Can DITA facilitate the reuse of standardized pre-delivery documentation modules across different vehicle models and variants?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Enabling the reuse of standardized pre-delivery documentation modules across different vehicle models and variants is a fundamental capability of DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture). DITA’s modular approach and content reuse mechanisms make it well-suited for efficiently managing documentation across various automotive configurations.

Modular Structure

DITA allows organizations to break down documentation into smaller, reusable modules known as topics. These topics can cover specific subjects such as maintenance procedures, safety instructions, or warranty information. By structuring documentation in this way, standardized modules can be easily created and maintained independently.

Reuse Through Conref

DITA provides a feature called “conref” (conditional referent) that enables the reuse of content modules across different documents. Using conref, organizations can reference and include standardized content modules into various vehicle manuals and variants. This ensures that consistent and standardized information is incorporated into documentation regardless of the specific vehicle model or trim.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA facilitates the reuse of standardized pre-delivery documentation modules through conref:


<!-- Standardized Maintenance Procedure Module -->
<topic id="standard_maintenance">
  <title>Standard Maintenance Procedures</title>
  <body>
    <section id="oil_change">
      <title>Oil Change Procedure</title>
      <p>Follow these steps to perform an oil change on your vehicle.</p>
    </section>
    <section id="tire_rotation">
      <title>Tire Rotation Procedure</title>
      <p>Rotate the tires as part of your regular maintenance routine.</p>
    </section>
    <!-- Additional standardized procedures... -->
  </body>
</topic>

<!-- Vehicle Manual for Model A -->
<topic id="model_a_manual">
  <title>Model A Owner's Manual</title>
  <body>
    <section conref="standard_maintenance#oil_change"/>
    <!-- Additional sections specific to Model A... -->
  </body>
</topic>

<!-- Vehicle Manual for Model B -->
<topic id="model_b_manual">
  <title>Model B Owner's Manual</title>
  <body>
    <section conref="standard_maintenance#tire_rotation"/>
    <!-- Additional sections specific to Model B... -->
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, the standardized maintenance procedures are defined in a separate module, and they are included in the manuals for different vehicle models (Model A and Model B) using the conref mechanism. This ensures that the same maintenance procedures are consistently included in all manuals, promoting standardization and efficiency in documentation development.