DITA maps have specific metadata elements designed to capture information related to the organization and management of topics within the map. These metadata elements help describe the map’s structure, purpose, and characteristics.

Metadata elements specific to DITA maps serve to provide information about the map itself, its organization, and its intended use. Some of the metadata elements unique to maps are maptitle, mapdesc, mapkeywords, maptype, mapaudience, mapvendor, mapproduct, maprevhistory, and mapsearchtitle.

maptitle:

This element captures the title or name of the DITA map. It provides a descriptive label for the map itself.

mapdesc:

The map description element is used to provide a brief summary or explanation of the map’s content and purpose.

mapkeywords:

Map keywords allow specifying keywords or tags associated with the map. These can aid in search and categorization.

maptype:

The map type element defines the type or category of the map. For example, it can indicate whether the map is a user manual, a reference guide, or another type of document.

mapaudience:

This element specifies the intended audience or readership for the map. It helps clarify who the map is designed for.

mapvendor:

Map vendor metadata can include information about the organization or entity responsible for creating or distributing the map.

mapproduct:

If the map is associated with a specific product or service, the map product element can indicate this relationship.

maprevhistory:

The map revision history element is used to document the history of revisions and changes made to the map over time. It typically includes details like version numbers, dates, and descriptions of changes.

mapsearchtitle:

This element allows specifying a different title for the map when it is displayed in search results, which can be useful for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.

Example:

Below is an example of a DITA map with metadata elements:

        <!DOCTYPE map PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DITA Map//EN" "map.dtd">
        <map>
            <title>Product User Guide</title>
            <mapdesc>This DITA map provides an overview of our product and its features.</mapdesc>
            <mapkeywords>user guide, product documentation, manual</mapkeywords>
            <maptype>User Guide</maptype>
            <mapaudience>End Users</mapaudience>
            <mapvendor>ABC Tech Solutions</mapvendor>
            <mapproduct>Product XYZ</mapproduct>
            <maprevhistory>
                <mapentry>
                    <revnumber>1.0</revnumber>
                    <revdate>2023-09-01</revdate>
                    <revdescription>Initial release</revdescription>
                </mapentry>
                <mapentry>
                    <revnumber>2.0</revnumber>
                    <revdate>2024-03-15</revdate>
                    <revdescription>Updated content for new product features</revdescription>
                </mapentry>
            </maprevhistory>
        </map>