--- title: "DITA" description: "DITA stands for Darwin Information Typing Architecture and refers to a specific XML schema or structure for creating content. Think of it as a template for filling out the essential..." canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/category-dita/index.html --- > For AI agents: a documentation index is available at https://idratherbewriting.com/llms.txt. Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any page URL. # DITA DITA stands for Darwin Information Typing Architecture and refers to a specific XML schema or structure for creating content. Think of it as a template for filling out the essential parts of help. I don't currently use DITA, but in the past I compared DITA with Jekyll and other tools, and explored some of the shortcomings of DITA's information architecture. The following content is in the **dita** category: #### [What is a DITA Content Management System (CMS)? guest post by John Baker](https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/what-is-a-dita-content-management-system-ccms/) | Jan 27, 2020 #### [Markdown or reStructuredText or DITA? Choosing the right format for tech docs](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/10/28/markdown-or-restructuredtext-or-dita-choosing-format-tech-docs/) | Oct 28, 2016 #### [Xeditor, a CMS editor for XML content](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/03/30/xeditor-xml-editor-for-your-cms-or-ccms/) | Mar 30, 2016 #### [Lightweight DITA article in Technical Communication Journal](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/02/23/lightweight-dita-hdita-model/) | Feb 23, 2016 #### [Is the only way to plug into a documentation CCMS through DITA/XML?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/02/12/the-only-big-systems-manage-xml-and-dita/) | Feb 12, 2016 #### [The problem with adopting bleeding-edge tools](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/01/10/why-simple-tools-become-complex/) | Jan 10, 2016 #### [LearningDITA.com: A new online learning resource for DITA by Scriptorium](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/07/28/learning-dita-scriptorium-course/) | Jul 28, 2015 #### [Listen to Ed Marsh's Content Content podcast with me as a guest](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/07/08/podcast-with-ed-marsh-on-content-content/) | Jul 8, 2015 #### [How to design documentation for non-linear reading behavior](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/05/15/writing-for-users-who-read-non-sequentially/) | May 15, 2015 #### [Recording and slides from "Jekyll vs. DITA: Bridging the Gap Between Tech Comm and the Web" presentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/05/14/recording-and-slides-from-jekyll-vs-dita-bridging-the-gap-between-tech-comm-and-the-web-presentation/) | May 14, 2015 #### [Upcoming presentation: Jekyll versus DITA: Bridging the Gap between Tech Comm and the Web](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/05/10/upcoming-presentation-jekyll-versus-dita-bridging-the-gap-between-tech-comm-and-the-web/) | May 10, 2015 #### [Final analysis between DITA and Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/15/final-analysis-between-dita-and-jekyll/) | Apr 15, 2015 #### [Producing PDFs in DITA versus Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/14/producing-pdfs-in-dita-versus-jekyll/) | Apr 14, 2015 #### [Reviewing content in DITA versus Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/13/reviewing-markdown-content/) | Apr 13, 2015 #### [Creating links in DITA versus Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/06/creating-links-in-dita-versus-jekyll/) | Apr 6, 2015 #### [Building a table of contents with DITA versus Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/02/building-a-table-of-contents-with-dita-versus-jekyll/) | Apr 2, 2015 #### [Creating re-usable chunks (conref) in Jekyll versus DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/04/01/creating-re-usable-chunks-conref-in-jekyll-versus-dita/) | Apr 1, 2015 #### [Variables and conditional processing in Jekyll versus DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/03/26/variables-and-conditional-processing-jekyll-versus-dita/) | Mar 26, 2015 #### [Check out Ed Marsh's podcast, and also My New series: Jekyll versus DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/03/23/new-series-jekyll-versus-dita/) | Mar 23, 2015 #### [10 reasons for moving away from DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/01/28/10-reasons-for-moving-away-from-dita/) | Jan 28, 2015 #### [Top 10 posts, podcasts, tweets of 2014 -- and what it all means](https://idratherbewriting.com/2015/01/05/top-10-posts-podcasts-tweets-of-2014-and-what-it-all-means/) | Jan 5, 2015 #### [Various Site updates: Added third column with dynamic sidebar, and more](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/12/29/various-site-updates-added-third-column-with-dynamic-sidebar-and-more/) | Dec 29, 2014 #### [DITA: Glossary terms and acronyms](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/12/04/dita-glossary-terms-and-acronyms/) | Dec 4, 2014 #### [Dynamic content filtering with OxygenXML's webhelp output](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/11/19/dynamic-content-filtering-with-oxygenxmls-webhelp-output/) | Nov 19, 2014 #### [Add a mini-TOC to your OxygenXML webhelp topics](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/11/13/add-a-mini-toc-to-your-oxygenxml-webhelp-topics/) | Nov 13, 2014 #### [Flat file systems versus database models for help](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/11/05/flat-file-systems-versus-database-models-for-help/) | Nov 5, 2014 #### [The Author Experience -- Interview with Rick