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Configuring third-party output formats

This topic describes the configuration required to use third-party output formats with Contenta S1000D.

Before you begin

This task should be performed by a system administrator or developer who is familiar with the structure of Contenta S1000D publish configuration files. This procedure includes putting a starting-point Perl script in place that will be used to complete the publish process; however, it is up to each customer to complete this Perl script as needed for publishing to their particular third-party product.
The Contenta S1000D Publish tool includes the ability to do the following.
  1. Export a publication's modules and graphics from the CSDB to the file system (on the Contenta Web server).
  2. Pre-process the exported modules: resolve nested PMs, resolve content references, get latest content, apply applicability.
  3. Execute a custom Perl script to seamlessly publish all the way through to your third-party IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine.

SDL provides a starting-point Perl script, but it is up to each customer to write their own custom Perl script (or have the Perl script execute a publish program in a different language, for example, Java) that performs the rest of the downstream processing from the file system to the third-party product.

About this task

Perform this procedure for each third-party output format. For example, if you will be publishing to a third-party IETP viewer and to a third-party PDF publishing engine, perform this procedure twice.

Procedure

  1. On your Contenta Web server, navigate to the Contenta_home/encaps/S1000D directory.
  2. Copy the starting-point S1000D_PublishFromFileSystem.pl script to a new Perl script that reflects the name of your IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine. For example, if the name of your IETP viewer is ABC IViewer, you might name your script PublishToABCIViewer.pl.
  3. On your Contenta Web server, navigate to the Contenta_home/web/cw_common/custom/S1000D_Publish directory.
  4. Open your publish configuration file for editing.
  5. Search for "Contenta to File System".
  6. Copy the following two lines and paste them immediately below the original lines:

    <value>Contenta to File System</value>

    <run>perl "[contenta_root_dir]/encaps/S1000D/S1000D_XPP_Publish.pl"</run>

  7. In the <value>…</value> line that you copied, change "File System" to the name of your IETP viewer or your PDF publishing engine.
  8. Optional: Rearrange the pairs of value/run lines in this section to reflect the order in which you would like these output formats to be displayed in the Publish UI.
  9. Scroll up to the list of properties at the top of the file. Find the following two properties that contain the word "FileSystem":

    <property name="FileSystemPublishScriptName" value="S1000D_PublishFromFileSystem.pl"/>

    <property name="executeFileSystemPublishScript" value="no"/>

  10. Copy these two lines and paste them immediately below the original lines.
  11. In the two property names that you copied, change "FileSystem" to match the name of the IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine that you supplied in Step 7, with any spaces removed. For example, if you added an output format named "Contenta to ABC IViewer" you would replace "FileSystem" with "ABCIviewer" in each property name; the new names would be ABCIViewerPublishScriptName and executeABCIviewerPublishScript.
  12. In the new <third-party-output-format>PublishScriptName property, change the value to be the name of the Perl script that you created in Step 2.
  13. In the new execute <third-party-output-format>PublishScript property, change the value from no to yes when you are ready for the Contenta S1000D Publish tool to execute this Perl script.
  14. Search for "File System Settings".
  15. Copy the <group>…</group> lines containing "File System Settings" and paste these lines immediately below the original lines.
  16. Edit the new lines and change "File System Settings" to match the name of the IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine that you supplied in Step 7. For example, if you added an output format named "Ckontenta to ABC IViewer" you would change "File System Settings" to "ABC IViewer Settings".
  17. In the new <group>…</group> section, change the following line to match the name of your IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine, with any spaces removed:

    <name>zipFileSystemExportDir</name>

    For example: <name>zipABCIViewerExportDir</name>

  18. Optional: Add any other custom settings (check boxes, pick lists, or text boxes) that are needed to publish to your third-party IETP viewer or PDF publishing engine. These settings will be passed to your custom Perl script via the pubProperties.txt file in the publish export directory.