Conditional processing in DITA XML plays a vital role in tailoring process documentation for different manufacturing operations. It enables manufacturing organizations to create documentation that adapts to specific scenarios, ensuring that the right information is delivered to the right audience under the right conditions.

Content Reuse

One of the key benefits of conditional processing is content reuse. Manufacturing documentation often contains sections that are applicable to multiple processes or products. With DITA, organizations can create reusable content components and use conditional attributes to include or exclude them as needed. For example, a manufacturing manual may have a generic safety section that is conditionally included for processes that involve hazardous materials but excluded for processes that don’t. This approach minimizes duplication, reduces maintenance efforts, and ensures consistency.

Targeted Information

Conditional processing allows manufacturing organizations to target specific information to different user groups or product variants. By using conditional attributes like “audience” or “product,” content can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of each scenario. For instance, a document can display different assembly instructions for distinct product models, making the documentation more user-friendly and relevant. Conditional processing ensures that irrelevant information is hidden, reducing confusion and improving efficiency.

Example:

Here’s an example of how conditional processing can be applied in DITA XML to tailor manufacturing documentation:

<task id="assembly">
  <title>Product Assembly</title>
  <step>
    <title>Step 1: Assembly Process</title>
    <p>This step is common to all product models.</p>
  </step>
  <step>
    <title>Step 2: Special Instructions</title>
    <p>This step includes special instructions for Model A only.</p>
    <data audience="Model A">
      <p>Special instructions for Model A.</p>
    </data>
  </step>
  <step>
    <title>Step 3: Quality Check</title>
    <p>This step is common to all product models.</p>
  </step>

In this example, conditional attributes are used to include special instructions for a specific product model (Model A) while keeping the common steps applicable to all models. This tailoring of content ensures that users receive relevant instructions based on the specific manufacturing scenario.