Get started FAQs
All your content lives in self-contained files called components. You can create components from various types of templates, including topics, maps, images, and DocBook articles. Storing content in Inspire gives you a single, trusted source of content.
FAQ's
- What's an example of a component?
- What types of components can I create?
- How do I create components?
- Are there any restrictions on file names?
- Where are components stored?
- What can I do with components?
- How do I know if a component is locked?
- Where can I open a component?
- What if I just want to see details about a component?
What's an example of a component?
- You may want to define a basic concept and use that definition in multiple chapters. You can create that content in its own component, separate from the chapter. Having the definition in its own component lets you easily reference it wherever you need it.
- You can import an image to create a binary, or non-XML component. Then you can insert the image into one or more book chapters.
- You may have already written the first chapter and saved it as PDF. You can import this file to create a component and include it in your book.
- Your map topic would be your table of contents to outline the structure of your book.
What types of components can I create?
Textual. You can create the following components to add your content:
- Article (DocBook article)
- Book (DocBook book)
- Chapter (DocBook chapter)
- Concept (DITA concept)
- Machinery task (DITA machineryTask)
- Glossary entry (DITA glossentry)
- Reference (DITA reference)
- Section (DocBook section)
- Task (DITA task)
- Topic (DITA topic)
Structural. You can create the following components to organize your content for publishing:
- Bookmap
- Classification map
- DITAval (an XML file that specifies which attributes and values to filter out of your content when exporting or publishing)
- DITA glossgroup (one topic that contains multiple glossary entries)
- SubjectScheme (DITA SubjectScheme)
Binary. You can create the following components to add read-only content:
- Images (BMP, JPG, PNG)
- XSLT Transform (The Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) lets you transform the content of a source XML document into another document that is different in format or structure.)
- XSLFO Stylesheet (Extensible Stylesheet Language Formatting Objects is a language for formatting XML data.)
- CSS Stylesheet (Cascading Style Sheets describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML on screen, on paper, in speech, or on other media.)
How do I create components?
- Create a new component and then type or copy/paste content using the editor.
- Import a binary file, such as a JPEG, and Inspire creates a new component that you can add attributes to and manage it.
Are there any restrictions on file names?
If possible, try to avoid using DITA control characters such as square brackets ([]) in the name. This can cause a validation error when you add the topic to a map.
You can use square brackets in a component name and when you add it to a map it won't cause validation errors. However, you will have to go back and fix any previously created map references to a component with square brackets in the name.
- Follow the steps in Fix map validation errors.
Where are components stored?
Inspire stores components in a folder structure. You can develop and modify the folder structure to meet the needs of your organization and documentation processes.
What can I do with components?
- See the status of components, such as when a component is being edited it is locked by a user. For more information, read Work with components.
- Manage the location of components. For more information, read Organize components.
- Manage the relationships and associations with other components. Follow the steps in View component references and View component relationships.
- Add component work to an assignment. Follow the steps in Create an assignment.
- Include components in content development workflows. For more information, read about Workflows.
- Send components to translation. Follow the steps in Send components to a translation vendor.
- Publish components. Follow the steps in Publish components.
- Take snapshots. To see what a component looked like at a specific moment in time, you can also view snapshots of components for audit trails. For more information, read View a snapshot.
- Copy component details outside of Inspire. From the Content details pane, the text you copy is saved in the Windows clipboard. You can then paste the component details from the clipboard to anywhere you want. Follow the steps in Copy text from the Content Details pane.
How do I know if a component is locked?
On the Components tab, in the list of components, look for the icon that displays before the component name.
Unlocked. You can open and edit this component.
Read Only. You can open this component, but only to view it because another user has it locked. You can't make changes to a component in read-only mode.
Inspire Locked - Read Only. You can open this component, but only to view it because Inspire has locked it for use in a review or translation.
You have it locked. This icon means you have opened the component for editing, and have made changes but haven't submitted them yet. The component stays locked until you submit your changes, or an administrator unlocks it.
Locked after approved
If you open a component that's locked by another user, you'll see a warning that it's read-only and the name of the user that has the component locked.
Where can I open a component?
- On the Components tab. This is the most common place to open a component for viewing or editing.
- Working in a review. When you open a review you'll see a list of components you can open.
- Working in a project. Follow the steps in: Open a component from a project.
What if I just want to see details about a component?
If you want to see general information such as file name, component type, language, created and updated dates, word and character counts, you can open the Details screen. Follow the steps in View a component without locking it.