DITA FAQs

Use these DITA FAQ topics for quick referencing some of the most common DITA-specific questions we've received. If there is a particular answer you're looking for that we don't have listed here, submit the question to us! We're happy to answer your question and add another to our DITA FAQ list.

What is DITA?

The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) is an open standard for Extensible Markup Language (XML) that is used to create, structure, and distribute content.

What is easyDITA?

easyDITA is a DITA Component Content Management System (CCMS). You can use easyDITA for all aspects of DITA content authoring, management, and publishing.

What is a DITA specialization?

A DITA specialization is the process of creating a specialized, or custom, DITA element, topic, or attribute, using an existing DITA element (or topic, attribute, etc.) as the base model for specialization. This enables you to customize DITA elements to align with your content model or needs.

What is a DITA map?

Maps enable you to create deliverables by adding references to topics or other maps. Think of a map as a book binder and topics as pages. You have a binder (map) and you fill it with pages (topics). You can also nest maps within other maps to create larger publications.

What reuse methods are available?

You can reuse your DITA content using different mechanisms. You can reuse topics using topic references, or topicrefs. You can reuse maps using map references, or maprefs. You can reuse smaller bits of content at the element level using content references, or conrefs. You can insert variable content into your topics using content key references, or conkeyrefs. You can also conditionalize content for different audiences using attributes.

Where can I find the DITA Spec?

OASIS publishes the DITA Specification for all versions of DITA. You can find the complete DITA Spec for each version here:

• DITA Version 1.2 Specification

• DITA Version 1.3 Specification

Where can I learn more about DITA?

We recommend checking out LearningDITA.com, which offers free courses to learn DITA at your own pace.

How do I link content?

You can insert links to other pieces of content using either direct or indirect linking mechanisms. To insert a direct link, you can use cross references, or xrefs. You can use these to link to other topics, external resources, or pieces of content within a topic. To insert an indirect link, you can use key references, or keyrefs. Key references link to a key instead of linking to the content directly, so you can modify the link for different maps by changing key definitions.

What is information typing?

Information typing is the process of identifying and categorizing different kinds of information, typically conceputal, task-oriented, or reference information. These different types of information each go in dedicated topic types that correspond to the information types.