DITA topics are the basic units of DITA content.

Topics are the basis for high-quality information. Each topic is organized around a single subject or answers a single question.

Each topic is typically authored as a unit. It consists of a title, which captures the subject of the topic, and further content.

As stated in the Introduction to the DITA architecture, DITA topics are organized by DITA maps. It is also possible to nest sub-topics within a topic. Specialization enables the creation of specialized topics and other units of content that are tailored to particular structural requirements. Content referencing (conref) enables fragments of content to be reused from a single source. Conditional processing permits a single source to support the needs of multiple audiences.

The architectural specification describes topics and information typing at

• http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.1/CS01/archspec/topicover.html.

A 5-minute tutorial on DITA Topics is available as a Flash animation.

Editors for the Architecture area:

• Bruce Esrig
• Michael Priestley