What is the role of note indicators in DITA outputs?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Note indicators in DITA outputs are visual or textual cues that signal the presence of notes, comments, or annotations within the content.

Note indicators serve as markers or signals within DITA content, highlighting the presence of notes, comments, or annotations. They help readers quickly identify additional information or explanations related to the content.

Visual Cues:

Note indicators can take the form of icons, symbols, or color-coded elements that appear alongside or within the content. These visual cues immediately draw the reader’s attention to the presence of notes.

Textual Cues:

In some cases, textual labels like “Note,” “Caution,” “Tip,” or “Warning” may be used as indicators to provide context about the type of note being presented.

Accessibility:

Note indicators are especially important for accessibility because they inform screen readers and assistive technologies about the presence of notes, ensuring that all readers can access this additional information.

Navigation:

Note indicators also aid in navigation. They allow readers to easily locate and jump to notes, comments, or annotations within the content, providing a smoother reading experience.

Example:

The following is an XML representation of how note indicators might be used in DITA:

<!-- Author Comment -->
<note type="author-comment">
  <title>Author Comment</title>
  <body>
    This section may need further elaboration regarding the user interface changes in version 2.0.
  </body>
</note>

In this example, the element includes a type attribute to specify the note type, and this is later styled with visual indicators in the output.