Explainer
What Is an S1000D Publication Module?
The Idea
A Publication Made of References
S1000D does not store manuals. It stores data modules in a CSDB, and uses publication modules to define the publications made from them. A publication module contains no content of its own: its content section is a sequence of entries, and each entry holds references to data modules, to other publication modules, or to external publications, in order, with an optional title. Entries can nest to any depth, which is how chapters and sections are built.
Because the publication is only references, a data module written once can appear in a maintenance manual, a training publication, and a supplier variant at the same time, and a correction to it reaches all three. The same publication module can then be rendered as a page-based manual or an interactive one; see how XML becomes a PDF and what an IETM is.
The Code
Reading a PMC
A publication module is identified by its publication module code, four parts that the schema defines as follows. A real example from the official samples is PMC-S1000DLIGHTING-C3002-EPWG1-00, the Electrical Lighting System publication.
| Attribute | Format | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| modelIdentCode | 2 to 14 letters or digits | The model identification code or project name, as in the data module code. |
| pmIssuer | 5 letters or digits | The CAGE code of the issuing authority. |
| pmNumber | 5 letters or digits | The number of the publication module. |
| pmVolume | 2 digits | The volume of the publication. |
Like a data module, a publication module also carries a language, an issue number and in-work number, and a status section, so publications are versioned and controlled with the same discipline as the content they assemble.
FAQ
Questions We Hear
What is the difference between a data module and a publication module?
A data module holds content; a publication module holds none. It defines a publication by listing data modules, other publication modules, and external publications in order, under titled entries. The same data module can appear in many publications, which is how S1000D authors content once and publishes it many ways.
What is a PMC?
The publication module code: the publication module's identifier, built from the model identification code, the issuing authority's CAGE code, the publication module number, and the volume. In the official samples it is written as PMC- followed by those four parts, as in PMC-S1000DLIGHTING-C3002-EPWG1-00.
Can a publication module include non-S1000D documents?
Yes. Alongside data module and publication module references, an entry can reference an external publication: a document that is not S1000D, such as a legacy manual or a supplier's document, so it takes its place in the publication's structure.
Get In Touch
Structuring Your Publications?
How publications are assembled from data modules is a program decision with a long tail. We help programs design it, and deliver the result through the Content Portal.