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Metadata, conditional processing, and indexing
Filtering and flagging
Content marked with metadata attributes can be conditionally processed so that the content is filtered (excluded) or flagged (highlighted) in the published output.
Include and exclude filtering actions
In typical publishing tools, filtering and flagging actions to be taken during processing are defined in a ditaval file.

Introduction
Information types and topics
Topics are the building blocks of modular documents, and organising topics by semantic information types is one of the architectural features of DITA.
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Cross-referencing
Cross-references are a means of binding individual topics into a coherent and navigable document.
Content re-use
Metadata, conditional processing, and indexing
- Conditional processing concepts
  When DITA content is processed to a reading format, rules to exclude or highlight some of the content can be defined in a ditaval file. This conditional processing requires metadata attributes to be set on DITA elements that may possibly be excluded or highlighted.
- Condition (or select) attributes
  The audience, platform, product, otherprops and rev attributes can be applied to most DITA elements. They are used for conditional processing, and are known as the condition (or select) attributes.
- Filtering and flagging
  Content marked with metadata attributes can be conditionally processed so that the content is filtered (excluded) or flagged (highlighted) in the published output.
  - Excluding topics: conditional processing at topic level
    If a whole topic is to be excluded from the output in a conditional processing scenario (that is, the condition applies to a whole topic), the metadata attribute must be defined in the topic reference in the ditamap.
  - Conditional processing dangers
    Any filtering conditions that apply must still result in valid DITA mark-up.
  - Conditions versus transclusion
    Transclusion, or content referencing, can sometimes achieve the same publishing aim as conditional processing. There are pros and cons for either method.
  - Include and exclude filtering actions
    In typical publishing tools, filtering and flagging actions to be taken during processing are defined in a ditaval file.
  - Limiting the use of conditions
    You should take care to limit the complexity of conditions that you apply to content. Context-agnostic writing is often a better approach.
  - Filtering ditamaps
    When filtering a nested ditamap, you should apply the condition attribute to the reference (topicref or mapref element) to the nested ditamap, rather than to the map element.
  - Filtering composite (ditabase) topics
    Care must be taken when applying conditions to composite topics, as filtering a nested topic through the topicref element will not necessarily result in the topic being excluded.
  - Print versus non-print metadata
    You can use condition attributes in topic elements, the print attribute in the topicref element, separate ditamaps, or a combination of these approaches when you need to produce different print and non-print versions of the same document.
- Other metadata
  In addition to the select attributes, DITA content includes many forms of metadata. These metadata elements and attributes are used to manage and organise topics, ditamaps and publications.
- Indexing
  DITA incorporates powerful features for indexing, including multi-level indexing, and see and see-also redirection. Index entries can be applied in the ditamap, in the topic prolog, and inline within the topic content.
The DITA documentation process
DITA authoring concepts
Moving from style-based authoring to a structured authoring methodology such as DITA requires a radically different approach to writing.

Include and exclude filtering actions

In typical publishing tools, filtering and flagging actions to be taken during processing are defined in a ditaval file.

The DITA values (ditaval) file is used to specify publishing conditions used for processing DITA source into a reading format. The condition actions are specified in the action attribute of the prop element in the ditaval file. Valid action are:

exclude: exclude from the output any elements with the specified metadata attributes
flag: highlight, with a text colour, background colour, or image, any elements with the specified metadata attributes
passthough: ignore the attribute, but leave the attribute in place in the output
include: include from the output any elements with the specified metadata attributes

An example of a snippet of ditaval code to flag elements with a product attribute of impress with a small image at the start of the element is:

<prop att="product" val="impress" action="flag">
  <startflag imageref="delta_olive.gif">
    <alt-text>Start of product - Impress</alt-text>
  </startflag>
</prop>

Despite there being an include action in the ditaval logic, there is no purpose for this action. By default, all content is included. Even within a nested set of elements, a higher level element marked as include will have no affect even if lower level elements are marked with exclude. By default, no content is flagged.

Attributes are used to mark elements that are specific or individual to a particular product, platform, audience or other requirement. You only mark up those elements that you want the ability to exclude or flag.

If you are using multiple conditions (that is, more than one value in the same attribute, such as audience="admin manager"), only if all exclude conditions are satisfied will the element will be excluded from the output. In other words, all exclude conditions have to be satisfied for the element to be excluded from the output. So if a paragraph was marked with values of admin and manager, and the ditaval specified that admin should be excluded, but manager included, the paragraph would be included.

Note:

You can change this default inclusive behaviour of the ditaval to exclusive by setting the following property as the first node under the val element in the ditaval file:

<prop action="exclude" />