Conditional processing in DITA is a powerful feature that plays a crucial role in delivering tailored content to different cuisines, menus, and dietary preferences. It allows food service establishments and restaurants to efficiently manage diverse culinary content and provide customized information to their target audiences.

Customized Menus

One of the key applications of conditional processing in the food service industry is creating customized menus. With DITA, restaurants can author menus in a structured format and use conditional processing to include or exclude items based on various factors such as the cuisine type, dietary restrictions, or seasonal availability. For example, a restaurant with both Italian and Japanese cuisines can maintain a single menu source file and use conditions to generate separate menus for each cuisine, ensuring that customers see only the relevant offerings.

Dynamic Dietary Preferences

Dietary preferences and restrictions are common among diners today, and conditional processing allows restaurants to address these preferences dynamically. By tagging menu items with specific conditions, such as “vegetarian,” “gluten-free,” or “spicy,” restaurants can generate menu variations for customers with different dietary needs. This approach not only enhances the dining experience but also helps in compliance with food safety regulations and allergen labeling requirements.

Example:

Here’s an example of how conditional processing can be used in a DITA-based menu:

<menu>
  <dish>
    <name>Spaghetti Carbonara</name>
    <cuisine>Italian</cuisine>
    <conditions>DITAVAL[cuisine='Italian']</conditions>
  </dish>
  
  <dish>
    <name>Sushi Platter</name>
    <cuisine>Japanese</cuisine>
    <conditions>DITAVAL[cuisine='Japanese']</conditions>
  </dish>

In this example, the menu items are tagged with conditions based on cuisine type. The DITAVAL attribute specifies the condition values, and the menu can be generated selectively based on these conditions.