The <glossterm> element in DITA is used to specify the term or word that you want to define in a glossary entry. When creating glossary entries, it’s essential to provide clear and concise terms that are commonly used in your documentation and may require explanation for readers.

Information Specified in the <glossterm> Element

When using the <glossterm> element to define glossary terms, you should include the following information:

• Term Text: Within the <glossterm> element, you should specify the actual term or word that you want to define. This is the term that readers will encounter in your documentation and for which they need a clear definition.
• Attributes (Optional): Depending on your specific requirements, you can use attributes within the <glossterm> element to provide additional information about the term. For example, you might use an “id” attribute to uniquely identify the term or a “linkend” attribute to link to a more detailed explanation elsewhere in your documentation.

Example:

Here’s an example of how the <glossterm> element can be used in DITA to specify glossary terms:

<glossentry id="xml">
  <glossterm>XML</glossterm>
  <glossdef>Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.</glossdef>

In this example, the <glossterm> element contains the term “XML,” which is the term being defined in the glossary entry. Additional attributes such as “id” can be included as needed to provide further context or functionality.