Glossary

DITA

DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) is an XML-based standard for authoring, producing, and delivering technical information. DITA consists of a set of design principles for creating "information-typed" modules at a topic level.

Topic

A topic is a unit of information with a title and content, short enough to be specific to a single subject or answer a single question, but long enough to make sense on its own and be authored as a unit.

From Using Eclipse in Building Model-driven e-Learning Supports, an equivalent concept is called item.

The base topic types provided by DITA are Concept topic, Task topic, and Reference topic.

Concept topic

Concept topic provides background information that users need to know. It answers "What is..." question. They include a body-level element with a basic topic structure, including sections and examples.

Task topic

Task topic provides procedural detail such as step-by-step instructions. It answers "How do I?" questions, and has a well-defined structure that describes how to complete a procedure to accomplish a specific goal.

Reference topic

Reference topic provides quick access to facts. It describes regular features of a subject or product, such as commands in a programming language or examples.