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Creating Topics by Importing DITA File Content

Use the following steps to create new topics by importing DITA file content.

How to create topics by importing DITA file content

Make sure the Project Organizer is open. By default, the Project Organizer is located on the left side of the interface in an accordion structure with the Content Explorer, unless you have previously moved it and saved the new layout. You may have to click the Project Organizer bar to bring it into view.
Do one of the following:
If you have not imported DITA file content previously:
1. Right-click the Imports folder.
2. From the popup menu, select Add DITA Import File.
  (Alternatively, you can also select Project>Import File>Add DITA Import File.)
3. Complete the options in the Add DITA Import File dialog and click Add.
  The new FLIMPDITA file is added to the Imports subfolder in the Project Organizer and opens in the DITA Import Editor to the right, with several tabs shown.
If you have imported DITA file content previously and want to import more DITA files (to be included with this "batch"):
1. Click the plus button next to the Imports subfolder.
2. Double-click the appropriate FLIMPDITA file (which is named after the DITA file that was at the top of the previous import).
  The file opens in the DITA Import Editor to the right, with several tabs shown.
In the Source Files tab, click the Add Files button to find and select DITA files on your computer to include in the import. You can select DITA or DITAMAP files.

Note: You cannot select multiple DITAMAP files from different folders during the same import process. You must first import the DITAMAP file(s) from one folder; then create another import file (Project>Import File>Add DITA Import File) and import the DITAMAP file(s) from a second folder.
You can use the various options in the Source Files tab as necessary.
- Open File This opens the DITA file that is selected in the list.
- Link Generated Files To Source Files This creates a connection between the original DITA files and the files that are created as a result of the import. This is useful if you want to continue editing the content in the original DITA files, instead of editing in the Flare project. Flare recognizes when changes have been made to the source documents and reminds you to re-import the documents to ensure the Flare project also reflects the changes.
  
  If you use this option, a link icon is added to the top of a linked file in the Flare interface. This lets you know that you need to edit the source file, rather than editing this file. If you remove the connection to the source file, this icon no longer displays on the file. Please note that if you have bound the project to source control, the icons used for source control take precedence over the link icon.
- Remove This removes the selected document(s) from the list.
- Move Up This moves the selected document higher in the list (if you have more than one document to import). The document at the top is used for the name of the content folder holding the imported topics in Flare. Also, the order determines how the imported documents are arranged in the Flare TOC that is created as a result.
- Move Down This moves the selected document lower in the list (if you have more than one document to import).
If you want to specify other settings for the import, click the Options tab and complete the available fields.
- Import all Content files to one folder Select this option if you want all of the imported DITA file content to be placed in just one folder in the Content Explorer.
- Auto-reimport before 'Generate Output' This is also known as "Easy Sync." If you created a connection between your DITA source files and the Flare project earlier in the wizard, you will likely make future content changes in the source files. When you make such changes, the source files need to be re-imported into the project so that they can be included in the output. You have the option of re-importing the files manually. However, you can also tell Flare to do this for you automatically, so that you do not have to. Select this option if you want Flare to automatically re-import DITA files when you attempt to build output.
- Preserve ID attributes for elements Every element inside a DITA file has an ID. This ID is not needed in Flare. However, if you intend to send your output back out to DITA at any point, you can select this option to make sure the ID is preserved.
Click the Stylesheet tab to specify whether the imported topics should be associated with a style sheet and/or styles from your DITA files.
- Conversion Styles This opens the DITA Import Styles Editor, which lets you specify how to convert each property of the DITA elements. If you do not enter a property value, the value from the DITA file is used. If you enter a property value, it overrides the value from the DITA file. You can also use the dialog to import and export styles.
  
  Note: When you import content from DITA files, there is a one-to-one conversion that occurs. For each DITA element in your file, a style class is created in Flare as a result. For example, let's say you have a paragraph-level DITA element called "topictitle," after you import the file, a style class called "h1.topictitle" might be created as a result in Flare. Or if you have a character-level DITA element called "cmdname," after you import the file, a style class called "span.cmdname" might be created as a result in Flare. If necessary, you can later edit those style classes in Flare (see Editing DITA Styles). If you generate DITA output from your project, the style classes are converted back to DITA elements.
- Stylesheet If you already have a cascading style sheet (CSS) file that you want to associate with the imported files, click the Stylesheet button. Then navigate to the style sheet and select it.
After you have made the necessary changes, click Import at the top of the DITA Import Editor.

The Accept Imported Documents dialog opens. The files that will be created as a result of the import are listed on the left. A preview of each file can be seen to the right when you click the file.
When you are finished previewing the files to be created, click Accept.

The new topics are added to the project.

Note: The Imported Files tab displays the files that were included in the most recent import from the source project.

Note: A link icon displays next to file names that are imported from and linked to another Flare project, Microsoft Word documents, Adobe FrameMaker documents, or DITA file content. However, if you are also using the built-in source control technology, the source control icons have a higher precedence and will therefore be displayed instead.