Phase 2…continued What we didn’t have was: List of Effective Pages (LEP) Change bars Adequate CSS to view our in-house tags properly in our XML editor XSL for anything but the most basic Docbook tags (this meant that authors could insert tags into the documents that wouldn’t publish) A way of telling when the XSL had failed A way of constraining what authors could pick for tags

What we didn’t have was:

List of Effective Pages (LEP)

Change bars

Adequate CSS to view our in-house tags properly in our XML editor

XSL for anything but the most basic Docbook tags (this meant that authors could insert tags into the documents that wouldn’t publish)

A way of telling when the XSL had failed

A way of constraining what authors could pick for tags

Phase 3: developing a developer (2006) One failed attempt to hire an XSL contract developer Hired a clever fellow who quickly taught himself XSL.fo He solved numerous problems and trained his replacement before he left Now we have XSL for everything that authors can select as a tag. We “downgraded” to Docbooklite as a subset of full Docbook for the sake of simplicity

One failed attempt to hire an XSL contract developer

Hired a clever fellow who quickly taught himself XSL.fo

He solved numerous problems and trained his replacement before he left

Now we have XSL for everything that authors can select as a tag. We “downgraded” to Docbooklite as a subset of full Docbook for the sake of simplicity

Phase 4: Gaining momentum The requirements of a regulatory environment: List of Effective Pages (LEP) Change bars (nice to have) a summary of changes since the previous revision

The requirements of a regulatory environment:

List of Effective Pages (LEP)

Change bars

(nice to have) a summary of changes since the previous revision

Phase 4… continued Greatly complicated by the possibility of variants all on different review, revision and approval cycles June 2006 Canada variant January 2007 Canada variant May 2007 Canada variant January 2008 Canada variant October 2006 Brazil variant April 2007 Thailand variant November 2007 Brazil variant Time A B C D E F G H

Greatly complicated by the possibility of variants all on different review, revision and approval cycles

Phase 4…continued Current CHC solution List of Effective Pages (LEP) Change bars Summary of changes

Current CHC solution

List of Effective Pages (LEP)

Change bars

Summary of changes

Going forward: leveraging the content Next phase of XSL development is getting the content not just reused multiple places but also massaged in the process… Examples and “show and tell” Headings and introductory paragraphs of multiple modules in a course could create an automated syllabus Headings from a course could be used to populate an exit checklist that confirms comprehension and facilitates a trainer signing off a pass/fail standing

Next phase of XSL development is getting the content not just reused multiple places but also massaged in the process…

Examples and “show and tell”

Headings and introductory paragraphs of multiple modules in a course could create an automated syllabus

Headings from a course could be used to populate an exit checklist that confirms comprehension and facilitates a trainer signing off a pass/fail standing