Adapting content structure and layout for different languages in defense documentation is a common requirement to ensure that the localized content aligns with the linguistic and cultural expectations of the target audience. DITA, with its flexibility and modularity, offers support for managing variations in content structure and layout for different languages effectively.

1. Conditional Text: DITA allows the use of conditional processing to manage language-specific variations. You can define conditions in your DITA documents to include or exclude specific content based on the language or locale. This means that you can maintain a single source document while specifying which parts are displayed for different languages.

Example:

Here’s an example of using conditional processing in DITA to display language-specific content. In this case, the “l10n” attribute specifies the language.

<!– Conditional text for different languages –>

<p>English Text.</p>
<p l10n="fr">Texte en Français.</p>
<p l10n="es">Texto en Español.</p>

2. Localization Filters: DITA supports the use of localization filters to control the visibility of elements, attributes, or even entire topics. This allows you to adapt the structure and content layout for different languages without duplicating the entire document.

Example:

Here’s an example of using localization filters to manage content variations. The “filter” attribute specifies the language or localization.

<!– Localization filter for content variations –>

<topic>
  <p>Common content.</p>
  <p filter="fr">French-specific content.</p>
  <p filter="es">Spanish-specific content.</p>
</topic>

3. Language-Specific Templates: DITA also supports the use of language-specific templates. You can define templates tailored for different languages to control the layout, fonts, or other formatting aspects of your content to meet linguistic and cultural expectations.

Example:

Here’s an example of specifying a language-specific template in DITA to manage layout variations.

<!– Language-specific template –>

<topic>
  <template l10n="fr">French Layout Template.</template>
  <template l10n="es">Spanish Layout Template.</template>
  <p>Localized content.</p>
</topic>

DITA provides the tools and mechanisms to adapt content structure and layout effectively, ensuring that defense documentation remains culturally and linguistically appropriate for different target audiences.