This tutorial guides you through adding a p (paragraph) element to a DITA XML topic.

Overview

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

  • Explain the purpose and importance of paragraph elements in DITA XML
  • Identify appropriate locations to use paragraph elements in DITA documents
  • Add new paragraph elements to a DITA concept document using the Oxygen XML editor
  • Apply different methods for inserting paragraph elements in Oxygen
  • Create structured paragraph content in DITA XML

Background

In DITA, a <p> element represents a block of text that has a single idea.

Use <p> to wrap any block of text that forms a single idea or unit of information. <p> elements can appear (almost) anywhere you need body text. For example: inside the main content area, within list items, notes, or table entries.

<p> is a block element.

Add a <p> element

  1. Open the concept topic you edited in The shortdesc element.

  2. Click between the closing <p> tag and the closing <conbody> tag to place the cursor.

  3. Add a new <p> element using one of the following methods:

    • In the Elements view, locate and double-click p.

    Elements view > p

    • Press ENTER to display a selection list. Type p or select p from the list and press ENTER.

    Select p from context menu

    Oxygen inserts an empty <p> element after the first <p> element and before the closing <conbody> tag.

  4. Within the new <p> element, type This is my second paragraph..

  5. Save the file.

Expected result

Final document window for this tutorial