How are IT documents generated and published from DITA sources?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

In the realm of DITA XML, generating and publishing IT documents from DITA sources is a structured and streamlined process. DITA’s modularity and topic-based approach make it easier to manage, update, and publish documents across various formats and platforms. Here’s an overview of how IT documents are generated and published from DITA sources:

1. Authoring and Structuring: IT documents begin with the authoring process where subject matter experts create content in DITA-compliant XML. The content is structured into topics, which are self-contained units of information. Authors use specialized DITA authoring tools to ensure compliance with the DITA standard and maintain a consistent structure.

2. Content Reuse: DITA emphasizes content reuse. Instead of duplicating information, common topics, such as definitions or procedures, are created as reusable components. These reusable components are then referenced in various documents. This approach enhances efficiency and ensures consistency across IT documents.

3. Publishing: DITA documents are published into various output formats, such as PDF, HTML, or even specific IT system formats. This is achieved using DITA processing tools that transform DITA XML into the desired format. Configuration files determine the layout, styling, and other publishing parameters.

Example:

Here’s an example illustrating the transformation of a DITA topic into an HTML document:


<!-- 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 “IT Security Guidelines” includes sections on “Access Control” and “Data Encryption.” With the help of DITA processing tools, this DITA topic can be transformed into an HTML document, allowing for easy online access and readability.