Preserving original id attributes in merged DITA-OT output?

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tsurikov
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2025 5:09 pm

Preserving original id attributes in merged DITA-OT output?

Post by tsurikov »

My team uses Oxygen 28.1 and a custom XSL-FO plugin based on org.dita.pdf2 to generate PDF output from DITA source. During PDF generation, the DITA-OT creates merged files (stage1.xml and stage2.fo). In those files, the DITA-OT transforms our original id attributes. For example, if the source had id="single_write", the merged file might have id="unique_32_Connect_42_single_write".

I would like to override this behavior so the DITA-OT keeps the original id attribute. (Yes, I'm aware of the associated hazards of non-unique ids; I have other ways of ensuring this in our content.)

I believe this is possible using DITA-OT extension points -- but I don't entirely understand how. The DITA-OT documentation says that you can modify the core behavior of the DITA-OT code. That sounds like what I need for my mission. But because I can't see the DITA-OT code itself, I don't know what I'd actually be modifying, or the syntax for that modification.

So... is what I seek possible? And if so, might you have tips on how to do it?

Thanks in advance!
julien_lacour
Posts: 818
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2019 3:47 pm

Re: Preserving original id attributes in merged DITA-OT output?

Post by julien_lacour »

Hello,

This is a quite heavy customization, as the PDF2 plugin is maintained by DITA-OT team I think the best is to ask the DITA-OT Users Group, maybe a similar plugin has been made in the past.

Regards,
Julien
tsurikov
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2025 5:09 pm

Re: Preserving original id attributes in merged DITA-OT output?

Post by tsurikov »

Thank you for the tip, Julien. I will do what you suggested, and if I get an answer, I'll repost it here.
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