If you are considering moving to an XML implementation of your content, DITA is the way to go whether or not you're using a Content Management System. When I first started playing with structured content, I had a dilemma as to whether to move toward DITA or DocBook. DITA is proving to be the winner of this contest. DITA is not just a DTD or XML schema in which to provide information; it is a true architecture that allows for unlimited extensibility. That said, extending a DITA implementation is not that simple, but to a seasoned XML jockey, not hard at all. It requires creating some new XML that inherits from a piece of the existing DTD. Once the extension is created properly, it fits right into the architecture and should work with the existing tools.
Both DITA and DocBook have wide adoption and lots of already developed tools and processes. DITA is quickly being adopted by more and more mainstream applications. The most prominent evidence of this is Adobe Framemaker. Framemaker has become a real XML WYSIWYG editor, allowing users to edit DITA topics without having to convert back and forth between file formats. The latest version wraps a full DITA implementation, allowing users to develop DITA topics and maps using a familiar and powerful interface. Other applications which have adopted DITA include XMetal, Arbortext Author, and several Content Management Systems, like SiberLogic, and Vasont, and Astoria.
John Sturman, Senior Consultant Documentation Strategies, Inc.
1 comment:
I agree. We have a number of Fortune 500 customers who have stepped into DITA and reaped immediate benefits. This is particularly the case when you have a large number of parts vendors in a supply chain trying to collaborate on producing documentation for a complex machine, DITA makes the whole process much easier.
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