2.1.2 DITA markup

Topics and maps are the basic building blocks of the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). Metadata attributes and values can be added to DITA topics and maps, as well as to elements within topics, to allow for conditional publishing and content reuse.

DITA topics and maps are XML documents that conform to the XML specification. As such, they can be viewed, edited, validated, and processed with standard XML tools, although some DITA-specific features, such as content reference, key reference, and specialization require DITA-specific processing for full implementation and validation.

• 2.1.2.1 DITA topics
  DITA topics are the basic units of DITA content and the basic units of reuse. Each topic contains a single subject. Topics may be of specific specialized information types, such as task, concept, or reference, or may be generic, that is, without a specified information type.
• 2.1.2.2 DITA maps
  This topic collection contains information about DITA maps and the purposes that they serve. It also includes high-level information about DITA map elements, attributes, and metadata.
• 2.1.2.3 DITA metadata
  Metadata can be applied in both DITA topics and DITA maps. Metadata that is assigned in DITA topics can be supplemented or overridden by metadata that is assigned in a DITA map; this design facilitates the reuse of DITA topics in different DITA maps and use-specific contexts.

Return to main page.

DITA v1.2 CD 03
Copyright © OASIS Open 2005, 2010. All Rights Reserved.