Topics
The DITA content is organized into topics.
The topic editor enables you to edit topics and manage map structures. For more information, see Topic Editor.
Create a Topic
- In the content library, navigate to a folder and click Create New.
- Select the topic type you want to create.
- Enter a title and file name.
- Optional: Create the file in a folder different from the current folder by clicking Change and selecting a new location.
- Optional: Assign the file to collections by clicking Collections and selecting collections from the list.
- Optional: Assign metadata to the file by filling in the Metadata fields.
- Do one of the following:
- To create and open the file, click Create & Edit .
- To create the file and return to the content library, click Create .
Topic Elements
The topic editor enables you to view topic elements in different tag modes.
For detailed information on the DITA attributes, see DITA 1.3 Specification.
Option | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
Full Tags With Attributes | Displays the entire DITA element syntax including any attributes. | |
Full Tags | Displays only the DITA element name. | |
Short Tags | Displays a blue tag indicator wherever a DITA element occurs. | |
No Tags | Turns off all tags in the topic editor |
Insert an Element to a Topic
You use the quick insert menu to insert elements into your content.
Copy and Paste an Element in a Topic
You can copy and paste elements it in the same topic or different topics by using the footer or tags.
Move Elements in Topics
You can reorder elements in topics by using the footer or by dragging and dropping tags.
Wrap an Element in a Topic
You can wrap elements in other elements by using the footer or tags.
Unwrap an Element in a Topic
You can unwrap elements by using the footer or tags.
Replace an Element in a Topic
You can replace elements with other elements by using the footer or tags.
Remove an Element from a Topic
You can remove elements from a topic by using the footer or tags.
Images
Annotations
Adding annotations to an image places the image element in an svg-container element, which allows you to add annotations over the image without modifying the image itself. This enables you to reuse the original, non-annotated image elsewhere.
You can add annotations to any image that is supported by easyDITA.
The Annotations interface enables you to:
- Drag and drop the following elements from the Topic Preview
pane on the right into the Image Preview pane on the left.
- Ordered list items
- Steps
Note: The callouts that you annotate images with update automatically as you add, move, or remove the ordered list item elements or step elements. - Move and rotate callouts in the Image Preview pane.
- Edit the DITA content in the Topic Preview pane.
- Switch between different images by using the image context menu in the
Topic Preview pane.
Insert an Image
- To align the image, change the image width, or add alternate text, select the image
and use the context menu.
- To annotate the image, see Annotate an Image.
Change an Image
You can change an image added to a topic by using the image context menu.
Remove an Image
You can remove an image added to a topic by using the image context menu.
Annotate an Image
- An image element is in a topic. See Insert an Image.
- An ordered list element or step elements are in a topic. See Insert an Element to a Topic.
Insert an Image Map
You can define linkable areas over an image by using image map elements.
Videos
easyDITA enables you to insert videos into topics. We recommend inserting videos from external services like YouTube or Vimeo.
Examples
Insert an External Video
You can insert a video to a topic by using the Insert Video icon in the topic editor toolbar.
Insert a Video from the Content Library
You can insert a video to a topic by using the Insert Video icon in the topic editor toolbar.
Lists
easyDITA enables you to insert different types of lists.
Insert an Ordered or Unordered List
Insert a list to organize your content.
Insert a Definition List
Definition lists are useful if you want to explain different terms in the main flow of a document.
Manage a Definition List
easyDITA enables you to easily add, remove, and alphabetize definition list entries.
Tables
Use the Table menu to create a table and determine the properties of the table.
Insert a Table
Insert a table to organize information in a grid.
Merge Table Cells
Create tables with cells that span several columns or rows.
Split Table Cells
Reconfigure a table by splitting joined cells.
Add Table Row Headers
Use the Attributes tab to add row headers to a table.
Footnotes
Footnotes supplement content with references to additional information and are typically placed below the main body of the document.
Numerical Annotations
By default, footnotes are indicated by numerical annotations. easyDITA automatically manages their order. For example, if you insert a new footnote between existing footnotes, their order updates accordingly to their position in the topic.
In the following example, footnote “1” corresponds to “Paragraph A” and footnote “2” corresponds to “Paragraph C”. An additional footnote is added to “Paragraph B” in Three Numerical Annotations.
In the following example, a footnote is added to “Paragraph B”. The order of the numerical footnotes updates automatically.
Symbolic Annotations
You insert symbolic annotations by modifying the callout attribute value of a footnote. Symbolic annotations do not update automatically. For example, if you insert a new footnote between existing symbolic footnotes, you need to update their annotations manually.
Multiple Annotations
You can annotate multiple items in a topic with a single footnote.
In the following example, multiple “Footnote A” annotations are inserted in “Paragraph A”, “Paragraph B”, and “Paragraph C”.
Output
Depending on the output, footnotes can render differently. For example, in some outputs, footnotes may be rendered as endnotes. You can change the way footnotes render by modifying publishing scenarios.
In the following example, footnote annotations render as non-clickable superscripts.
In the following example, footnote annotations render as links. You can click an annotation to jump between the footnote callout and the corresponding footnote content.
Insert Footnotes
Supplement content with references that are placed outside the main body of the document.
Do any of the following:
- If you want to modify the footnote annotations type, see Modify Footnote Annotations.
- If you want to insert multiple footnote annotations, see Insert Multiple Footnote Annotations.
Modify Footnote Annotations
Modify the footnote annotation type by editing the callout attribute value of a footnote element.
Insert Multiple Footnote Annotations
In the following example, multiple “Footnote A” annotations are inserted in “Paragraph A”, “Paragraph B”, and “Paragraph C”.
Remove Footnotes
Remove unwanted footnotes.
Equations
Equations are useful to express scientific ideas.
Insert an Equation
You add an equation to your topic by inserting a mathml element.
Edit an Equation
You can quickly edit equations that need to be updated.
Remove an Equation
You can quickly remove equations that you no longer need from your topics.
Symbols
easyDITA enables you to easily insert special characters into your topics.
Insert Special Characters
Add special characters from the Symbol menu to your topic.
XML Comments
easyDITA enables you to add XML comments in the DITA source that show in the topic editor.
XML Tip Comment Example
<concept id="concept-7143" xml:lang="en-us">
<title>Concept A</title>
<shortdesc>Short description.</shortdesc>
<prolog>
<author translate="no" type="creator">User Name <user.name@organization.com></author>
</prolog>
<conbody>
<section>
<title>Section A</title>
<p>Paragraph A</p>
<p>Paragraph B</p>
<!-- TIP: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. -->
<p>Paragraph C</p>
</section>
</conbody>
</concept>
Add an XML Tip Comment
You add an XML comment by modifying the DITA source code.
Spell Check
easyDITA includes a spell check functionality in the topic editor
Check Spelling
You can check the spelling of your topics.
Add Words to the Dictionary
Add words to the dictionary so that spell check recognizes the correct spelling.
Topic Element Attributes
Assigning attributes enables you to manage the properties of elements in a topic.
For detailed information on the DITA attributes, see DITA 1.3 Specification.
Edit Topic Element Attributes
You edit the attributes of an element in a topic to manage its properties.
Topic XML Code
easyDITA enables you to edit the source code of your topics.
Edit the Topic XML Code
You edit the XML code in the source editor.
Find and Replace the Topic XML Code
You can find and replace the XML code of a topic in the source editor.