This chapter suggests a directory structure for eAIP-related files when managing the eAIP production process manually. This does not concern automatic production systems, which may use a different structure.
Based on feed-back from eAIP Pilot Countries, it was decided that a default structure should be recommended which could help the organisation of various eAIPs, different eAIP DTD versions and eAIP amendments with their graphics.
What has to be organised and how?
Operational documents:
Grouped by publication date for AMDTs;
Different document types should not be mixed (because AIP AMDTs do not have the same life cycle as AICs and SUPs);
Grouped by file formats: XML, HTML, PDF and graphics (to ease publication: we do not need to publish Extensible Stylesheet Language - Formatting Object (XSL-FO) and AT files).
Supporting documents:
EUROCONTROL eAIPs, including DTDs;
eAIP Core and Extended Toolbox software, such as Saxon.
The general objective of this proposed directory structure is to separate the operational documents (eAIP amendments, circulars and eAIP supplements) from the eAIP Core and Extended Toolbox software and supporting files. Also, it is recommended that the various versions of these documents and supporting files are stored separately. There are strong links between some files, by publication date. For example, eAIPs, eAICs and eSUPs all make reference to a specific "locales" file (for more information, see Multilingual eAIP) and a specific DTD, and they may change with time. It is important that references in documents published in the past are still valid.
A paramount requirement is that once a document has been published, it is not changed. This implies that files referred to from another file must remain in the same place, so that their relative location remains the same. For example, if it was necessary to move a chart's location, then an eAIP already published would need to be modified so that it references the chart at its new location. This is not acceptable.
As a secondary objective, it should be easy to publish the operational documents on the AIS organisation's website and, therefore, preserve the same directory structure.
The directory structure illustrated in the image above is recommended. There are two main zones: Operations and Software. Please refer to the eAIP Extended Toolbox Documentation for further information about the directory structure applicable to the eAIP Extended Toolbox and PDF format.
The Operations zone contains one directory for each publication "package". Because Circulars and AIP Supplements are always sent with an Amendment, it was decided to name the eAIP directory by the Amendment type, number and year. That way, one can easily find all the documents that were published together and the directories will be sorted in a way that is familiar to the AIS community.
Each publication "package" contains several directories. The following are those directories which should be published, on a CD-ROM or a website:
eAIC contains the new Circulars, published for the first time on the eAIP's publication date, in XML format;
eAIP contains the complete AIP including the Amendment published on the eAIP's publication date, in XML format; only one AMDT is included in a given eAIP;
eSUP contains the new Supplements, published for the first time on the eAIP's publication date, in XML format;
graphics contains all graphic files (charts) referenced in the eAIP; it is used by both XML and HTML files;
html contains the new Circulars, the complete AIP including the current Amendment and the new Supplements in HTML format, as well as a few related files which are specific to this eAIP (notably the list of AICs in force and the table of contents);
pdf contains the new Circulars, the complete AIP including the current Amendment and the new Supplements in PDF format, as well as the AIP Amendment (i.e. only amended pages) in a single PDF file.
Note
Only new AICs and SUPs are included in a eAIP; previous ones are available in previous eAIPs. A list of AICs and SUPs in force is available via the table of contents in HTML.
The other directories are not published as they are used for editing purpose only (see the Paper AIP Publication Procedure for details):
fixed complete AIP in XML with current Amendment fixed;
publish contains the AIP, AICs and SUPs in XSL-FO and AT formats;
publish-amdt contains XSL-FO and AT files used for the Paper AIP Publication Procedure;
with-amdt-info contains XSL-FO and AT files used for the Paper AIP Publication Procedure;
without-amdt-info contains XSL-FO and AT files used for the Paper AIP Publication Procedure.
The Software zone contains one directory for each version of the software needed for the eAIP. Saxon and the EUROCONTROL eAIP Core Toolbox are shown as an example. It is important to keep previous versions of any software used, so that the software environment which may be required to manage older documents still exists.
For example, an older eAIP in XML may declare conformance to an older eAIP DTD. If it is necessary to manipulate this eAIP for any reason (for a search engine or a specific presentation), then the correct DTD has to be used.
This suggested directory organisation implies a limited duplication of certain files between directories.
For example, when publishing an Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC) AMDT together with a non-AIRAC one, many graphic files are likely to be the same for both AMDTs. Yet, they are duplicated because each AMDT package is independent and complete. If the duplication was avoided the location of the graphic files would change from one AMDT to the next, which involves too much maintenance and does not satisfy the principal requirement, as explained above.
AICs and SUPs are scattered among several eAIPs, depending on their publication date. Again, this is with the aim of minimising file maintenance. These documents refer to the "locales" file, for instance, which can evolve with time. So it is important that they always refer to the same version of that file. Similarly, the eAIP refers to the Supplements, so they should not move either.
Consequently, when a publication on CD-ROM is prepared, several past eAIPs must be included, as well as the new ones, so that all Circulars and Supplements are available on the same media. However, the AIP (including graphics) published in past eAIPs need not be included if they are too large.
Despite being dispersed, these documents are not difficult to find: the user should use the HTML interface and browse the table of contents, which contains a list of Circulars and Supplements in force. From there, the user can access HTML and PDF versions of these documents.
When publishing an amendment on their website, the AIS office can simply copy the "package" directory (e.g. directory "2003-10-16"), excluding those sub-directories that are not needed (fixed, publish, publish-amdt, with-amdt-info and without-amdt-info). All the files are then in place for publication.
Only the link to the index of amendments needs to be updated.
Note
Currently, other files need to be updated as well: the list of amendments (history.html) and the list of circulars. However, these files may be generated automatically.