Metadata in maps and topics
Metadata can be specified in both maps and topics. In most cases, metadata in the map either supplements or overrides metadata that is specified at the topic level.
Metadata can be specified by all the following mechanisms:
- Metadata elements that are located in the DITA map
- Specifying attributes on the
<map>or<topicref>elements - Metadata elements or attributes that are located in the DITA topic
Metadata elements and attributes in a map might apply to an individual topic, a set of
topics, or globally for the entire document. Most metadata elements authored within a
<topicmeta> element associate metadata with the parent element and
its children. Because the topics in a branch of the hierarchy typically have some common
subjects or properties, this is a convenient mechanism to define metadata for a set of
topics.
When the same metadata element or attribute is specified in both a map and a topic, by default the value in the map takes precedence. The assumption is that the map author has more knowledge of the reusing context than the topic author.