The CCMS Output Generator process

IXIA CCMS Output Generator is the component that runs the transformation processes, which transform content in DITA files to a specified output type, such as PDF, HTML, XML, or CHM.

Note: In a dedicated SaaS deployment, your access to the Output Generator is limited. Some tasks require the use of the Output Generator Access Tool (OGAT).
Figure: Component interaction sequence during output generation
Output Generator component interactions

Item

Action or response

1

User selects Generate Output for an object

2

CCMS retrieves output types from CCMS Output Generator and provides to user in dialog

3

User selects output type, user parameters, and Ditaval file, then clicks Generate

4

CCMS sends the output information to CCMS Output Generator

5

CCMS Output Generator retrieves files for transformation from TEXTML Server

6

Transformation scenario runs

7
  • (CCMS Desktop) CCMS Output Generator returns zipped output to user
  • (CCMS Web) CCMS Output Generator saves output to app server

8
  • (CCMS Desktop) Client provides dialog to user for save location of job
  • (CCMS Web) User accesses My Outputs page to download output as a zip file
The main categories you should understand for generating outputs are:
  • Transformation scenarios
  • Configuration files
  • CCMS Output Generator dialogs
  • Output directories

Transformation scenarios

Transformation processes are called transformation scenarios in CCMS Output Generator. The basic CCMS Output Generator installation provides some default transformation scenarios:

  • The Central - Publish to Project scenario initiates a connection to a Madcap Central project, which calls a new preprocessor, then calls new target HTML for use in Central, where the right permissions and access allow a Central user to generate final output.
  • The Dita2Pdf scenario generates PDF documents.
  • The Dita2EclipseHelp scenario generates Eclipse help.
  • The Dita2htmlhelp scenario generates HTML help, the.chm file.
  • The Dita2xhtml scenario generates HTML files.
  • The Export scenario exports topics so that they can be reused in another project.
    Note: If you are using the DRM module, use the Export[DRM] transformation scenario.

Configuration files

CCMS Output Generator (OG) uses three main configuration files to determine the transformation scenario to invoke:
  • Output type file or outputtypes.xml defines the types of output into which users can transform their DITA files, such as PDF, HTML help, and Eclipse help.
  • Preprocessor file or preprocessors.xml defines user parameters and links the output type selected by the user to the conductor file used to transform the content.
  • Conductor file, such as conductor-ot.xml, contains the Apache Ant tasks or targets that the OG invokes to transform the source file.

Output Generation dialogs

In IXIA CCMS Web, users typically only generate output from maps. This command triggers the process that will transform source DITA files into one of the output types configured.

Figure: Sample CCMS Web Generate Output dialog
Sample Output Generator dialog: Web

In IXIA CCMS Desktop, users select the map, topic, or image to transform and then right-click Generate Output .

Figure: Sample CCMS Desktop Generate Output dialog
Sample Output Generator dialog: Desktop

This dialog allows users to choose from several selections:

  • Output type controls the transformation of the source DITA into a published format, such as PDF, Eclipse Help, HTML, or Export.
  • Ditaval transforms the source DITA files, which users can create during IXIA CCMS usage.
    Note: If there are no created ditaval files, the Ditaval field does not display on the Generate Output dialog.
  • User parameters specify output parameters, which a user sets up in the CCMS Output Generator configuration files, that influence the output. For example, a user selects the type of cover page for PDF output, setting these parameters in the configuration files.

Output directories

Two main directories are used during the process for generating outputs.
  • The temporary working directory or job directory contains source files extracted from IXIA TEXTML Server
  • The output directory contains the result of the output generation process returned to the user, such as the PDF file or HTML output and any related log files