Resources and Tools

DITA is too complicated a topic to cover thoroughly and briefly. Below are some of the tools DITA can be used in as well as some resources for additional DITA information.

Tools

In order to use DITA, technical communicators must find an appropriate tool which supports all of DITA's major features. The following are some of the most popular tools.

• DITA Open Source Toolkit
  • The DITA Open Source Toolkit is an open-source set of Java-based tools through which authors can process DITA maps and topics.
• DITA Tools A-Z
  • This website provides links to several other DITA tools.

Additional Reading

The following sources provide an excellent, more detailed overview of DITA.

Websites

• Oasis DITA webpage
  • As the website of the group which currently maintains and approves DITA specifications, the Oasis DITA webpage has a lot of great links, including links to the most recent DITA specifications and to the various DITA subcommittees.
• IBM's DITA webpage
  • IBM's DITA webpage provides a lot of great, in-depth information on DITA, ranging from a general overview to specific aspects of DITA like specialization.
• DITA XML.org
  • As an online DITA community, this organization's website provides a lot of great DITA information and links to additional sources.
• DITA for the Impatient article
  • This tutorial article by Hussein Shafie gives a great overview of topic elements, specialized topic types, and topic maps.

Books

• DITA 101 by Ann Rockley, Charles Cooper, and Steve Manning
  • Though a little older, this book gives a great general overview of the major features of DITA, introducing technical communicators to DITA without getting bogged down by advanced DITA concepts.
• DITA Best Practices: A Roadmap for Writing, Editing, and Architecting in DITA by Laura Bellamy, Michelle Carey, and Jenifer Schlotfeldt
  • A bit newer than the previous book, this book goes into more depth on topics of DITA usage.