Map FAQs

Get answers to questions commonly asked about using a DITA map to organize a set of resources to produce structured content, such as XHTML, PDF, or Windows Help.

Do I have to create submaps?

When should I use a subject map?

Can I see a report on all the components that are referenced in a map?

Can I create a report to see how often a map is published?

Do I have to create submaps?

You don't have to create an entire publication using a single map. It's generally good practice to break up a large publication into several smaller submaps that are easier to manage. You can reuse submaps in multiple publications by including them in each of the main maps. For example, if you want to reuse content using keys, you can create a submap just to define those keys.

When should I use a subject map?

You can use a subject map to provide semantics that can be used in classification maps that make it possible to create a taxonomy from a list of controlled values. For example, a company wants to allow the use of only the operating systems they support. The company defines a subject category for "Operating system", with a key set to "os". There are sub-categories for Windows and specific Linux variants: Red Hat Linux and SuSE Linux. The company then binds the values that are enumerated in the "Operating system" category to the @platform attribute. The enumeration limits valid values for the @platform attribute to the following: "linux", "redhat", "suse", and "windows". If a processor encounters any other values when validating against the scheme, the processor issues a warning.
  • You can use subject scheme maps to define keys and specify a collection of controlled values rather than a collection of topics. The highest level of map that uses the set of controlled values must reference the subject scheme map where you've defined those controlled values.
  • You can use classification maps to identify topics according to the subject to which they pertain. Subjects can be defined in the subject scheme map.

Can I see a report on all the components that are referenced in a map?

Yes.

  • You can right-click the map component (or use the Options menu), select Reports, and then select Map asset report.

  • You can also add one or more maps to the Selected Components pane.
    • This option is available when working in the Components browser.

    • This option is also available when working on a project.

      To access this option, there can only be map topics and no other component type listed in the Selected Components pane.

  • You can view a report to see all of the components referenced in your map, including topics, images, and other maps. The report contains the following information:

  • The left side of the report tells you how to identify the component that is referenced in the map.

    • ComponentID
    • Name
    • Type
    • Path
    • CreatedDate
    • CreatedBy
    • UpdatedDate

    You can click the link in ComponentID to go to the Components browser and see the location of the component. The component is highlighted.

  • The right side of the report tells you more about the kinds of updates made to the component.

    • UpdatedBy
    • Label
    • Comment
    • LastReviewedDate
    • LastApprovedDate
    • LastTranslatedDate
    • LastPublishedDate

Can I create a report to see how often a map is published?

Yes, you can gather metrics about who has published a map, how long it took to create the map's deliverables, and if it was successful or had issues.

Important notes:

You can create a Publish Activity report only for a component that has a Type of Map.

  • If you select a component that isn't a map, in the Reports menu, the Publish Activity option is not available.

The report only contains publishing events that occur on or after March 13, 2025.

  • The Publishing activity report feature was not available before the release of Inspire 2025.1.2.0 and any publishing events before those dates aren't included in the report.

    In the top right corner menu, click Get more Help to see the version of the app you're running.

  • If the map hasn't been published after the release of Inspire 2025.1.2.0, the report tells you there is no publish information, even if you can see it by opening the Details and selecting the History tab.

You can create a list of details about when a map or Bookmap component was published.

  • You can create a Publish Activity Report in the following places:
    • Components browser using the Options menu or the right-click menu
    • A project's Contents pane using the Options menu or the right-click menu
    • Selected Components pane using the Reports menu.

      Selecting multiple components and then selecting the Publish Activity option creates multiple reports. You receive a separate notification and report for each map selected.

  • You can see the following information in the Publish Activity report:
    • Component details: The component ID which is a link you can click to go to it, the name of the map, and the path to where it's stored.
    • User details: The name of the user who requested the publication.
    • Publishing details: The day and time of the request, when it was started, and when it completed. You can use these details to see how long it takes to publish the map.
    • Status details: See if the publishing process was a success or if it failed.

The report contains a table with the following columns:

  • ComponentId
  • Name
  • Path
  • User
  • PublishDate
  • PublishStartTime
  • PublishEndTime
  • Status
  • Successful