Version control for DITA tables, just like for other DITA content, is typically managed using version control systems (VCS) or source control systems. These systems help track changes, revisions, and the history of DITA tables over time.

Maintaining version control for DITA tables involves implementing a VCS, maintaining a repository, operating a check-in check-out system, committing changes, branching and merging content, and tracking the history of content updates.

Version Control Systems (VCS)

VCS software, such as Git, Subversion (SVN), Mercurial, or others, is used to track changes in DITA content, including tables. DITA source files are stored in a version-controlled repository.

Repository

A central repository stores DITA tables and other documents. This repository tracks changes made by different contributors over time. Multiple versions of DITA tables are stored, and any version can be accessed and retrieved as needed.

Check-In and Check-Out

Authors and contributors check out DITA tables from the repository to make edits. When they’re done, they check the tables back into the repository. This process ensures that no two people edit the same content simultaneously.

Committing Changes

When edits are complete, authors commit their changes to the repository. VCS systems record the specific changes made, who made them, and when they were made.

Branching and Merging

VCS systems allow for branching, which is creating separate development lines, and merging, which combines changes from one branch into another. This is useful for managing parallel development efforts or for working on feature branches.

History and Tracking

VCS systems maintain a history of changes, allowing access to previous versions, enabling content authors to compare changes and understand the evolution of DITA tables.

Example

An organization is using Git for version control. Their process involves:

• Creating a Git repository that includes the DITA tables and documentation.
• Checking out a DITA table from the repository to make edits.
• Making changes to the DITA table.
• Adding changes with a commit message:

git add Component-Specs.dita
git commit -m "Updated specifications for Component X."

Pushing the changes to the remote repository:

git push origin master