Version control is a critical aspect of managing shared content components in DITA mining documentation. It ensures that all contributors are working with the latest and approved versions of content, maintaining consistency and accuracy across documents. In DITA, version control is typically applied at the topic level, allowing for granular control over individual content components.

Version Attributes

DITA documents utilize version attributes to track the changes made to a particular topic. These attributes include rev (revision), status, and state. The rev attribute denotes the version number, while status can specify whether a topic is “draft,” “reviewed,” or “final.” The state attribute can represent the content’s lifecycle status, such as “new” or “changed.”

Example:

Here’s an example of how version control attributes can be applied to a DITA topic:

<topic id="equipment_maintenance">
  <title>Equipment Maintenance</title>
  <rev>1.2</rev>
  <status>reviewed</status>
  <state>changed</state>
  <content>...
</topic>

In this example, the topic “Equipment Maintenance” has a version number of 1.2, indicating that it has gone through multiple revisions. Its status is marked as “reviewed,” and its state is “changed,” signifying recent modifications. These attributes help stakeholders identify the topic’s history and status.

Version Control Systems

While DITA provides intrinsic version control capabilities, many mining organizations use external version control systems (VCS) like Git or Subversion to manage their DITA content effectively. VCS tools offer advanced features like branching, merging, and collaboration, making it easier for multiple team members to work on content simultaneously without conflicts. Integration between DITA authoring tools and VCS systems streamlines the version control process, ensuring that shared content remains consistent and up-to-date.