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

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

DITA’s flexibility in supporting multiple output formats is a key advantage for delivering government documentation to various stakeholders. By designing content in a structured, standardized way, DITA ensures that information is accessible to everyone, regardless of the preferred format.

Multi-Channel Publishing

One of DITA’s core capabilities is multi-channel publishing, which allows content creators to produce documentation in several formats from the same source. This means that government agencies can create a single source document that can be published as PDFs for official archiving, as HTML for web access, or any other format required by stakeholders, without the need for extensive reformatting.

Content Reuse

DITA’s topic-based approach also simplifies the process of content reuse. Government documents often contain repeated sections such as legal disclaimers, policy descriptions, or contact information. With DITA, these can be written once and included in multiple documents, ensuring consistency and reducing the effort needed to update information across all formats.

Example

The example below illustrates how a DITA document is structured to support conversion into multiple formats:


<topic id="public_announcement">
  <title>Public Service Announcement</title>
  <body>
    <p>This announcement contains vital information for the public.</p>
    <section>
      <title>Important Dates</title>
      <p>Please be aware of the following dates regarding policy changes.</p>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Contact Information</title>
      <p>For more details, contact the public affairs office.</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</topic>

This DITA topic can be transformed into a PDF for official records, an HTML page for easy online access, or other formats as needed. The structured nature of DITA allows for seamless conversion while maintaining the integrity and formatting of the content across various distribution channels.