Difference between Master Files and Root Map?

[Frank Ralf]

Hi,

AFAIU, the Root Map concept for DITA editing is similar to the more generic Master Files feature. What is the difference between the two concepts? And does one of them has an advantage for using it in a DITA project?

TIA
Frank

[Radu]

Hi Frank,

When you insert a keyref or a conkeyref using Oxygen, Oxygen needs to present you with a set of gathered DITA keys. The Root Map combo box points to the top-level DITA Map from which Oxygen starts gathering keys (picking up keys also from directly and indirectly referenced DITA Maps).
The root map feature is useful when you work on a project having multiple DITA sub-Maps but a single root map and you have multiple DITA Maps opened in the DITA Maps Manager view. You can fix the root map to be a specific DITA Map so that when you select in the DITA Maps Manager a secondary map, the key space is still gathered from the root map.

Indeed the master files support is more generic but right now it has no particular influence when editing DITA content. Possibly in a future version we will somehow allow users to add DITA maps to the master files folder and have them automatically become root maps and gather keys from them.

Regards,
Radu

[xephon]

There is also a Master Files Benefits topic in the manual.

[Radu]

Hi,

Yes, the master files feature is quite good for working with XSLT and XML Schema modules which need to be edited in the context of certain top-level files.

Regards,
Radu

[Frank Ralf]

Thanks for this information and sorry for the late reply.

Frank