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How DITA changed the TechComm Landscape. Julio J. Vazquez. What I’ll cover. Some history The role of SGML Structured authoring Topic-based and task-based The role of XML How DITA differs from XML Before and after DITA (the evolution) Pushing boundaries What’s on the horizon?.
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How DITA changed the TechComm Landscape Julio J. Vazquez
What I’ll cover • Some history • The role of SGML • Structured authoring • Topic-based and task-based • The role of XML • How DITA differs from XML • Before and after DITA (the evolution) • Pushing boundaries • What’s on the horizon?
Some history • Typewriters • ISIL • GML • Word/Desktop Publishers • SGML • Structured Authoring • XML • DITA
The role of SGML • Added structural semantics to information • Built monolithic structures • Supported narrative authoring • Defined a way to present semantics in output
Structured Authoring • Basis of information architecture • Plan entire structure • Building blocks for larger constructs • Focus on smaller units • Assemble larger documents from blocks • Reuse the units when possible
Topic-based and Task-based • Basically similar • Topics come from plan • Plan may not reflect user tasks • Task-based starts with how to do • Related information grows from tasks • Unrelated information unnecessary
The role of XML • XML describes information • Each piece of information is a type of something • Enforces a simple structure • Allows transforms to other types of coding (text, HTML) • Has a querying language • Does not require any descriptor • Good for programming data
How DITA differs from XML • Designed for documentation • Supports topic-based writing • Defines a reuse implementation • Structure and processing description • Defines webbing • Defines interfaces with non-DITA information • Defines an extension mechanism
Pushing boundaries • Specializations • Learning • Hardware • Taxonomy • DITA Wiki • Quark Word Plug-in • DITA with video (MPEG-7)
What’s on the horizon • Technical Committees • Business • Pharma • Publications? • DITA to WebHelp • More multimedia • DITA Ecosystem • Workflow management • DITA as part of products