Yagodich](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/11/05/the-author-experience-interview-with-rick-yagodich/) | Nov 5, 2014 #### [Simplifying DITA authoring by using a Markdown to HTML to DITA workflow](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/10/29/simplifying-dita-authoring-by-using-a-markdown-to-html-to-dita-workflow/) | Oct 29, 2014 #### [API Doc presentation slides and recording (San Francisco STC chapter)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/10/16/api-doc-presentation-slides-and-recording/) | Oct 16, 2014 #### [Import DITA's XHTML Output into WordPress](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/10/14/import-dita-xhtml-output-into-wordpress/) | Oct 14, 2014 #### [Why developers will never adopt DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/30/why-developers-will-never-adopt-dita/) | Sep 30, 2014 #### [Two major Confluence problems: poor content re-use and lack of wiki markup](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/24/two-major-confluence-problems-poor-content-re-use-and-no-wiki-markup/) | Sep 24, 2014 #### [Using collapsible sections to bring tasks and concepts together (DITA)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/22/using-collapsible-sections-to-bring-tasks-and-concepts-together-dita/) | Sep 22, 2014 #### [Adding code comments through a sliding jQuery Sidr panel (DITA)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/16/adding-code-comments-through-a-sliding-jquery-sidr-panel-dita/) | Sep 16, 2014 #### [Using WordPress natively for single source publishing and conditional content](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/08/using-wordpress-natively-for-single-source-publishing-and-conditional-content/) | Sep 8, 2014 #### [Challenges in using WordPress for publishing DITA content](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/09/02/challenges-using-wordpress-publishing-help-content/) | Sep 2, 2014 #### [Author in DITA, publish with WordPress](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/08/19/author-dita-publish-wordpress/) | Aug 19, 2014 #### [Woes of conditional text and topichead elements (DITA best practices)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/08/10/woes-conditional-text-topichead-elements-dita-best-practices/) | Aug 10, 2014 #### [Benefits of tool diversity, part II](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/08/07/benefits-tool-diversity-part-ii/) | Aug 7, 2014 #### [Is tool fragmentation in tech comm a good thing?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/08/05/tool-fragmentation-tech-comm-good-thing/) | Aug 5, 2014 #### [Reviewing draft DITA content with subject matter experts: 6 essential points](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/07/31/how-to-review-dita-content-with-subject-matter-experts-6-essential-points/) | Jul 31, 2014 #### [My DITA quick reference guide (QRG)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/07/30/dita-quick-reference-guide-qrg/) | Jul 30, 2014 #### [Writing documentation in an interactive world: Some thoughts on using easyDITA and OxygenXML](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/07/25/writing-documentation-interactive-world-thoughts-using-easydita-oxygenxml/) | Jul 25, 2014 #### [Content Re-use is so much better with DITA (and esp. with OxygenXML)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/06/29/content-re-use-is-so-much-better-with-dita-and-esp-with-oxygenxml/) | Jun 29, 2014 #### [What does DITA-structured help look like?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/05/15/what-does-dita-structured-help-look-like/) | May 15, 2014 #### [Complex tools versus simple tools](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/05/10/complex-tools-versus-simple-tools/) | May 10, 2014 #### [DITA: Nested subheadings and the concept element](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/05/08/dita-workarounds-to-nested-subheadings-and-the-concept-element/) | May 8, 2014 #### [DITA: Limitations with the chunk="to-content" attribute in relationship tables](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/05/02/dita-limitations-with-the-chunkto-content-attribute-in-relationship-tables/) | May 2, 2014 #### [DITA hierarchical links, related links, short descriptions, and one-folder organization](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/05/01/dita-files-reuse/) | May 1, 2014 #### [DITA: Why DITA, metadata, working in code and author views, and relationship tables](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/04/25/why-use-dita-relationship-tables-working-in-code-and-author-views/) | Apr 25, 2014 #### [DITA: Folder hierarchy, conref, mapref, and more](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/04/22/dita-folder-hierarchy-conref-mapref-and-more/) | Apr 22, 2014 #### [My DITA journey begins](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/04/16/my-dita-journey-begins/) | Apr 16, 2014 #### [Dita Von Teese to give keynote at DITA North America 2014 Conference](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/04/01/dita-von-teese-to-give-keynote-at-dita-north-america-2014-conference/) | Apr 1, 2014 #### [DITA's output does not require separation of tasks from concepts](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/01/05/ditas-output-does-not-require-separation-of-tasks-from-concepts/) | Jan 5, 2014 #### [The appeal of DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/01/04/the-appeal-of-dita/) | Jan 4, 2014 #### [Three Books on DITA](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/08/15/slouching-towards-ditaville/) | Aug 15, 2009 #### [WordPress Tip: Merging Worlds: DITA and WordPress](https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/02/08/merging-worlds-dita-and-wordpress/) | Feb 8, 2009