Darwin Information

Typing Architecture

(DITA)

TWC 445/545 Spring 2015

It is a modular model for encoding documents into topics within a single file that can be reused in multiple locations for different audiences, focused on diverse tasks, and looks a bit like this...

What is DITA?

● It is an XML data model● What is XML?

DITA FundamentalsMake sure to click the video before proceeding to the next slide!

DITA was created in March 2001 by a cross-company working group at IBM for internal use for documenting its own software engineering processes. The reason why they put so much effort into creating DITA is that because prior to its inception technical communication and documentation existed in a variety of forms--many of which lacked critical features for making documentation production more effective and efficient.

DITA’s HistoryClick here to learn more about DITA’s history!

DITA was created to replace IBM's internal documentation system, IBM ID Doc. In large part due to the internal success of DITA, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) began to work on creating a DITA standard in 2004, and by 2005, DITA 1.0 was approved and released for use by the greater community.

DITA’s History

Click the logo to visit the OASIS-DITA site

DITA’s legacy is rooted in required knowledge, modular retrieval, and agnosticism of technology and media platforms makes it an extremely valuable tool

for software documentation.

For ease in formating, DITA facilitates the structuring of documents through the use of different XML tags. A few examples of DITA tags are shown on the next slide...

DITA Makes it Easy

DITA Makes it Easy

For ease in formating, DITA facilitates the structuring of documents through the use of different XML tags. A few examples of DITA tags are shown on the next slide...

It should be noted that this table only contains a very small number of the DITA tags available for categorization, as there are too many to list in this presentation..

Tag Function

<dita> A top level tag for nesting topics

<topic> A tag that contains a single-subject or article

<concept> A tag designated for use to provide the answer to a “what is” question

<reference> A tag containing information that needs to be looked up for technical purposes.

<task> A tag used to denote a procedure.

● Ability to organize topics by creating maps that do things like generating navigational menus, tables of contents, and even creating links between topics.

● Text can be edited separately from its formattingo We do this through the <xml>tagging</xml> and style

sheets.● Using maps, files can be published in many different

configurations depending on the audienceo They also can be generated in a large number of formats:

PDF HTML pages Compiled help systems

Strengths of DITA

This is because DITA is a form of….

Single Source Publishing!

It is a process “where you create content in a single source that is typically in XML format.” Using that XML file, a person can then use many different processes that publish the content into many different formats: e.g. generating documents online as PDFs or HTML. The beauty of single sourcing as a content management method is that by front-loading the work into structuring the documentation into a standardized form of XML, resources like time are optimized by now having the ability to generate multiple types of output documents by only creating content once.

What is Single Source Publishing?

● DITA is a type of Single Sourcing!

o This XML schema gives us the ability to keep a coherent marketing message.

It becomes considerably easier to maintain a focus on a specific audience, user, or task, avoiding confusion for users.

Why Use DITA for TechComm?

Why Use DITA for TechComm?

● DITA facilitates content reuse.

o Reusing content facilitates increased:

o Quality and consistency

o Reduced time and costs for development and maintenance

o Reduced cost of translation

o Reduction of potential errors in documentation.

● Because DITA is an XML standard, it capitalizes on the strengths inherent to structured writing: e.g. authoring time is reduced and analysis of authored content increased.

● DITA is also useful due to its minimalism.

o Reducing cognitive overload in users

Find out more advantages of DITA adoption by clicking here.

Why Use DITA for TechComm?

● A basic understanding of structured markup languages (e.g. XML or HTML) and information architecture to get started with DITA and single sourcing to create the texts.

● For manipulation and usability of DITA documents, it would be best to have some experience or knowledge of an XML parsing language like XSLT--or even any other programming language that can parse structured data: e.g. perl, python, ruby.

○ If learning a transformational language is not something a person really has the ability to do, the other option is to become familiar with the DITA Open Toolkit

What skills do you need to use DITA?

1. Develop an understanding of the topic-based architecture underlying the DITA model. This is a critical step in the process, as if a person does not comprehend DITA’s topic-oriented nature, she cannot fully utilize its modular nature as made possible through DITA maps.

2. Create an informational model. The only way to really understand and implement DITA is to get your hands dirty and try it out by creating your own informational model.

3. Take a moment to read the DITA Architecture and Language Specification to understand how the model works. In order to do this, you need to understand XML (Step 1).

4. Assess your own content and transform it into topics through DITA encoding.

5. Download the DITA Open Toolkit and processing information.

Understanding how to implement DITA is a multi-step process.

An easy tutorial at the level of "what you need to know to get started

A high-level intro

A short case study/interview

A very short and high-level intro to the architecture

An hour-long CAMTASIA video intro adapted from a recording of a live workshop Mic

hael gave on DITA a few years ago - this is the first part, which has a high-level overv

iew of DITA's history and capabilities

DITA Overview Resources (Taken from dita.xml.org )

http://dita.xml.org/OASIS's community web site for DITA. Has blogs, a Wiki,

lists of adopters, vendors, presentations etc.

http://xml.coverpages.org/dita.htmlRobin Cover's list of DITA resources. Includes a lot of

presentations, news, etc. in chronological order.

http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc

_home.php?wg_abbrev=ditaOfficial OASIS DITA Technical Committee site

http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.1/OS/

overview/overview.htmlDITA 1.1 Specification overview - including links to

architectural spec and language spec. The architectural

spec in particular is designed to be generally readable, and

although it does get very technical, it also includes a lot of

introductory and explanatory material.

http://dita-ot.sourceforge.netDITA Open Toolkit site - go through the intro PDF cited

above before going here.

http://www.ditainfocenter.comThe architectural and language specs, plus the Open

Toolkit User Guide in an online Help (Eclipse) format wioth

index, search, and table of contents.

http://www.ditanews.com Listing of 50 DITA Tools, dozens of presentations and

tutorials, communities, conferences, mailing lists, and a

monthly DITA Newsletter.

http://www.ditausers.orgThe international community with personal online

workspace folders, a web-based DITA Storm editor, and an

online Open Toolkit. Author, build, and publish your first

DITA Topics and DITA Maps without installiing anything.

General Resources for DITA (Taken from dita.xml.org )

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