Are there automated validation tools for ensuring the completeness and accuracy of safety documentation in DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

In the realm of DITA for safety documentation, automated validation tools play a pivotal role in ensuring the completeness and accuracy of content. These tools are essential for maintaining the high standards required in safety-critical industries such as aerospace. They help organizations adhere to safety regulations and minimize human errors that can have catastrophic consequences.

Automated validation tools use predefined rules and criteria to check DITA content for compliance with safety standards. These rules can include verifying the presence of mandatory safety information, confirming that information is up-to-date, and validating the consistency of documentation across different modules. Such tools are indispensable for large aerospace projects with extensive documentation requirements.

Example:

Here’s an example of how automated validation rules can be defined in DITA to ensure completeness and accuracy:

<!-- Example of an automated validation rule in a DITA topic -->
<topic id="safety-procedures" domains="aerospace safety">
  <title>Aerospace Safety Procedures</title>
  <body>
    <section id="procedures">
      <title>Safety Procedures</title>
      <p>These are the safety procedures for aerospace systems.</p>
      <validation-rule>
        <rule-id>SR-001</rule-id>
        <description>Verify the presence of emergency shutdown procedure.</description>
        <validation>
          <assert test="exists(//section[@id='emergency-shutdown'])" role="error">Emergency shutdown procedure is missing.</assert>
        </validation>
      </validation-rule>
    </section>
    <section id="emergency-shutdown">
      <title>Emergency Shutdown Procedure</title>
      <p>Instructions for emergency system shutdown.</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, a validation rule (SR-001) checks for the presence of the “emergency shutdown” procedure, ensuring that it is not missing. Automated validation tools can apply similar rules to entire documentation sets, offering confidence in the accuracy and completeness of safety-critical content.

By incorporating such automated validation into DITA workflows, organizations in the aerospace industry can systematically maintain the quality and integrity of their safety documentation, reducing the risk of human error and non-compliance with safety standards.