Reuse Content with Conrefs
Content referencing (using the DITA conref attribute) is a powerful mechanism for reuse. By creating a content reference in a topic you can reuse content, such as a paragraph, section, or an entire list, from other topics.
Though it is possible to reference from any topic in the repository, content for reuse typically is centralized in one or more reuse topic(s) to simplify the management of this content.
Content that is referenced using a conref is updated automatically when the referenced content is changed. This is a powerful feature, enabling you to make widespread changes throughout a documentation set by changing the referenced content in one location. This is better than having to find and change each separate instance of that content, as would be the case in a more traditional, non-reuse implementation.
For Example, Reusing a Warning Message
A good candidate for content reuse is a warning message.
As a toy manufacturer, you may need to include a warning throughout your manuals such as "CHOKING HAZARD: This product contains small parts. Not for children under 3 years."
By using a conref attribute, you can write this content once in a reuse topic and then reference it from any number of other topics. Therefore, you have only one version to maintain, greatly easing the effort required to keep your content consistent.