Repurposing Content

Repurposing content is a way to create multiple file output types every time a page is published. Output to XHTML, XML, text, CSV, and practically any other file type automatically.

Multiple File Output

Repurposing content is all about creating different files from one source file.  To use this approach, your source files must be stored in an XML format.  On the OmniUpdate staging server these XML files are known as Publish Control Files (PCF).  When published, PCF files are processed differently than HTML files.  They are processed using OmniUpdate's built in XSLT engine, thereby allowing the use of XSL to determine the output format.  Using multiple XSL files signals the XSLT engine to output multiple files simultaneously. 

When to Repurpose

In OmniUpdate, you can pick and choose when and where to use XML and XSL. It is not common best practice to offer multiple file output for each and every web page on your site. Let's face it, the best type of page for your website is a web page (HTML or XHTML). When a "print friendly" page is offered (even if this is every page on your site), a modified CSS usually does the job best - and avoids the need for multiple file output all together.

Therefore, it's important to pick your battles. Decide when more than one physical file should be stored on the server. Think about how CSS might allow you to keep only one web page that can be displayed differently for different browser types (web, mobile phone, print, etc.). Then consider when you need to go beyond what's possible with CSS alone. While OmniUpdate's XSLT transformation engine offers incredible power, it comes at a cost. Writing the XSL code necessary to perform the transformation of XML into multiple files goes significantly beyond the basics of web development.

Using XML/XSL

Repurposing content using XML and XSL offers the ultimate power in control and agility for your web content.  Once you've established where this power is needed, use OmniUpdate powerful XSLT transformation engine to automate the process.  Learn more...