File naming conventions

DITA uses certain naming conventions and file extension for topics, maps, modules, and document-type implementation files.

Files that contain DITA content should use the following naming conventions:

DITA topics

*.dita (recommended)
*.xml

DITA maps

*.ditamap

Conditional processing profiles

profilename.ditaval

Files that define DITA document-type components must use the following naming conventions:

Document-type shell files

typename.dtd
typename.xsd

Where typename is the name of the intended root topic or map type defined by the document type shell or, as needed, a name that clearly identifies both the intended root map or topic type and distinguishes the document type shell from other shells for the same root type.

non-normative: For example, the OASIS-provided document-type shells for technical content include two different document-type shells for the task topic type: task.dtd and generalTask.dtd, where task.dtd includes the strict task body constraint module and generalTask.dtd does not.

DTD structural module files

typename.mod
typename.ent

DTD domain module files

typenameDomain.mod
typenameDomain.ent

DTD constraint module files

constraintnameConstraint.mod

Schema structural module files

typenameMod.xsd
typenameGrp.xsd

Schema domain module files

typenameDomain.xsd

Schema constraint module files

constraintnameConstraintMod.xsd
constraintnameConstraintIntMod.xsd

2.1.1.4 File naming conventions