DITA: Not just for Tech Docs Ann Rockley The Rockley Group

DITA: Not just for Tech Docs

Ann RockleyThe Rockley Group

©2007, The Rockley Group Inc.

The Rockley Group Inc.

Summer 2007

©2007, The Rockley Group Inc.

The Rockley Group sample clients

©2007, The Rockley Group Inc.

DITA Darwin Information Typing Architecture Why Darwin? Because it evolves (you can

modify/specialize it)

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DITA’s origin Developed primarily by IBM in a response to

the changing needs of the business: Shorter cycle times Reduced costs More outputs More flexibility Increased effectiveness of materials

IBM gave it to the “world”, now it is an OASIS standard

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Design Goals Move away from focus on books to multiple

content types Move towards the trend to minimalism Provide more flexibility in structures and

away from “monolithic” DTDs Support maximum REUSE

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Benefits of DITA Simplifies XML adoption Allows new ways of working Encourages standardization Greater product functionality

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Simplifies XML adoption Removes need to develop custom content

types Broader selection of standardized tools Adapts easily to changing information needs

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Allows new ways of working Facilitates intra-team collaboration, content

sharing, content integration Promotes reuse

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Encourages standardization Combine industry-specific vocabularies with

company-specific requirements Better consistency and quality

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The way DITA normally looks

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A friendlier DITA

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A more Word-like DITA

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Where we’re using DITA Marketing Web site materials Business analyst reports (print & Web) Financial Institution (web) eLearning materials Goverment

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Key Concepts XML Modular content objects Topics DITA (topic) maps Reuse

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XML The current “go to” technology for complex

information development Features:

Extensible Hierarchical Structural Separates content from format Open

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Modular content objects Information stored as chunks (topics) Topics to be reused as building blocks of

content Topics to be “typed” with predefined

structures

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Topic development All built on a single model of a generic topic Topic defines the elements that are common

to topics of all types Base DITA also includes the following

specialized types: Concept Task Reference

Specialized types define additional elements that are specific to the type

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Sample Concept

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Sample Task

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Sample Reference

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DITA (topic) maps Look like TOCs. Defines the organization, order, and

hierarchy of topics in an content type Provides pointers to topics (topics are not

embedded) Allows the same topic to appear in different

places in a single content type … topics can also appear in different maps

Can add information about topics in the map to provide additional context

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Sample Map

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Reuse Support for reuse is a key goal for DITA Topics are written as self-contained chunks Topics can be combined in different content

types to provide needed variations

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Summary: Topics and maps Topic Orientation

Topic: a unit of information that is meaningful when it stands alone

Maps Organization of a set of topics, typically

for different deliverables

Topics DITA maps Deliverables

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Differentiation (selection attributes) Used to produce similar yet different

deliverables Provides core content plus differentiations Works through attributes (e.g. “state = DC”)

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Content References Used when a piece of content, usually small,

needs to appear in many different places and must be consistent

Examples: Boilerplate text Definitions Policy statements

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Conclusion DITA is a content standard that is gaining

widespread acceptance DITA can be extended, you can create your

own component types and naming that match your content

DITA doesn’t have to be scary, it can look like MS Word

DITA makes sense in a non Technical Publications world

Questions?

Ann Rockley

The Rockley Group Inc.

www.rockley.com

rockley@rockley.com

905-939-9298