How are links to APIs and code documentation handled during content localization in DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Handling links to APIs and code documentation during content localization in DITA is a critical consideration to ensure that technical content remains relevant and accessible to users in different languages and regions. Here’s how you can manage these links effectively within a DITA XML framework.

Localized Content and Translations

During content localization, the primary focus is on translating text and adapting content to suit the cultural and linguistic preferences of the target audience. This process includes translating API references, code examples, and related documentation. DITA allows you to manage this by creating separate topics or content variations for different languages. Each localized topic can contain the appropriate API references and code documentation in the target language.

Conditional Processing and Keyrefs

DITA’s conditional processing and keyref features play a crucial role in managing links to APIs and code documentation during localization. By using conditional attributes and keyrefs, you can link to the appropriate localized content based on the user’s language or region. For example, you can use conditions like xml:lang to ensure that the correct content is referenced for each locale. This approach streamlines the localization process and ensures that users always access content in their preferred language.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA handles links to APIs and code documentation during content localization:


<topic id="api_usage_guide">
  <title>API Usage Guide</title>
  <body>
    <p>If you need assistance with our API, please refer to the <xref keyref="api_docs" conref="en:api_docs|fr:api_docs|de:api_docs"/> for detailed information.</p>
  </body>

In this example, the <xref> element uses keyrefs and conrefs to link to the “api_docs” content. The conditions ensure that the correct version of the API documentation is referenced based on the user’s language preference, facilitating effective content localization.