---
title: "DITA"
source: https://dev.pageseeder.com/reference/glossary/dita.html
description: "DITA is an XML standard for documentation by OASIS that shares architectural concepts with PageSeeder, including specialization, topics, maps, and keys. It uses two-stage processing to resolve linked objects and transform XML into formatting languages."
last_updated: 2026-08-11T16:37:02+10:00
tokens: ~305
---

# DITA

DITA is an XML standard for documentation and processing from *OASIS*. It shares some of the same architectural concepts as PageSeeder.

These include:

- **Specialization** – DITA is designed so that it can be extended without requiring any substantial changes to the software. (*see* [PSML](/reference/glossary/psml.md) and [document template](/reference/glossary/document_template.md)).
- **Topics** – designed to be self-contained document objects assembled by maps. (*see* [document type](/reference/glossary/document_type.md)).
- **Maps** – binders that organize topics for processing. (see [references document type](/reference/glossary/references_document.md)).
- **Keys** – identifiers that can be used for linking and other operations. (*see* [Doc ID](/reference/glossary/document_id_docid.md) or [URI ID](/reference/glossary/uri_id.md)).

DITA also uses a two-stage processing architecture to, firstly, resolve the linked objects into the correct order and hierarchy, and secondly, to transform the XML into a formatting language. 

A PageSeeder [tutorial](/get_started/tutorials/how_to_import_and_export_lwdita_in_pageseeder.md) explains some of the support available for LightweightDITA or LwDITA.