Change tracking

This topic explains how Content Manager generates change tracking for publications. Change tracking enables readers to compare different versions of the same publication.

The following steps are executed by the publishing service:
  1. Both versions of the publication are exported,
  2. A compare folder is created,
  3. All XML files (topics, maps and metadata files) are compared and processing instructions are added to the XML source
  4. All compared XML files (containing the processing-instructions if different) and all included images are copied to the compare folder.
The following processing-instructions are added:
processing-instructionDescription
<?ish text_insert_begin?>Inserted at the first position where text has been added
<?ish text_insert_end?>Inserted at the last position where text has been added
<?ish insert_begin?>Inserted at the first position where an XML element has been added
<?ish insert_end?>Inserted at the last position where an XML element has been added
<?ish text_remove_begin?>Inserted at the first position where text has been removed
<?ish text_remove_end?>Inserted at the last position where text has been removed
<?ish remove_begin?>Inserted at the first position where an XML element has been removed
<?ish remove_end?>Inserted at the last position where an XML element has been removed
<p>Content management<?ish text_remove_begin?>, or CM,<?ish text_remove_end?> is a set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary life cycle of digital information. <?ish text_insert_begin?>This digital information is often referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content.<?ish text_insert_end?></p>
<?ish remove_begin?>
<image href="GUID-6688EE48-0096-44A3-91E7-B4090F0839F9" ishpreviewversion="1"/>
<?ish remove_end?>
<?ish insert_begin?>
<image href="GUID-6688EE48-0096-44A3-91E7-B4090F0839F9" ishpreviewversion="2"/>
<?ish insert_end?>
The following parameters can be configured to adjust how change tracking is performed.
ParameterDescription
attributes-to-ignoreComma-space separated list with attributes that users can change without generating revision marks.

For example, the width of column in a table.

This parameter is hard-coded in the publish dialog.

elements-for-parent-propagationComma-space separated list with elements that, in case they are changed, the change is propagated to its parent element.

For example, changing a colspec element in a table propagates the change to the entire table.

This parameter is hard-coded in the publish dialog.