This is your main working page for your noncredit online course in DITA for Content Development (Heretto). Heretto is the designated authoring tool for this course. We have it available for free. Throughout, you will occasionally see Heretto referred to as easyDITA (the product's former name).
From this page you can go to study materials, read about project requirements, find out what to name your files, see when projects are due, go to the online textbook and other resources for this course.
When you complete a unit, click the Complete Unit button for that unit. If you mistakenly mark a unit as completed, contact your instructor (or just wait until you've actually completed it.)
Important! Please bookmark this page so that you can easily return to it.
Links have been removed from this page. To take this fully linked course, contact admin@mcmassociates.io.
Unit 1. Structured Authoring & DITA Heretto—Overview
In this first unit, you explore the background of structured writing and topic-based authoring. You learn why they have become so essential in technical communication and how oXygen is an excellent solution for these needs.
Use the DITA Heretto Start-Up study guide to read about DITA, structured authoring, and Heretto.
Heretto Steps Into A New Era With Groundbreaking AI Features and Fresh Rebranding. Heretto had gone by the name of EasyDITA for a number of years. October 2023.
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Unit 2. Heretto–DITA: Concept & Task Topics
By now you've read that DITA uses three information types: task, concept, and reference. In this unit, you study and practice writing two of those types: task and concept topics.
Use the DITA Heretto Concept and Task Topics study guide to learn about the function, structure, and content of concept and task topics. Short descriptions is covered in this unit.
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Unit 3. Heretto–DITA: Adding Images, Linking, Using CSS
In this unit, you see how to add images to Heretto projects, how to create regular hypertext links to other files or sites, and how to use CSS styles for formatting.
Use this video to see how to add images: Heretto Images
Use this video to see how to add images: Heretto Linking. Does this even belong?
Use this video to see how to add create and apply CSS styles: Heretto CSS
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Unit 4. Heretto–DITA: Reference Topics & Glossaries
In this unit, you study the third of the three primary DITA topics—the reference topic. This unit also covers creating glossaries.
Use the DITA Heretto Reference Topics study guide to learn about the function, structure, and content of reference topics. Glossaries are also covered.
Use the DITA Heretto Glossaries study guide to learn how to create glossaries.
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Unit 5. Heretto–DITA: Maps & Navigation
To this point, you've DITA topics—in fact, the three basic topic types. But something is missing: the glue that holds them all together in a coherent, usable document. And that "glue" is the DITA map, which sequences disparate topics into a logical, complete order.
Use the DITA Heretto Maps and navigation study guide to learn about DITA maps and to create them.
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Unit 6. Heretto–DITA: Publishing to PDF and HTML5
In the preceding unit, you create a map that links to several topics. Now you are ready to publish that map as a PDF or as static HTML.
- Use the DITA Heretto publish to PDF study guide to learn how to publish a Heretto project to PDF.
- Use the DITA Heretto publish HTML5 study guide to learn how to publish a Heretto project to HTML5.
- Publishing a Static Website using easyDITA's Static Site Generator. Way simpler version. McMurrey has not experimented with this option.
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Unit 7. Heretto–DITA: Publishing Scenarios and CSS
- Use the Use DITA Heretto scenarios study guide to learn how to use Heretto-supplied scenarios in your Heretto projects.
- Use the Create DITA Heretto scenarios study guide to learn how to set up your own scenarios for your Heretto projects. (You must have admin permissions to create or modify scenarios.)
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Unit 8. Heretto–DITA: Convert Word to Heretto DITA
In the preceding unit, you create a map that links to several topics. Now you are ready to publish that map as a PDF or as static HTML.
Use the Convert MS Word to Heretto DITA study guide to learn how to convert an MS Word document to Heretto DITA.
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Unit 9. Heretto–DITA: Reuse 1—conrefs
Content references (conrefs) enable you to use chunks of information—topics, maps, elements—within a DITA project. Reuse here means editing the original instance of the conref and having that change be made to all instances of its reuse—in other words, all references to that original content.
See Reusing topics and maps for two methods of reuse.
See Reusing variables for another method of reuse.
See Reusing whole paragraphs for still another method of reuse.
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Unit 10. Heretto–DITA: Reuse 2—conkeyrefs
This is the challenge unit! You get to show of your technical writing skills and claim co-authorship of this course (in your resume).
See Heretto conkeyrefs for directions.
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Unit 11. Heretto–DITA: Conditional Processing
Content reuse refers to the use of the same content in different places in a project without having to edit it. Conditional processing makes that reuse possible. Conditional processes use attributes that specify conditions in which to use the content or not to use it. Attributes, in this context, are specifiers such as online or print, version 1 or version 2, experts or beginners.
This unit shows you how to set up for conditional processing and then output to specific conditions.
Use the DITA Heretto Conditional Processing study guide to learn how to create and output different versions of an information set.
dita_reuse.html put in CONDITIONAL
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Unit 12. Heretto–DITA: Final Project Publishing
By now, you've studied and practiced the basics of DITA and at the same time become very familiar with the easyDITA/Heretto interface. Now's the time to look at how to format PDF output using CSS in Heretto. After that, you'll be ready to produce a great-looking DITA–Heretto project.
Unfortunately, the new release of Heretto has (version 22.12, November 2022) prevents customizing headers and footers and displaying a graphic on the cover page. These worked beautifully summer 2020. It is useless to try copying anfd customizing the Gray or Color scenarios.
Use this video to review how to set up a project and build for PDF output: Ho to publish to PDF
Use the DITA Heretto Final Project study guide to see the recommendations for your final DITA project.
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