Create customized DITA templates

DITA allows customization of document type shells. To make this work in FrameMaker, templates must be created and made available in your authoring environment.

Customizing the DITA templates may involve more or less complex procedures, depending on the customizations you want to perform, and whether the customized templates should replace existing ones or become available as extra options for your authors.

1. Copy the existing EDD.

   Note: It is recommended to store all customized EDDs in a single folder.

   To copy an EDD, open the original EDD in FrameMaker and use File > Save As command to create a copy. This ensures that all paths to the text inset modules are adjusted.

2. Customize the EDD as required.

   For more information, see Customizing DITA 1.3 EDDs.

3. Copy the existing template.

   Name the new template according to its usage and store all custom templates in a single folder. This allows you to keep an overview of available customizations and prevents errors when relinking the structured applications.

4. Import the new EDD into the new template.

5. Adapt formatting as required.

6. Open the structapps.fm file.

   Use the StructureTools > Edit Application Definitions command to open the user-specific file or the StructureTools > Edit Global Application Definitions command to open the system-wide file.

7. Copy an existing application definition (if required).

   If the custom template should replace an existing one, you can skip this step.

   Note: Ensure that you rename the copy. Also, you need to edit the DITA Mappings. For details, see Change DITA 1.3 Mappings.

8. Change the application definition.

   Change the path in the application definition to point to the customized template file.