A Quick Start to Technical Writing with DITA - Mini Course
Get started writing structured documentation in DITA in less than 2 hours!
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Do want to learn how to write documentation using DITA XML? If yes, I can help!
My name is Jordan Stanchev. I have built my career in the field of technical communications in the last 18 years.
Starting off my carrier as a Java developer, I have then became a technical writer and information architect.
At present, I lead the development of DITA XML-based infrastructure projects, as well as the group of the DITA information architecture experts of a Fortune 500 company.
I have vast experience to share in structured writing and information architecture using various DITA XML content management systems. For a modern technical writer looking to build his or her career in the field of technical communications, knowing DITA XML simply is a must!
You need to learn DITA if you are involved in any way with software documentation.
Knowledge of DITA is relevant for you, no matter if you are:
- technical writer
- information architect
- people manager, managing technical writers in the team
- user experience designer
- business analyst
- project manager
The course 'A Quick Start to Technical Writing with DITA' is designed for beginner level technical writers who wants to quickly learn what is DITA, create a simple guide and deliver it using a non-customized output using Oxygen XML Author tool.
It will take you around 2 hours from the start as an absolute beginner, go through this course and deliver a small and simple guide in PDF or HTML output format.
Note: If you are looking for a more deep dive into DITA XML course, consider the more advanced "How to Write Using DITA XML", which is for technical communicators, already familiar with DITA.
What will you learn in this quick start course?
This is a course I use to teach my university students in IT about what is DITA and how to get started with DITA.
That is why it provides:
- Basic knowledge and understanding what is DITA;
- How to get started writing software documentation using DITA;
- What is DITA topic and how to use it;
- What is DITA map and how to use it;
- How to construct a deliverable using Oxygen XML Author;
- How to produce a final deliverable ready for shipment to your customers.
Your instructor will supply you with a trial license for the Oxygen XML Author, should you need one to practice your DITA writing skills.
What is NOT COVERED in this course:
As this is a getting started course, I shall not deep dive into DITA XML markup. To learn DITA it may take years of experience. The goal of the course is to provide you with a quick getting started. That is why:
- This is not a comprehensive DITA XML course. Do not expect such deep dive level here.
- I do not provide details on linking, chunking, nesting, profiling, sophisticated delivery strategy, and so on.
- I do not provide information about DITA specializations, DITAVAL files, DTDs and so on. This is not covered in this course.
- OTK is not covered or even mentioned in this course.
Why DITA?
Structured writing in DITA XML is an advanced discipline for technical writers. You can find many authors with decent language and writing skills. But you already know that technical writing is so much more than just written text with no spelling mistakes, isn't it?
If you need your technical writers to:
- Strictly follow your company or industry writing guidelines;
- Be able to spend less time on maintenance of old documentation and spend more time on value added activities for the customer;
- Offer information that can be reused on all levels - entire guides, chapters, topics, sentences or even single words;
- Maintain very high content quality standard with no broken links and missing content;
- Produce as many different output formats as your customer needs - all from the same content
- Use metadata to classify the content that was written and offer it for automated forms of information consumption;
then most probably you are already evaluating DITA as an option for writing.
DITA already offers all listed functionality and even more!
If it is a quick start into DITA what you are looking for, this in your course!
Enroll now and see how simple technical writing with DITA XML can be!
P.S. Do not forget that the course comes with 30-day full refund policy - no questions asked!
"I am really glad I took this course. I had zero knowledge of DITA, now that I have completed this course, I can easily write in DITA XML hassle-free. The course was extremely helpful for me, a beginner. It was explained in crisp details and I understood every bit of it. A big thanks to the host of this course."
- Karishma
"If you want to know how to write using DITA go and check this course! The lecturer provides great explanation and tutorials, which are really helpful in practice."
- Karina
"The information is helpful, but the slides go in and out of focus and there are WAY too many words on each slide at the beginning. The good news, however, is that after the initial background information, it is a hands-on course. I had a product and was making my own products by the end of the short course. Best $ I have spent on an Oxygen XML Author introduction using Dita."
- Lisa Jayne Stamper
"I learned a lot, thanks!"
- Jaspal Kaur