Insert front matter, back matter, and appendix elements in a DITA map

Understand how you can insert <frontmatter>, <backmatter>, and <appendix> elements in a DITA map with Adobe FrameMaker.

A traditional book includes various components, such as book title, front matter, chapter, appendix, and back matter. FrameMaker allows you to insert the frontmatter, backmatter, and appendix elements in your DITA map. In addition to having these elements in your DITA map, FrameMaker also gives you dedicated output templates for each of these components. You can export the source template, make changes as per your requirements, and import them back into your publish settings to create the desired output. For more details about the DITA publishing templates, see DITA Templates.

To insert the frontmatter, backmatter, and appendix elements in a DITA map:

1. In the Structure View, place the insertion point where you want to insert the desired element.

2. Open the Elements catalog (View > Panels > Element Catalog).

   Figure 1. Elements catalog with appendix, backmatter, and frontmatter elements
   
   

3. Double-click on the element that you want to insert.

   In case of the frontmatter and backmatter elements, you need to further add the required content within these elements. For oappendices or appendix elements, the Insert Element dialog is displayed. Using the Insert Element dialog, you can choose a file that you want to include in your appendix.

   Note: The order in which the front matter, back matter, appendix, and other components of your book are published depends on the OutputFilesOrder setting in the ditafm-output.ini file. For more details, see Adobe FrameMaker INI Reference.