In DITA XML, linking user assistance resources and help systems is a crucial aspect of creating a seamless user experience. This is typically achieved through various linking mechanisms, allowing users to access relevant help content when needed. DITA provides a flexible framework to establish these links and make them easily accessible to users.

DITA supports different linking elements, such as <xref> and <link>, to connect DITA topics, user assistance resources, and help systems. You can use these elements to reference other topics, guides, or external help content. For example, you can use an <xref> to link to specific sections within a DITA topic or to link to entire user guides. This ensures that users can navigate through the help system seamlessly, accessing the most relevant information.

Example:

Let’s consider a scenario where you want to link to a separate user guide for advanced settings within a software application DITA topic:

<!-- Example of linking to a separate user guide using <xref> in DITA XML -->
<xref href="advanced-settings-user-guide.dita">Advanced Settings User Guide</xref>

In this example, an <xref> element is used to create a link to the “Advanced Settings User Guide” topic, allowing users to access more detailed information on advanced settings.