How is data visualization (e.g., charts, graphs) implemented in defense documentation using DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Data visualization, such as charts and graphs, can be effectively implemented in defense documentation using DITA XML to enhance the understanding of complex information, statistics, and performance data. Visual representations are valuable for conveying information in a clear and concise manner. Here’s how data visualization is implemented in DITA-based defense documentation:

1. Structured Data: To create charts and graphs, data must be structured in a way that DITA can use for visualization. Data can be stored in tables within DITA topics. These tables are then transformed into charts or graphs using DITA specialization and styling to represent the data visually.

2. DITA Specialization: DITA offers specialization mechanisms that allow you to define elements specific to data visualization. This may include elements for charts, graphs, or specific chart types like bar charts, pie charts, or line charts. Specialization allows you to provide additional metadata and attributes to control the appearance and behavior of the visualizations.

3. Styles and Templates: DITA documentation can be styled using cascading style sheets (CSS) and templates to define how the visualizations should look. These styles can control colors, labels, scales, and other visual aspects of the charts and graphs, ensuring that they align with the organization’s branding and readability standards.

Example:

Here’s an example of a DITA topic that includes a bar chart visualization for performance data:


<topic id="performance-data">
  <title>Performance Data Visualization</title>
  <body>
    <p>This bar chart illustrates the performance data for defense equipment over the past year.</p>
    <chart type="bar">
      <data>
        <label>January</label>
        <value>2500</value>
      </data>
      <data>
        <label>February</label>
        <value>3100</value>
      </data>
      <data>
        <label>March</label>
        <value>2800</value>
      </data>
      <data>
        <label>April</label>
        <value>3400</value>
      </data>
    </chart>
  </body>
</topic>

In this example, the “performance-data” DITA topic includes a bar chart visualization. The <chart> element, along with specialized attributes, defines the chart type, data labels, and values. Styling and templates can further enhance the visual representation of the data.