How is procedural documentation (e.g., government processes, workflows) structured and authored in DITA?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Procedural documentation, which encompasses government processes and workflows, benefits from DITA’s structured authoring approach. DITA allows for the creation of clear, well-organized, and easily maintainable procedures by structuring content and providing tools for precise documentation. Here’s how procedural documentation is structured and authored in DITA:

Modular Topics

In DITA, procedural documentation is divided into modular topics. Each topic corresponds to a specific procedure or sub-process. This modular structure allows for focused and manageable documentation. Writers can create individual topics for each step or action within a procedure, ensuring content clarity and reusability.

Task Elements

To represent procedural steps, DITA offers dedicated task elements, including <task>, <step>, and <cmd>. Writers use these elements to structure tasks and actions systematically. <task> elements provide an overarching description of a procedure, while <step> and <cmd> elements detail individual steps and commands. This structured approach enhances the comprehensibility of complex government processes.

Example:

Here’s an example of how procedural documentation is structured and authored in DITA:


<task id="government-process">
  <title>Processing Citizen Applications</title>
  <body>
    <step>
      <cmd>Step 1:</cmd> Receive citizen application.
    </step>
    <step>
      <cmd>Step 2:</cmd> Verify application documents.
    </step>
    <step>
      <cmd>Step 3:</cmd> Review applicant information.
    </step>
    <step>
      <cmd>Step 4:</cmd> Approve or reject application.
    </step>
  </body>

In this example, a DITA <task> element represents the procedural documentation for processing citizen applications. It is divided into <step> elements, each detailing a specific action within the procedure. DITA’s structured approach facilitates the clear and organized presentation of government processes and workflows.