Sharing common transformation scenarios and other configs

[PeeDeeEff]

I'm looking at transformation scenario definitions here, but the same question will apply to a bunch of configurations.

Can I have some common (team-wide) configurations, which all the team members can access, but are read-only so they don't get inadvertently changed? And also that can be updated centrally when a new version is made?

As far as I can see I can choose between "Global" (which actually means under my local user directory on the machine in question) or "Project" - in which case it resides in a local .xpf file.

Neither of these seem to quite fit the bill.

What is the best practice for rolling out a configuration to a team of people?

Dan

[adrian]

Hello,

For read-only transformation scenarios you could configure a custom framework (aka document type) that holds them (Options > Preferences, Document Type Association):
Document Type Associations - Configuring Transformation Scenarios

Note that a framework does a lot more than that, so you may want to start with one of the default frameworks that you are now using (e.g. DITA, DocBook 4, etc) and duplicate and customize it as you need. You can either keep this framework configuration Internal and maybe have it kept in the Project file (Project Options) or make it External and save it in a common location that can be configured by all users to be used: Options > Preferences, Document Type Association > Locations. With the latter setup it's a lot easier to push strictly framework related updates to the users.

Regarding the options in general, here's a description of how the Oxygen option layers work:
oXygen User Manual - Configuring Options
While you won't be able to enforce an option on top of the user options (project options can also be modified by the user), you can customize the default options that the user starts with. Oxygen only stores the modified options, so if the user has not explicitly changed these specific options from the Oxygen defaults, then your new customized default options will be applied.

Regards,
Adrian

[colinm]

Hi Adrian

Let me dig up this thread

Your recommendation is consistent with what I've understood from the User manual. However, I wonder what happens when Oxygen is update. Do you also update the default frameworks?

I especially think of the DITA framework. If I duplicate it, add my specializations, my CSS, my transformations, etc. how can I benefit from the future updates? DITA 1.3 is around the corner, I expect a lot of updates in the default DITA framework.

Thanks.

[colinm]

I've found this thread, from 2010, that answers my questions:
http://www.oxygenxml.com/forum/post27656.html#p27656

Any progress on framework customization, or we still need to compare frameworks prior to Oxygen updates?

Thanks.

[Radu]

Hi Colin,

For now you will have to compare the frameworks (your customized framework with the one which comes with Oxygen) when a new Oxygen release becomes available.
Your DITA specializations can be packed as a DITA OT plugin and installed in any DITA OT plugins folder by running the integrator.

Regards,
Radu

[Radu]

Hi,

Starting with Oxygen 16.0 which was released a couple of days ago you will have the possibility to extend a document type configuration in order to automatically benefit of all changes made to the base configuration in your extension.

Regards,
Radu

[colinm]

Thanks a lot for the feedback!