Version control is a crucial aspect of managing shared content components in DITA food service documentation. It ensures that content remains consistent and up-to-date across various documents and publications. DITA provides mechanisms to implement version control effectively, allowing food service organizations to track changes, review history, and maintain content accuracy.

Version Attributes

One way to apply version control in DITA is by utilizing version attributes within content components. Each content component, such as a recipe or menu item, can include a version attribute that specifies the version number or revision history. For example, the version attribute may indicate that a recipe has been updated from version 1.0 to 1.1. This attribute helps users identify the most recent version of a content component and track its changes over time.

Version History Tracking

DITA also enables food service organizations to maintain a comprehensive version history for content components. This history includes information about previous versions, revision dates, and the individuals responsible for the revisions. By referencing the version history, users can review the evolution of a content component and understand the modifications made at each stage. This feature ensures transparency and accountability in content management.

Example:

Here’s an example of how version control can be implemented in DITA food service documentation:

<recipe id="spaghetti_bolognese">
  <title>Spaghetti Bolognese</title>
  <version>2.1</version>
  <last-updated>2023-11-05</last-updated>
  <content>...
  <nutrition>...
  <allergens>...
  <version-history>
    <revision id="2.0">...
    <revision id="1.0">...
  </version-history>

In this example, a DITA document representing a recipe for “Spaghetti Bolognese” includes version attributes like version number (2.1) and last updated date (2023-11-05). It also maintains a version history with details of previous revisions (2.0 and 1.0). This version control mechanism helps ensure that shared content components remain accurate and traceable in food service documentation.