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Unit 1. Structured Authoring & DITA: Overview

In this first unit, you explore the background of structured writing and topic-based authoring. You learn why they have become so essential in technical communication and how oXygen is an excellent solution for these needs.

Use the DITA Introduction study guide to read DITA and oXygen.

Unit 2. DITA: Concept & Task Topics

By now you've read that DITA uses three information types: task, concept, and reference. In this unit, you study and practice writing two of those types: task and concept topics.

Note: Since DITA emerged, additional topic types have been defined and added to the specification: general task topic, machinery task topic, troubleshooting topic, glossary entry topic, glossary group topic, and bookmap. See Technical content: Document types

Use the DITA Concept–Task Topics study guide to read about and create a concept and task topic.

Unit 3. DITA: Reference Topics & Short Descriptions

In this unit, you study the third of the three primary DITA topics. In addition, you read about some useful strategies to enable the all-important short description.

Use the DITA Reference Topics & Short Descriptions study guide to read about and create a reference topic and a short description.

Unit 4. DITA Maps & Navigation

To this point, you've DITA topic—in fact, the three basic topic types. But something is missing: the glue that holds them all together in a coherent, usable document. And that "glue" is the DITA map, which sequences disparate topics into a logical, complete order.

Use the DITA Maps & Navigation study guide to read about maps and create a project with three topics and map coordinating linking to those topics.

Unit 5. Formatting DITA Topics with CSS

Formatting documents in DITA is not what it is like in, for example, Microsoft Word. You don't have a bunch of icons at the top of the interface to make things bold or italics, change fonts, or alter page or margin dimensions. Instead, you must use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). CSS is another course in itself, but you'll see the basics here in this unit and can then learn more n your own.

Use the DITA Formatting study guide to see how to use bold or italics, change fonts, or alter page or margin dimensions.

Unit 6. DITA: Conditional Processing (Single Sourcing)

In the 1990s, technical writers were faced with the daunting problem of producing documents in different outputs such as Word, FrameMaker, HTML, PDF, Help, and more. Making the problem even more daunting was the fact that many of those documents were well over 100 pages and part of libraries that included other documents. The solution was XML which had a wide range of applications and then later DITA which was developed specifically for documents.

Use the DITA Single Sourcing study guide to see to use one set of files to generate different outputs. Instead of having to make changes in each of the output versions of a document, all those changes can be applied to just one set of files—that's single sourcing!

Unit 7. DITA: Producing HTML & PDF from DITA Maps

While outputting HTML is fairly straightforward in most respects, outputting to PDF is not.

See DITA map to HTML for directions on how to publish your oXygen DITA map to HTML.

See DITA sample to PDF for directions on how to publish your oXygen DITA sample to PDF.

See DITA map to PDF for directions on how to publish your oXygen DITA map to PDF.

Unit 8. DITA Keys and Conrefs

DITA enables three forms of reuse. You have seen one form of reuse already—maps. Two additional forms, conrefs (variables) and keys (notes) are covered in this unit.

Use the DITA Keyrefs study guide to see how to information throughout a DITA project rather than manually retyping it in each case.

Unit 9. DITA Project Publishing

By now, you've studied and practiced the basics of DITA and at the same time become very familiar with the oXygen interface. Now's the time to use all that learning and practice creating your final DITA project and publishing it as XHTML, PDF, and CHM. It's your time to shine!

Use the DITA Final Project study guide for recommendations on developing your DITA final project.

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