First build with the dita command

You can publish output using the dita command-line tool. Build parameters can be specified on the command line, with .properties files, or in project files that define multiple deliverables.

About this task

The DITA-OT client is a command-line tool with no graphical user interface. To verify that your installation works correctly, you can build the HTML version of the documentation you are reading now.

Procedure

  1. Open a terminal window by typing the following in the search bar:
    OptionDescription
    Linux or macOS  Type Terminal.
    Windows Type Command Prompt.
  2. Change directories to the docsrc/samples subfolder of the DITA-OT installation directory: 
    cd dita-ot-dir/docsrc/samples
  3. At the command-line prompt, enter the following command: 
    dita --project=project-files/html.xml

    The HTML version of the documentation is generated in the docsrc/samples/out folder.

What to do next

Most builds require you to specify more options than are described in this topic. For more information, see Publishing with the dita command.