<ul>: How do you use the <ul> element to create unordered (bulleted) lists within a DITA topic?

November 10, 2023

|By Bryan Tipper

Organizing content effectively is essential when creating documentation in DITA XML. The <ul> element is a valuable tool for creating unordered (bulleted) lists within a DITA topic. Unordered lists are useful for presenting information in a non-sequential or non-prioritized manner, allowing readers to easily scan and understand key points.

Creating Unordered Lists

To create an unordered list in DITA, you use the <ul> element to define the list itself. Inside the <ul> element, you can use the <li> (list item) element to represent each item in the list. These items are typically preceded by bullet points or other markers, depending on the styling applied by the DITA processing system.

Example:

Here’s an example of how to use the <ul> element to create an unordered list within a DITA topic:


<topic id="features">
  <title>Product Features</title>
  <body>
    <ul>
      <li>High-resolution display</li>
      <li>Wireless connectivity</li>
      <li>Long-lasting battery</li>
      <li>Intuitive user interface</li>
    </ul>
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, the DITA topic “Product Features” includes an unordered list created with the <ul> and <li> elements. Each list item represents a feature of the product, and the DITA processing system will render them with appropriate bullet points or markers.