Introduction to DITA

JoAnn Hackos

2009 Comtech Services, Inc.

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The big questions everyone should know answers to

What is DITA? Who uses DITA? What should I do in my role for implementing DITA? Why use DITA?

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What is DITA?
Pronounced Dit-Uh Darwin: DITA uses the principles of inheritance for specialization Information Typing: DITA is designed for topic-based technical information based on an information architecture of concept, task, and reference Architecture: DITA provides the framework for the development of an Information Model

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DITA at OASIS
DITA architecture (including base topic types defined in DTD and schema) contributed to OASIS in 2004 DITA 1.0 specification formally published by OASIS DITA 1.1 specification under development for Q12007 DITA open toolkit available through sourceforge OASIS DITA Technical Committee includes
XML tool vendors (PTC, Justsystems, Idiom, Astoria) Consultants (Comtech, Innodata, Flatirons) Companies (BMC, Boeing, IBM, Ericsson, Oracle, Intel, Lucent, Nokia, Sun) Organizations (Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Defense)

Domain specific communities beginning to emerge

Learning and training, medical devices, semiconductors
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Core DITA topic types

topic
A unit of information which is meaningful when it stands alone.

SPECIALIZATIONS

concept
Provides background information that users need to know.

task
Provides procedural details such as step-by-step instructions.

reference
Provides quick access to facts.

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DITA information model

Reuse flows from the topic-based paradigm If content is authored as stand-alone topics
topics can be reused in different contexts topics from multiple components can be integrated as a solution

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A single-source vision
Chapter 1 Section 1 Training Manual

Overview 1

Database

Web page

Help Topic

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Topics reused in DITA maps

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

Topic 4

Deliverables select topics from a database

The help system uses topics 1 and 4 The printed material uses topics 2 and 4
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Topic 4 is reused
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DITA specialization
DITA employs an object-oriented methodology based upon the principle of inheritance New DITA information types are derived from the base DITA topics New DITA XML elements are derived from base DITA elements All can revert back to the base Simplifies processing and facilitates reuse across organizational boundaries
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DITA at IBM
Created the initial DITA design
Replaced monolithic documents with topics Introduced XML to replace SGML Created a semantic tag language

Founded the DITA Technical Committee in OASIS (2003) with business partners Released DITA to OASIS in 2004 Continues to support DITA DTD/schema development Chairs the DITA Technical Committee
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DITA at IBM
Earliest implementation at Lotus Major Websphere implementation 100s of strategic IBM projects use DITA 100s of thousands of individual topics Virtually all are translated into 40 or more languages Source of topics most are being transformed from previous topic types, originally written in SGML or HTML, to take advantage of new DITA functions/features (80%)
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DITA at Nokia
Common XML content architecture for content creation (DITA-based) Feature inheritance logic for reuse of created content (topic mapping) Common metadata across user domains (Nokia metadata framework) Common content engineering process across user groups (cookbook) Consistent set of tools and enabling technologies across user groups (common content management system)
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DITA in use today

Kone Elevators & Escalators Information Builders Avaya Ixiasoft Engenio/LSI Logic Freescale Comtech Services Explorations and early design work at
Intel Boeing Sun Gambro Novartis and more

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DITA information developers

Establish a collaborative development model Work together to design a content base Maintain topics at their source (SMEs, support, marketing) Eliminate duplication of effort Avoid information gaps Increase consistency Enforce authoring standards through XML semantic tags Enhance information quality
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DITA information publishers

Pull information topics into multiple assemblies Use information topics across products to support solutions Deliver information in multiple formats (print, PDF, web, help, PDA) Reuse topics between documentation and training Gather topics from other sources such as customer support Filter topics through conditional publishing (metadata) and DITA maps to support customization and personalization

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DITA information architects

Understand the DITA standard Develop standard information types and content units to use within the information developers environment Specialize DITA domains to account for the needs of an information community such as aerospace, semiconductor, programming, medical Single source the Document Type Definition, reducing developing and testing time Take advantage of the innovations created by the DITA development community Train authors quickly and easily

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Customer dilemma
Out-of-date and inaccessible information in books and PDFs
Updating and maintaining information difficult

Information glut
More meaningful information (role & task based) needed

Solutions, not products

Integration of information in response to customer needs

More accessible information

Provide information on the web and on product
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Corporate dilemma
Customer satisfaction with information and product
Highly demanding customers with high expectations

Reduced costs of deployment

Pressure to reduce information-development costs

Greater flexibility
Reduced Cost of Change (CoC)

Reduced localization costs

Multiple languages

Reduced support costs

Customize and update information continuously

Rapidly changing organizational structures

Global workforce, mergers, acquisitions

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Business opportunities
Focus on minimalism in the technical-writing and web-design communities Increased use of electronic publishing Opportunities for user-centered design Emergence of DITA/XML standards from OASIS and the W3C Limitations of desktop publishing Obvious needs for single sourcing
Reduced costs of production Reduced translation costs Consistency across product families Increased productivity of information developers
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Asking for help

joann.hackos@comtech-serv.com CIDM at www.infomanagementcenter.com CIDM Conferences:
Best Practices conference September 18-20, 2006 in San Diego, CA DITA Europe conference November 2-3, 2006 in Frankfurt, Germany Content Management Strategies conference March 2628, 2007 in Boston, MA

Workshops at www.comtech-serv.com DITA: A User Guide at www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtml

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