<dita>: How do you use the root <dita> element to define the overall structure of a DITA document and organize its content?

November 10, 2023

|By Bryan Tipper

The <dita> element serves as the root element in DITA XML and is crucial for defining the overall structure of a DITA document and organizing its content. It acts as the container for all other DITA elements, providing a hierarchical framework that allows for the structured representation of information.

Document Organization

Within a DITA document, the <dita> element typically encloses various structural components such as <title>, <prolog>, <metadata>, and the main content, often enclosed within <body>. Here’s an example:


<dita xmlns_ditaarch="http://www.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/arch" xmlns_xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi_schemaLocation="http://www.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/arch http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/xsd/arch.xsd">
  <title>Sample DITA Document</title>
  <prolog>
    <metadata>
      <author>John Doe</author>
      <date>2023-11-10</date>
    </metadata>
  </prolog>
  <body>
    <section>
      <title>Introduction</title>
      <p>This is the introduction section...</p>
    </section>
    <section>
      <title>Main Content</title>
      <p>This is the main content section...</p>
    </section>
  </body>
</dita>

In this example, the <dita> element encapsulates the entire document structure, providing metadata, titles, and the main content sections, helping organize and structure the DITA document effectively.