Glossary
DITA 1.3 glossary
Definitions of the core concepts of the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) 1.3, the OASIS standard for topic-based authoring — topics and information types, maps and relationship tables, keys and key scopes, content reuse with conref, specialization and constraints, conditional processing and branch filtering — with markup examples and notes on how each concept applies in technical documentation and AI.
Foundations
DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture)
DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) is an OASIS XML standard for creating, managing and publishing topic-based content. Content is authored as typed topics, organized and reused through maps, and extended through specialization. DITA 1.3 is the version approved by OASIS in December 2015.
DITA · Standard
Definition and examplesDITA information typing
In DITA, information typing is the practice of writing each topic as one type of information — such as a concept, a task or a reference — with a content model designed for that type. The information type determines which elements a topic may contain and in what order.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examples
Information types
DITA topic
<topic>In DITA, a topic is a unit of information with a title and content that is short enough to be specific to a single subject and can be understood on its own. The generic topic type, <topic>, is the base from which all other DITA topic types are specialized.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examplesDITA concept
<concept>In DITA, a concept is a topic type for conceptual information: it answers “what is” questions and gives the background a reader needs to understand a product, process or idea. Its body element is <conbody>.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examplesDITA task
<task>In DITA, a task is a topic type for procedural information: it describes how to accomplish a goal, usually as a sequence of steps. Its body element <taskbody> contains sections such as prerequisites, context, steps, result and follow-up, and each step contains exactly one command.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examplesDITA reference
<reference>In DITA, a reference is a topic type for information that readers look up rather than read from start to finish, such as specifications, parameters or command syntax. Its body element <refbody> is organized in sections, tables and property lists.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examplesDITA troubleshooting topic
<troubleshooting>In DITA 1.3, a troubleshooting topic is a topic type for problem-solving information: it describes a condition (the symptom a reader observes), one or more possible causes and, for each cause, a remedy. Its body element is <troublebody>.
DITA · Information typing · New in DITA 1.3
Definition and examplesDITA glossary entry
<glossentry>In DITA, a glossary entry is a topic type that defines a single term: it contains the term, its definition and optional details such as acronyms, abbreviations, synonyms and usage notes. Glossary entries can be collected into glossaries and referenced by key from other topics.
DITA · Information typing
Definition and examples
Maps and linking
DITA map
<map>In DITA, a map is a document that organizes topics and other resources into a structured collection — typically a deliverable such as a manual or help system. It defines the hierarchy and sequence of topics, their relationships and key definitions, and can contain other maps.
DITA · Maps and linking
Definition and examplesDITA bookmap
<bookmap>In DITA, a bookmap is a specialized map for organizing topics into a book, with elements for book-level metadata, front matter, parts, chapters, appendices and back matter.
DITA · Maps and linking
Definition and examplesDITA topic reference
<topicref>In DITA, a topic reference (<topicref>) is the basic map element: it references a topic, map or other resource and places it in the map hierarchy. Topic references can nest, carry metadata that applies to the referenced resource and define keys.
DITA · Maps and linking
Definition and examplesDITA relationship table
<reltable>In DITA, a relationship table (<reltable>) is a map element that defines links between topics in the form of a table: topics in different cells of the same row are related, and processors generate links between them in the output.
DITA · Maps and linking
Definition and examplesDITA subject scheme map
<subjectScheme>In DITA, a subject scheme map is a specialized map that defines a hierarchy of subjects and binds them to attributes as their controlled values. It is used to validate metadata values, to build taxonomies and to extend filtering to whole branches of subjects.
DITA · Maps and linking · Conditional processing
Definition and examples
Keys and reuse
DITA key
@keys / @keyrefIn DITA, a key is a name defined in a map (with the @keys attribute) that stands for a resource or a piece of text. Topics and maps refer to the key with @keyref instead of a direct address, and the map that is processed decides what the key resolves to.
DITA · Reuse
Definition and examplesDITA key scope
@keyscopeIn DITA 1.3, a key scope is a part of a map, declared with the @keyscope attribute, within which key definitions and key references are resolved separately from the rest of the map. The same key can therefore have different values in different branches of one publication.
DITA · Reuse · New in DITA 1.3
Definition and examplesDITA content reference (conref)
@conrefIn DITA, a content reference (conref) is a reuse mechanism in which an element, through the @conref attribute, pulls in the content of another element of the same type from another topic or map. When the document is processed, the referencing element is replaced by the referenced element.
DITA · Reuse
Definition and examplesDITA content key reference (conkeyref)
@conkeyrefIn DITA, a content key reference (conkeyref) is a content reference that addresses its source through a key instead of a file name: the @conkeyref attribute names a key and, optionally, the ID of an element within the resource that the key points to.
DITA · Reuse
Definition and examples
Specialization and domains
DITA specialization
@classIn DITA, specialization is the mechanism for defining new element types and attributes as extensions of existing ones. A specialized element is based on an existing element, declares its ancestry in the @class attribute and can always be processed, or generalized, as its ancestor.
DITA · Architecture
Definition and examplesDITA domain
@domainsIn DITA, a domain is a set of specialized elements or attributes for a particular subject area, such as software, user interfaces or hazard statements, that can be added to any document type. Document types declare the domains they include in the @domains attribute.
DITA · Architecture
Definition and examplesDITA constraint
-c constraint moduleIn DITA, a constraint is a modification of a document type that restricts the content model or attributes of existing elements — for example making an optional element required or removing elements — without creating new semantics. Constrained documents remain valid against the unconstrained document type.
DITA · Architecture
Definition and examplesDITA hazard statement
<hazardstatement>In DITA, a hazard statement (<hazardstatement>) is an element of the hazard statement domain for safety messages. It specializes the note element and structures a message into the type of hazard, its consequence and how to avoid it, with an optional safety symbol and a signal word set by the @type attribute.
DITA · Architecture · Safety
Definition and examplesDITA 1.3 editions
DITA 1.3 is published in three editions that build on one another: the base edition (topic, map, subject scheme and base domains), the technical content edition (adding concept, task, reference, glossary, troubleshooting, bookmap and related domains) and the all-inclusive edition (adding the learning and training specializations).
DITA · Architecture · New in DITA 1.3
Definition and examples
Conditional processing
DITA conditional processing
@audience, @platform, @product, @otherprops, @props, @deliveryTargetIn DITA, conditional processing is the filtering or flagging of content based on the values of metadata attributes such as @audience, @platform, @product, @otherprops, @props and @deliveryTarget. The conditions to apply are specified at publishing time, usually in a DITAVAL file.
DITA · Conditional processing
Definition and examplesDITAVAL
<val>In DITA, a DITAVAL file is an XML document with the root element <val> that specifies conditional processing rules: for each attribute value it states whether content is included, excluded, passed through or flagged in the output.
DITA · Conditional processing
Definition and examplesDITA branch filtering
<ditavalref>In DITA 1.3, branch filtering is the application of conditional processing rules to one branch of a map, declared with a <ditavalref> element that references a DITAVAL file. A branch with several DITAVAL references is processed once per reference, producing several filtered copies.
DITA · Conditional processing · New in DITA 1.3
Definition and examples
Definitions follow the cited standards and specifications. Where a source is a copyrighted publication, such as an ISO, IEC or EN standard, the definition is a close paraphrase, not a verbatim quotation, so as not to infringe copyright. We recommend reading the original publication. The sections “How it applies” are editorial commentary by AI TechDoc Blog and are not part of any standard.