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2009 Comtech Services, Inc. 1 1

Introduction to DITA

JoAnn Hackos

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The big questions everyone

should know answers to

What is DITA?

Who uses DITA?

What should I do in my role for implementingDITA?

Why use DITA?

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What is DITA?Pronounced Dit-Uh

Darwin: DITA uses the principles ofinheritance for specialization

Information Typing: DITA is designed for

topic-based technical information based on aninformation architecture of concept, task, andreference

Architecture: DITA provides the framework for

the development of an Information Model

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DITA at OASIS

DITA architecture (including base topic types definedin DTD and schema) contributed to OASIS in 2004

DITA 1.0 specification formally published by OASIS

DITA 1.1 specification under development for

Q12007 DITA open toolkit available through sourceforge

OASIS DITA Technical Committee includes XML tool vendors (PTC, Justsystems, Idiom, Astoria)

Consultants (Comtech, Innodata, Flatirons)

Companies (BMC, Boeing, IBM, Ericsson, Oracle, Intel,Lucent, Nokia, Sun)

Organizations (Centers for Disease Control, US Departmentof Defense)

Domain specific communities beginning to emerge

Learning and training, medical devices, semiconductors

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Core DITA topic types

Provides background

information that users need to

know.

Provides quick access to

facts.

Provides procedural details

such as step-by-step

instructions.

A unit of information whichis meaningful when it

stands alone.

concept

topic

task reference

SPECIALIZATIONS

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DITA information model

Reuse flows from the topic-based paradigm

If content is authored as stand-alone topics

topics can be reused in different contexts topics from multiple components can be integrated

as a solution

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A single-source vision

Database

Section 1

Chapter 1

Web page

Training Manual

Overview 1

Help Topic

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Topic 1

Topic 4

Topic 2

Topic 3

Topic 4 isreused

Deliverables select topics from a database The help system uses topics 1 and 4

The printed material uses topics 2 and 4

Topics reused in DITA

maps

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DITA specialization

DITA employs an object-orientedmethodology based upon the principle ofinheritance

New DITA information types are derived fromthe base DITA topics

New DITA XML elements are derived frombase DITA elements

All can revert back to the base Simplifies processing and facilitates reuse

across organizational boundaries

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DITA at IBM

Created the initial DITA design

Replaced monolithic documents with topics

Introduced XML to replace SGML

Created a semantic tag language Founded the DITA Technical Committee in

OASIS (2003) with business partners

Released DITA to OASIS in 2004

Continues to support DITA DTD/schema

development

Chairs the DITA Technical Committee

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DITA at IBM

Earliest implementation at Lotus

Major Websphere implementation

100s of strategic IBM projects use DITA 100s of thousands of individual topics

Virtually all are translated into 40 or more

languages

Source of topics most are being transformed

from previous topic types, originally written in

SGML or HTML, to take advantage of new

DITA functions/features (80%)

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DITA at Nokia

Common XML content architecture for contentcreation (DITA-based)

Feature inheritance logic for reuse of created

content (topic mapping) Common metadata across user domains

(Nokia metadata framework)

Common content engineering process acrossuser groups (cookbook)

Consistent set of tools and enablingtechnologies across user groups (commoncontent management system)

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DITA in use today

Kone Elevators &

Escalators

Information Builders

Avaya

Ixiasoft

Engenio/LSI Logic

Freescale

Comtech Services

Explorations and early

design work at

Intel

Boeing

Sun

Gambro

Novartis and more

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DITA information developers

Establish a collaborative development model

Work together to design a content base

Maintain topics at their source (SMEs,

support, marketing) Eliminate duplication of effort

Avoid information gaps

Increase consistency Enforce authoring standards through XML

semantic tags

Enhance information quality

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DITA information publishers

Pull information topics into multiple assemblies

Use information topics across products to support

solutions

Deliver information in multiple formats (print, PDF, web,help, PDA)

Reuse topics between documentation and training

Gather topics from other sources such as customer

support Filter topics through conditional publishing (metadata) and

DITA maps to support customization and personalization

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DITA information architects

Understand the DITA standard

Develop standard information types and content units touse within the information developers environment

Specialize DITA domains to account for the needs of aninformation community such as aerospace,semiconductor, programming, medical

Single source the Document Type Definition, reducingdeveloping and testing time

Take advantage of the innovations created by the DITAdevelopment community

Train authors quickly and easily

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Customer dilemma

Out-of-date and inaccessible information inbooks and PDFs Updating and maintaining information difficult

Information glut More meaningful information (role & task based)

needed

Solutions, not products

Integration of information in response tocustomer needs

More accessible information Provide information on the web and on product

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Corporate dilemma

Customer satisfaction with information and product Highly demanding customers with high expectations

Reduced costs of deployment Pressure to reduce information-development costs

Greater flexibility Reduced Cost of Change (CoC)

Reduced localization costs Multiple languages

Reduced support costs Customize and update information continuously Rapidly changing organizational structures

Global workforce, mergers, acquisitions

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Business opportunities

Focus on minimalism in the technical-writingand web-design communities

Increased use of electronic publishing

Opportunities for user-centered design Emergence of DITA/XML standards from OASIS

and the W3C

Limitations of desktop publishing

Obvious needs for single sourcing Reduced costs of production

Reduced translation costs

Consistency across product families

Increased productivity of information developers

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Asking for help

[email protected]

CIDM at www.infomanagementcenter.com

CIDM Conferences:

Best Practices conference September 18-20, 2006 inSan Diego, CA

DITA Europe conference November 2-3, 2006 in

Frankfurt, Germany

Content Management Strategies conference March 26-28, 2007 in Boston, MA

Workshops at www.comtech-serv.com

DITA: A User Guide at www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtml
mailto:[email protected]://www.infomanagementcenter.com/http://www.comtech-serv.com/http://www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtmlhttp://www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtmlhttp://www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtmlhttp://www.comtech-serv.com/dita.shtmlhttp://www.comtech-serv.com/http://www.comtech-serv.com/http://www.comtech-serv.com/http://www.infomanagementcenter.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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