Can DITA support the delivery of documentation in multiple formats (e.g., PDF, HTML) for aerospace users?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Indeed, DITA excels in supporting the delivery of documentation in multiple formats, which is particularly advantageous for aerospace users who may require content in various forms such as PDF, HTML, or even other custom formats. DITA’s structured and modular approach to content creation enables content creators to maintain a single source of truth and then transform it into diverse output formats for different use cases.

One of the key components in achieving this is the use of DITA-optimized authoring tools that allow authors to create content in a structured manner. Content is authored as DITA topics, which represent discrete units of information. Metadata, links, and references are incorporated into these topics, ensuring that the content is rich and contextually connected.

Example:

Here’s an example of a DITA topic representing a safety guideline:

<!-- Example of a DITA safety guideline topic -->
<topic id="safety-guideline" domains="aerospace safety">
  <title>Safety Guideline</title>
  <body>
    <section id="introduction">
      <title>Introduction</title>
      <p>An introduction to a safety guideline in aerospace.</p>
    </section>
    <section id="content">
      <title>Guideline Content</title>
      <p>Detailed safety guidance for aerospace procedures.</p>
    </section>
    <section id="references">
      <title>References</title>
      <p>Citations and references for further reading.</p>
    </section>
    <!-- More sections as needed -->
  </body>
</topic>

After creating content in DITA, it can be transformed into various formats like PDF, HTML, or any other required format. These transformations can be automated, ensuring that content remains consistent across different outputs and providing aerospace users with the flexibility to access information in their preferred format.