Course Category: DITA 1.3

The Learning and Training specialization covers the following DITA training topics:

Overview

• What is in the Learning and Training specialization?
• Benefits of using the Learning and Training specialization
• Learning and Training specialization use cases
• Learning and Training and curriculum development

The Learning and Training topic types

• The <learningPlan> topic type
• The <learningOverview> topic type
• The <learningContent> topic type
• The <learning Summary> topic type
• The <learningAssessment> topic type

Learning content

• The <learningContent> topic
• The <learningContent> elements
• <learningContent> with embedded topics

Elements for questions and responses

• The <learningAssessment> topic type and interactions
• Interaction types
• Planning your interactions

Learning objects and learning groups

• Working with learning objects
• Learning object elements
• Higher-level organization with learning groups
• Learning maps

Includes sample files and assessments.

Publishing output from DITA sources covers the following DITA training topics:

Choosing a DITA publishing environment

• Determining output requirements
• DITA publishing environment considerations
• Publishing with a standalone DITA OT
• Publishing with the oXygen XML Editor
• Publishing with a component content management system (CCMS)

Setting up your DITA publishing environment

• Installing the DITA OT
• Installing Java
• Source and output folders
• Testing the DITA OT installation

Generating output

• DITA OT commands and parameters
• Generating PDF output
• Generating HTML output
• Troubleshooting common issues with generating output

Custom plugins

• Why customize plugins?
• Installing a custom plugin
• Updating a custom plugin
• Best practices for custom plugins

Includes sample files and assessments.

Advanced reuse in DITA covers the following DITA training topics:

Using conditions

• Review of basic reuse
• Marking conditional elements
• What can you filter?
• The ditaval file
• Flagging content
• Best practices for conditions

Using keys

• What is a key?
• Using keys for paths
• Using keys for text
• Advanced key uses
• Best practices for keys

Advanced conrefs

• Review of content reference basics
• Conkeyrefs
• Conrefend
• Conref push (conaction)
• Best practices for advanced conrefs

Includes sample files and assessments.

Introduction to reuse in DITA covers the following DITA training topics:

Introduction to reuse

• Reasons for reuse
• Analyzing content for reuse
• Types of reuse

Creating reusable topics

• Writing for reuse
• Reuse and translation
• Reusing paragraphs
• Reusing steps
• Reusing list items
• Storing your reusable content

Reusing topics and maps

• Reusable topics and maps
• Reusing a topic in the same map
• Reusing maps
• Merging maps

Using content references

• What is a content reference?
• Conref basics
• The conref attribute
• Element requirements for conrefs
• Reusing across topics
• Attributes of content reference
• Best practices for using conrefs

Includes sample files and assessments.

Using DITA maps and bookmaps covers the following DITA training topics:

Creating a map

• Creating a new DITA map
• Adding topic references to a map
• Adding map references to a map

Creating a bookmap

• Overview: maps vs. bookmaps
• Creating a new bookmap

Advanced DITA map and bookmap concepts

• Adding metadata to a map
• Adding metadata to a bookmap
• Frontmatter, backmatter, and booklists
• Adding a navtitle to a bookmap
• Adding a topichead to a bookmap

Relationship tables

• About relationship tables
• Creating a relationship table
• Adding rows to the relationship table
• Advanced relationship tables
• Best practices for relationship tables

Includes sample files and assessments.

Authoring DITA glossary and reference topics covers the following DITA training topics:

Creating a reference topic

• About reference topics
• Creating a new reference topic
• Describing the syntax
• Adding a properties table to a reference

Best practices for reference topics

• Create templates
• Use relationship tables for links
• Use DITA domain elements

Creating a glossary entry

• About glossary entry and glossary group topics
• Creating a new glossary entry
• Creating a new glossary group topic
• Organizing glossary entries in a map

Best practices for glossary entries and groups

• Naming the files and ids
• Building a useful glossary
• Adding a glossary to a bookmap
• Manage glossary creation

Includes sample files and assessments.

Authoring DITA task topics covers the following DITA training topics:

Creating a task topic

• Strict or general tasks
• Creating a new task topic
• Adding introductory elements to a task topic
• Assessment for Creating a task topic

Creating the steps

• First steps
• Giving the reader choices
• A table of choices
• Getting more detailed
• Showing examples and results
• Interrupting the flow
• Assessment for Creating the steps

Finishing up the task

• Task results
• Making an example
• What’s next?
• Assessment for Finishing up the task

Best practices for tasks

• Plan your tasks
• Provide appropriate context
• Use a reasonable number of steps
• Use substeps appropriately
• Keep an eye toward reuse
• Assessment for Best practices for tasks

Includes sample files and assessments.

Authoring DITA concept topics covers the following DITA training topics:

Creating a concept topic

• Creating a new concept topic
• Adding basic elements to a concept topic

Images and tables

• Adding images to a concept topic
• Adding simple tables to a concept topic
• Adding tables to a concept topic

More elements

• Adding inline styling
• Adding other elements

Advanced elements

• Adding advanced elements
• Adding more advanced elements

XML overview and best practices

• Separate content from formatting
• Be consistent
• Create semantically rich content

Includes sample files and assessments.

Introduction to DITA covers the following DITA training topics:

What is DITA?

• Markup languages
• DITA is structured authoring
• What is a DITA topic?

DITA topics

• The generic topic type
• Concept topics
• Task topics
• Reference topics
• Glossary entry topics
• Specialization

Metadata

• What is metadata?
• How do you use metadata?
• Assessment for Metadata

Creating DITA content

• Creating a topic in a text editor
• Creating a topic in oXygen
• Notes, cautions, and warnings
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Block versus inline elementsTables
• The simpletable elements
• The table element
• Best practices for tables

Creating relationships among topics

• Map files
• Transforming map files into outputs
• Cross-references
• Related links
• Relationship tables
• Reusing content with conrefs

Includes assessments.