Turning a Battleship: Migrating ServiceNow Documentation to Use DITA Keys

Abstract

Describes the analysis, design, planning, and data processing ServiceNow used to migrate all of its DITA-based ServiceNow Platform product documentation from the use of unmanageable direct-URL references for all reuse references and hyperlinks to the use of key-based indirect linking within and among publications. The technical solution uses DITA keys for all links, including use of DITA’s “cross deliverable” linking feature, which enables authoring links from one publication to another (similar to DocBook’s cross-book links but with different implementation challenges). Focuses on the XSLT and XQuery migration process used to perform the migration over a four-day period in the pause between semi-yearly product releases.