Can DITA facilitate the reuse of visual assets across different maritime documents?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

DITA provides robust support for the efficient reuse of visual assets across different maritime documents. This capability not only saves time and effort but also ensures consistency and accuracy in visual content throughout various documents.

Centralized Visual Asset Management

One of the key features of DITA is the ability to centrally manage visual assets such as images, diagrams, and charts. These assets can be stored in a dedicated repository and reused across multiple documents. Here’s an example of how DITA manages visual assets:


<topic id="ship_diagram" format="dita">
  <title>Ship Diagram</title>
  <body>
    <figure>
      <title>Deck Layout</title>
      <image href="diagrams/deck_layout.png" alt="Ship Deck Layout" />
    </figure>
  </body>

In this DITA example, the ship diagram is stored as a reusable asset with a reference to the image file. This allows the same ship diagram to be used in various documents, ensuring consistency in visual representation.

Content References

DITA enables content references, which means that visual assets referenced in one document can be reused in others without duplication. This ensures that when updates are made to a visual asset, those changes automatically propagate to all documents that reference it. This reduces the risk of outdated or inconsistent visuals in maritime documentation.