What is DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture)
DITA, or Darwin Information Typing Architecture, is a framework for authoring and managing technical content. It allows writers to organize complex information into standardized formats, making documentation consistent and easy to navigate. Designed with modularity in mind, DITA provides a way to reuse content across multiple projects, saving time and ensuring consistency.
Key Benefits of Using DITA for Technical Documentation
Because every bit of DITA information is defined inside tags that identify its purpose, writers stay focused on presenting the right information at the right time. Once written, you can reuse the content even at its most granular level - a single step in a task or a cell of a table.
Topics, concepts and references can be specialized further to fit your needs. Some specializations are already built in, for instance the Learning and Training specialization, which includes information types for Learning Objectives, Learning Assessments and Learning Maps.
In addition, you can define your own information types. Manufacturers can create sub-classifications like "Parts List Reference" with special elements for part number, size, weight, etc. The new information type will inherit all the elements of its parent; you just define the specialized elements you create.
In summary, using DITA in technical documentation brings several benefits, including:
- Consistency: By organizing content into reusable topics, DITA promotes a consistent tone and style across documentation.
- Efficiency: DITA enables writers to create once and reuse content, making updates faster.
- Scalability: DITA is flexible and scalable, allowing documentation to grow with a product or project’s complexity.
Main DITA Topic Types and When to Use Them
In DITA, each topic type—Task, Concept, and Reference—serves a distinct purpose, enhancing documentation clarity and usability. Choosing the right topic type depends on the content’s role in helping users accomplish specific goals.
- Task Topic: Use Task topics for step-by-step instructions, guiding users through actions like setup, configuration, or troubleshooting. Task topics are ideal for procedural content, where clarity in sequencing and brevity are key. Examples include guides like “How to Install Software” or “Resetting Your Password.”
- Concept Topic: Concept topics are best for providing background information and explaining essential terms or ideas. This topic type is useful when users need foundational knowledge before proceeding with tasks. For instance, “Understanding Cloud Storage” or “Overview of Data Encryption” would be Concept topics, offering a base of knowledge to support related procedural and reference content.
- Reference Topic: Use Reference topics for presenting detailed data, specifications, or lists that do not require step-by-step instructions. Reference topics are helpful for users needing specific information at a glance, like system requirements, settings, or technical parameters. Examples include “Software Specifications” and “Database Field Descriptions.”
By selecting the appropriate topic type, technical writers can create structured, user-friendly documentation that efficiently meets diverse informational needs.
Hereto User Guide as an Example of DITA Topic Types
Using the Heretto User Guide as an example, it consists of a master DITA Concept for each functional area of the software (e.g. the Heretto Editor), followed by a series of How To Tasks that cover the operations of the software (e.g. How To Create a New DITA Topic).
A Reference topic contains a table listing the service SLAs for each level of the software.
We wrote a more in-depth explanation of Task, Concept, and Reference here.
TIP: Because we write each topic so that they stand on their own, we can reuse them in our context-sensitive online help and as How To posts on our support portal knowledge base.
Structure of DITA Topic Types
The DITA standard defines how each topic type is structured. Every one contains some common elements, like Title, Prolog (for metadata like audience, category, keywords), Short Description, as well as some that are unique. Tasks, for instance, consist of a series of <step>s contained inside a <taskbody> element, which also contains tags to define prerequisite, context and result. Reference has <refbody>, for presenting information in a table.
Here is what the source code of a Task looks like:
Because every bit of DITA information is defined inside tags that identify its purpose, writers stay focused on presenting the right information at the right time. Once written, you can reuse the content even at its most granular level - a single step in a task or a cell of a table.
Topics, concepts and references can be specialized further to fit your needs. Some specializations are already built in, for instance the Learning and Training specialization, which includes information types for Learning Objectives, Learning Assessments and Learning Maps.
In addition, you can define your own information types. Manufacturers can create sub-classifications like "Parts List Reference" with special elements for part number, size, weight, etc. The new information type will inherit all the elements of its parent; you just define the specialized elements you create.
Using DITA Topic Types Together
When used together, DITA topic types create comprehensive and user-friendly documentation. For example, a software manual might start with Concept topics to explain key terms, followed by Task topics for installation steps, and Reference topics listing system requirements.
DITA's modular approach to topic types improves user experience by allowing readers to find the information they need—whether that’s background, instructions, or specifications—quickly and efficiently.
Explore how DITA topics can enhance your technical writing. Request a demo today!
