Getting Started with DITA

Are you trying to learn DITA? Would you like some FREE instructions on how to get started and create a small DITA project? I know just the place to look...

Learn DITA on Your Own at eXtreme Technical Writing

Does this sound familiar to you? You work as a technical writer, but your employers don't want to use a single-sourcing solution at the moment. So there's little opportunity to learn new tools and standards like DITA in the workplace. Yes? I understand. I was in that situation, too. But there's no need to be left behind. If you can dedicate some of your own time, you can get yourself up and running in DITA without spending a penny. There are plenty of books and online resources, all you have to do is search. One of my favourite starting points can be found at eXtreme Technical Writing. There, Canadian technical writer, Nathalie Laroche has created Learn DITA On Your Own posts, which include 'The World's Smallest DITA Project' and 'DITA 5-Minute Crash Course'. If you are completely new to DITA, or have read a little but have yet to start creating content with DITA markup yourself, these are a great place to start.

There's everything you need to get started, including installation and setup instructions, and a very simple exercise to create 'The World's Smallest DITA Project' for yourself. The content is easy to follow and written in an accessible style, so you're unlikely to get lost and by the end of the exercise, you will have created your own DITA output. And it's not just for DITA newbies. There are posts about more advanced DITA topics too. Check it out at eXtremetechwriting.com.