DITA topics are the basic units of DITA content. Each topic should
be organized around a single subject.
What are topics?
A topic is a unit of information with a title and content, short enough to be specific to a single subject or answer a single question, but long enough to make sense on its own and be authored as a unit.
Why topics?
Topics are the basis for high-quality information. They should be short enough to be easily readable, but long enough to make sense on their own.
Information typing
Information typing is the practice of identifying types of topics that contain distinct kinds information, such as concepts, tasks, and reference information. Topics that answer different kinds of questions can be categorized as different information types. The base topic types provided by DITA ( a generic topic, plus concept, task, and reference ) provide a usable starter set that can be adopted for immediate authoring.
Topic structure
All topics have the same basic structure, regardless of topic type: title, description, prolog, and body.
Topic content
All topics, regardless of topic type, build on the same common structures.
Topic modules
There are three basic modules in topic: for tables, for metadata, and for everything else.
Concepts
DITA concept topics answer "What is..." questions. They include a body-level element with a basic topic structure, including sections and examples.
Tasks
Task topics answer "How do I?" questions, and have a well-defined structure that describes how to complete a procedure to accomplish a specific goal.
Reference
Reference topics describe regular features of a subject or product, such as commands in a programming language.
Domains
A DITA domain defines a set of elements associated with a particular subject area or authoring requirement regardless of topic type.