<reference>
The <reference>
element defines a top-level container for a
reference topic. Reference topics document programming constructs or facts about a product.
Examples of reference topics include (but are not limited to) product specifications,
environmental specifications, equipment lists, parts lists, required tools, language elements,
class descriptions, commands, functions, and API information. All of these topics provide quick
access to facts, but they do not contain a deeper explanation of related concepts or
tasks.
Reference topics have the same high-level structure as any other topic type, with a title,
short description, and body. Within the body, reference topics are typically organized into
one or more sections, property lists, and tables. The reference topic type provides general
rules that apply to all kinds of reference information, using elements like
<refsyn>
for syntax or signatures, and
<properties>
for lists of properties and values
Content models
See appendix for information about this element in OASIS document type shells.
Inheritance
- topic/topic reference/reference
Example
Attributes
The following attributes are available on this element: Universal attribute group (with a narrowed definition of @id
, given
below), Architectural attribute group, and outputclass.
@id
(REQUIRED)- An anchor point. This ID is usually required as
part of the
@href
or@conref
syntax when cross referencing or reusing content within the topic; it also enables<topicref>
elements in DITA maps to optionally reference a specific topic within a DITA document. This attribute is defined with the XML Data Type ID.