Yes, DITA specialization can be applied to both topics and maps, allowing organizations to tailor their content structure to specific needs and requirements. Specialization is a fundamental feature of DITA that promotes content reusability and adaptability across various contexts.

Specialized Topics

Specialized topics in DITA involve creating custom elements, attributes, and structures that align with the unique content needs of an organization. For instance, a software company may specialize topics for software installation instructions, product descriptions, or troubleshooting guides. This specialization ensures that content is structured precisely to meet the requirements of each topic type, enhancing clarity and efficiency.

Specialized Maps

DITA specialization is not limited to topics; it can also be applied to maps. Specialized maps enable organizations to create custom structures for organizing topics and controlling their relationships. Organizations can design map specializations that best suit their content organization and delivery, whether it’s for user guides, knowledge bases, or complex technical documentation.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA specialization can be applied to both topics and maps:

<specialization>
  <topic-specialization>
    <title>Specialized Topic</title>
    <attributes>
      <attribute name="custom-attribute" />
    </attributes>
    <description>Custom specialization for topics.</description>
  </topic-specialization>
  <map-specialization>
    <title>Specialized Map</title>
    <attributes>
      <attribute name="custom-attribute" />
    </attributes>
    <description>Custom specialization for maps.</description>
  </map-specialization>

In this example, both topic and map specialization are defined, each with custom attributes. This enables organizations to tailor the structure and attributes of topics and maps according to their specific content requirements.