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

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Indeed, DITA XML provides robust support for delivering IT documentation in multiple formats, catering to the diverse needs of IT users. Whether IT professionals require documentation in PDF, HTML, or other formats, DITA’s structured approach allows for flexible and efficient publishing. Here’s how DITA enables this multi-format delivery:

1. Structured Authoring: IT documents are authored in DITA-compliant XML, following a structured approach where content is organized into topics and subtopics. This structured content is agnostic to the final output format, making it easier to manage and adapt for various audiences and platforms.

2. Output Transformation: DITA offers a range of processing tools and transforms that allow content to be rendered in different formats. For example, you can use DITA-OT (DITA Open Toolkit) to transform DITA XML into PDFs or HTML documents. Configuration files determine the specific styling and layout for each output format.

3. Format Options: IT users have diverse preferences and requirements. With DITA, you can generate documents in multiple formats simultaneously, ensuring accessibility and usability for a wide audience. For instance, IT professionals who prefer printed manuals can receive PDFs, while those who prefer online reference can access HTML versions.

Example:

Here’s an example of how a DITA topic about “IT Security Guidelines” can be transformed into both PDF and HTML formats:


<!-- DITA Topic -->
<topic id="it-security-guidelines">
  <title>IT Security Guidelines</title>
  <body>
    <p>These guidelines outline best practices for IT security in our organization.</p>
    <section>
      <title>Access Control
      <p>Access to sensitive data should be restricted based on user roles.</p>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Data Encryption
      <p>All data in transit should be encrypted using industry-standard protocols.</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, the DITA topic can be processed to create a PDF document for IT users who prefer printed reference materials and an HTML document for those who prefer online access, ensuring the content is delivered in multiple formats as needed.