Content Reuse
One of the main features of DITA is the ability to reuse content. It allows reuse of content from small phrases up to entire topics or maps. However, for content to be effectively reused, it must be well managed. Ensure that you have an effective Content Strategy when working with reusable information.
Create a reusable topic
When a change is made to a reusable source topic, the information will update everywhere the content is used.
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Navigate to the Repository.
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Click the contextual menu next to the reuse folder.
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Choose Create > Dita Topic.
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Populate the fields in the Create New Topic dialog. For example:
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Click Create.
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Add content to the topic as required.
Add a new reusable element to a topic
There are several methods for adding reusable elements. Here, the first workflow is best when adding only one component. The second workflow is better for adding multiple reusable components.
Workflow 1
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Click in the topic at a valid location.
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Select the Insert Reusable Content icon on the top toolbar.
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In the Reuse Content dialog, click the Folder icon.
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Navigate to the required folder.
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Choose a topic with reusable components.
For example:
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Click Select.
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Choose a specific component to reuse.
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Click Select.
The reusable element has now been inserted into the topic.
Workflow 2
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Navigate to Reusable Contents on the left panel.
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Click the Add icon on the Reusable Contents panel.
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Navigate to a folder.
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Select a specific topic or topics.
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Click Add.
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From the Reusable Contents panel, expand Element Overview.
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Drag and drop an element into the topic at a valid location.
The reusable element has now been inserted into the topic.
Assign an ID and value to an element
The dlentry you just created is a reusable element. Therefore, it requires an ID and a value.
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Click inside the dlentry.
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In the Content Properties panel, click the dropdown under Attribute.
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Select ID.
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Type a logical name for the Value.
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Save or version the topic so the change reflects in the Repository.
The ID and value have been assigned to the element.