Conditional processing in DITA XML plays a crucial role in content delivery tailored to different maritime vessels and equipment. It allows organizations to provide targeted information based on specific criteria, ensuring that crew members and personnel receive the most relevant content for their tasks and responsibilities.

Role-Based Content Delivery

DITA enables the creation of role-based conditional processing. For example, different roles within a maritime organization, such as captains, engineers, and deckhands, may require specific documentation. Conditional processing allows content authors to include conditions in DITA topics that determine which content is displayed to each role. This ensures that crew members access only the information relevant to their duties, enhancing efficiency and safety.

Equipment-Specific Information

Maritime equipment varies widely in complexity, and crew members need precise information for operating and maintaining specific equipment types. With DITA’s conditional processing, content creators can associate equipment tags with topics. When a crew member accesses documentation related to a particular piece of equipment, the content can be filtered to display only the relevant information, reducing confusion and errors.

Example:

Here’s an example of how conditional processing works in DITA:

<topic id="engine_operation">
  <title>Engine Operation</title>
  <condition audience="captain">...
  <condition audience="engineer">...
  <condition audience="deckhand">...
  <content>...

In this DITA topic, conditional processing is used to deliver different content to captains, engineers, and deckhands based on their roles within the maritime organization.