3.1.3.1 Prolog (metadata) elements

The prolog elements represent the metadata associated with a document. Most of the metadata in a topic prolog can also be authored in a DITA map, in the map's <topicmeta> element.

The primary types of information that you can store in the prolog include:

author
copyright information
critical tracking dates
permissions for use/management of the content
key words and index terms related to the topic
extensive metadata about the content of the document
a resourceid that allows a topic to be associated with external resources such as linking to programming components as contextual help

3.1.3.1.1 prolog
The <prolog> element contains information about the topic as an whole (for example, author information or subject category) that is either entered by the author or maintained by a software application. Much of the metadata inside the <prolog> will not be displayed with the topic when the topic is rendered, but may be used by processes that generate search indexes or customize navigation.
3.1.3.1.2 audience
The <audience> metadata element indicates, through the value of its type attribute, the intended audience for a topic.
3.1.3.1.3 author
The <author> metadata element contains the name of the topic's author.
3.1.3.1.4 brand
The <brand> element indicates the manufacturer or brand associated with the product described by the parent <prodinfo> element.
3.1.3.1.5 category
The <category> element represents any category by which a topic might be classified for retrieval or navigation. For example, the categories could be used to group topics in a generated navigation bar. Topics can belong to multiple categories.
3.1.3.1.6 component
The <component> element describes the component of the product that this topic is concerned with. For example, a product might be made up of many components, each of which is installable separately. Components might also be shared by several products so that the same component is available for installation with many products. An implementation may (but need not) use this identification to check cross-component dependencies when some components are installed, but not others. An implementation may also (but need not) use the identification to make sure that topics are hidden, removed, or flagged in some way when the component they describe isn't installed.
3.1.3.1.7 copyright
The <copyright> element specifies legal ownership of the content.
3.1.3.1.8 copyrholder
The copyright holder (<copyrholder>) element names the entity that holds legal rights to the material contained in the topic.
3.1.3.1.9 copyryear
The <copyryear> element contains the copyright year as specified by the year attribute.
3.1.3.1.10 created
The <created> element specifies the document creation date using the date attribute.
3.1.3.1.11 critdates
The <critdates> element contains the critical dates in a document life cycle, such as the creation date and multiple revision dates.
3.1.3.1.12 featnum
The <featnum> element contains the feature number of a product in the metadata.
3.1.3.1.13 keywords
The <keywords> element contains a list of terms from a controlled or uncontrolled subject vocabulary that applies to the topic or map. The keywords may be used by a search engine. The keywords are marked up using the <indexterm> and/or <keyword> elements.
3.1.3.1.14 metadata
The <metadata> section of the prolog contains information about a topic such as audience and product information. Metadata can be used by computational processes to select particular topics or to prepare search indexes or to customize navigation. Elements inside of <metadata> provide information about the content and subject of a topic; prolog elements outside of <metadata> provide lifecycle information for the content unit (such as the author or copyright), which are unrelated to the subject.
3.1.3.1.15 othermeta
The <othermeta> element can be used to identify properties not otherwise included in <metadata> and to assign name/content values to those properties. The name attribute identifies the property and the content attribute specifies the property's value. All <othermeta> elements are considered part of the topic's metadata and should be reflected in the output as appropriate for the output medium.
3.1.3.1.16 permissions
The <permissions> prolog element specifies the level of entitlement needed to access the content.
3.1.3.1.17 platform
The <platform> metadata element contains a description of the operating system and/or hardware related to the product being described by the <prodinfo> element. The platform element may be used to provide a more detailed definition of values used throughout the map or topic on the platform attribute.
3.1.3.1.18 prodinfo
The <prodinfo> metadata element contains information about the product or products that are the subject matter of the current topic. The prodinfo element may be used to provide a more detailed definition of values used throughout the map or topic on the product attribute.
3.1.3.1.19 prodname
The <prodname> metadata element contains the name of the product that is supported by the information in this topic.
3.1.3.1.20 prognum
The <prognum> metadata element identifies the program number of the associated product. This is typically an order number or a product tracking code that could be replaced by an order number when a product completes development.
3.1.3.1.21 publisher
The <publisher> metadata element contains the name of the person, company, or organization responsible for making the content or subject of the topic available.
3.1.3.1.22 resourceid
The <resourceid> element provides an identifier for applications that require them in a particular format, when the normal id attribute of the topic cannot be used.
3.1.3.1.23 revised
The <revised> element in the prolog is used to maintain tracking dates that are important in a topic development cycle, such as the last modification date, the original availability date, and the expiration date.
3.1.3.1.24 series
The <series> metadata element contains information about the product series that the topic supports.
3.1.3.1.25 source
The <source> element identifies a resource from which the present topic is derived, either completely or in part.
3.1.3.1.26 vrmlist
The <vrmlist> element contains a set of <vrm> elements for logging the version, release, and modification information for multiple products or versions of products to which the topic applies.
3.1.3.1.27 vrm
The vrm element contains information about a single product's version, modification, and release, to which the current topic applies.

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