Role of “Specialization Modules” in DITA Mapping: In DITA mapping, “specialization modules” play a crucial role in defining how elements from the DITA source content map to the final output. These modules provide a mechanism for customizing the mapping of DITA elements to specific publishing formats, such as web pages or print documents. They allow content creators to specify how topics, maps, and their elements are transformed and presented in different output contexts.

• Mapping Customization: Specialization modules enable the customization of element-to-element mappings. Content creators can specify how DITA topics, sections, or other structural components should be rendered in the output.
• Output Format Flexibility: These modules make it possible to adapt the content for various output formats, ensuring that the same source content can be used for print, web, mobile, and other publication types.
• Conditional Processing: Specialization modules support conditional processing, allowing specific elements to be included or excluded in different output formats or under particular conditions.

Example:

In a DITA mapping specialization for a technical documentation project, a “web-output” module specifies that DITA topics with the “concept” element should be transformed into HTML web pages. It also defines that topics with the “task” element should be output as downloadable PDF documents. This mapping customization ensures that content is presented appropriately for different online and offline formats.

<!-- Specialization module for web output -->
<module id="web-output">
  <output-format>HTML</output-format>
  <element-mapping>
    <mapfrom>concept</mapfrom>
    <mapto>web-page</mapto>
  </element-mapping>
  <!-- Additional mapping instructions -->
</module>

<!-- Specialization module for PDF output -->
<module id="pdf-output">
  <output-format>PDF</output-format>
  <element-mapping>
    <mapfrom>task</mapfrom>
    <mapto>pdf-document</mapto>
  </element-mapping>
  <!-- Additional mapping instructions -->
</module>