#### 2.7.2 Understanding how to run DITA2Go DCL

To use dcl.exe to convert DITA documents:

1. Open a Windows Command Prompt window.
2. Navigate to the output directory where your DITA2Go project configuration file is located.
3. Type a command of the following form:

       %dcl% -f output_format [-o output_file] input_file

   where:

   output_format | can be one of the following: HTML XML XHTML HTMLHelp JavaHelp OracleHelp EclipseHelp OmniHelp ASCII DITA DocBook Word WinHelp
   output_file | is optional for RTF or HTML output (but required for XML output); one of: name - base file name (path optional), with or without extension ext - output file-name extension, period required
   input_file | path (absolute or relative) to your .ditamap, .bookmap, .dita, or .xml file, with extension

4. Press Enter.

For example, at a command prompt:

    D:\Tests\HTML> %dcl% -f html ..\DITATestSuite.ditamap

would produce HTML files in directory HTML, from map file DITATestSuite.ditamap located in directory Tests.

If your input_file has an extension other than .ditamap, .bookmap, .dita, or .xml, you must include one more argument, before the -f switch:

    -s xml

to tell dcl.exe what type of file you are converting.

Although dcl.exe provides the -o switch for naming output location, file, or extension, typically you do not need this switch. For topics, DITA provides a naming method for the output files: the copy-to attribute. If your DITA files do not use this attribute, the names of output files are based on the topic id attribute. If necessary, you can remap file names for HTML output; see §43.3 Renaming output files for automated systems.

Previous Topic: 2.7.1 Executing the correct version of DCL

Next Topic: 2.7.3 Creating a script to run DITA2Go DCL

Parent Topic: 2.7 Converting documents from the command line

Sibling Topics:

2.7.1 Executing the correct version of DCL

2.7.3 Creating a script to run DITA2Go DCL

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