Glossary

Term Description
Conref An abbreviation of “content reference”. A DITA hypertext mechanism that provides a means for re-using frequently repeated phrases or passages of text.
Document A file containing information. In the DITA context these are predominantly XML format (topics and maps). However, the term also includes the reviewing PDFs and the various binary formats that are used for images. By extension, this may also refer to the final document deliverable in its entirety.
Document deliverable The final document that is produced by the map and its component topics and images. A PDF file destined for printed output would be one type of document deliverable; an online help module would be another. With some foresight, a single topic may be used in both types of deliverable.
Map An XML file that contains references to topics, and that structures the document deliverable as a whole. In a book deliverable, it is the basis of the Table of Contents.
Project The entire set of information required by a manager for producing a multiple-document project: one involving a user guide, installation manual, quickstart and help modules, for example.
Status point A point in the document development life cycle, expressed as its cycle and state written together, e.g., Authoring:draft. Also known as the document's status.
Topic An XML file that deals with a single unit of information.