OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) TC

 View Only

RE: [dita] Business value of DITA

  • 1.  RE: [dita] Business value of DITA

    Posted 07-19-2004 18:36
     MHonArc v2.5.0b2 -->
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    dita message

    [Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]


    Subject: RE: [dita] Business value of DITA


    BMC Software is implementing an XML-based, structured authoring environment.
    We are currently designing the implementation, and we are looking closely at
    using DITA in our environment. We have recently joined the DITA Technical
    Committee.
    
    In response to the business value of DITA, we have identified the following
    key points.
    
    1. DITA takes full advantage of the XML specification by focusing on
    modularity both in its design and implementation. Writers using DITA will be
    steered toward a component-based authoring paradigm, which will increase the
    potential for re-use of information. During the assembly phase of a
    document, DITA maps will allow many information components to be assembled
    into hierarchies or associations and given context from a completely
    separate structure, further enhancing the potential for content re-use.
    
    2. Using DITA's class attribute - based transformation model, specialized
    content can be transformed by a set of core style sheets even if
    transformation instructions for the specialized elements to not exist. This
    will facilitate rapid prototyping during the analysis and development phase
    of the information product lifecycle, since specializations can be added to
    DITA and output obtained for review without additional effort required to
    code transformations for the new elements.
    
    3. DITA structure and writing methodology fits nicely with the Information
    Mapping method. Info Mapping is easy to teach and
    gives authors a common vocabulary and way of thinking about information as
    content, divorced from presentation. While the idea of information mapping
    driving the structure of a DTD is not necessarily unique to DITA, what makes
    DITA so useful is that its modular design allows for easy prototyping of new
    information elements. During the initial stages of DTD creation, writers and
    information architects could add and remove elements in an iterative process
    without compromising the existing standards.
    
    4. We are interested in supporting DITA as an industry standard because
    there will be more support, consistency using an adopted standard, and if
    the need for information exchange from one vendor to another should arise,
    it will be less costly to create a common DTD that bridges two DITA
    implementations.
    
    5. DITA as an industry standard would ensure robust support from tool
    vendors.
    
    6. A DITA community provides opportunity for rapid growth of this technology
    through exchange of ideas, specializations, transformation code, and other
    tools and techniques that will arise from specific DITA implementations.
    
    Regards,
    Wendy Hambleton
    BMC Software
    Information Development, Manager
    office 512-340-6549
    mobile 512-632-3288