Metadata plays a crucial role in enhancing topic descriptions and facilitating effective content management in DITA XML. The <topicmeta> element allows you to include various types of metadata, providing valuable information about a topic’s characteristics and usage.

Types of Metadata

The <topicmeta> element enables you to include metadata such as:

• Authorship information: You can specify the author or authors of the topic using the <author> element.
• Publication date: The <pubdate> element allows you to indicate when the topic was published.
• Keywords: Use the <keywords> element to provide keywords or tags that help with topic categorization and search.
• Revision history: The <revision-history> element allows you to document changes made to the topic over time, including revision dates and descriptions.

By including these metadata elements within the <topicmeta> section of a DITA topic, you enrich the topic’s description and provide valuable context to users and content authors.

Example:

Here’s an example of how you can use the <topicmeta> element to include metadata in a DITA topic:

<topic id="software_installation">
  <topicmeta>
    <author>John Doe</author>
    <pubdate>2023-05-15</pubdate>
    <keywords>software, installation, guide</keywords>
    <revision-history>
      <revision>
        <revdate>2023-04-20</revdate>
        <revdesc>Initial draft</revdesc>
      </revision>
      <revision>
        <revdate>2023-05-05</revdate>
        <revdesc>Updated installation steps</revdesc>
      </revision>
    </revision-history>
  </topicmeta>
  <content>...

In this example, the <topicmeta> section includes authorship information, publication date, keywords, and a revision history. This metadata enhances the topic description, providing insights into the topic’s creation, content, and evolution over time.