Version control and change tracking are essential components of project documentation management using DITA. These features play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy, traceability, and compliance of project documentation over time.

Version Control

With DITA, each topic or documentation module can include version information. This allows construction organizations to maintain a history of changes made to the documentation. Version control helps in tracking the evolution of the documentation and ensures that users can access previous versions if needed. For example, if a construction project encounters legal issues, having access to the documentation as it existed at the time of the project can be critical for compliance and dispute resolution.

Change Tracking

Change tracking in DITA enables organizations to identify and document modifications made to the project documentation. This is especially valuable when multiple stakeholders collaborate on a project. Change tracking records who made the changes, when they were made, and what specific content was modified. It provides transparency and accountability, ensuring that changes are made intentionally and can be reviewed by subject matter experts or regulatory authorities to verify compliance.

Example:

Here’s an example of how version control and change tracking can be implemented in DITA:

<topic id="project-plan">
  <title>Project Plan</title>
  <version>1.0</version>
  <last-modified>2023-09-01</last-modified>
  <modified-by>Alice Johnson</modified-by>
  <content>...
  <change-history>
    <change date="2023-09-15" author="Bob Smith">Updated project timeline.</change>
    <change date="2023-10-05" author="Eve Wilson">Revised budget section.</change>
  </change-history>
</topic>

In this DITA topic, version control is maintained with the version element, and change tracking is documented in the change-history element. This ensures that project documentation remains accurate, and any changes are well-documented for auditing and compliance purposes.