Context Element (context)
The context element provides background information or explanatory content that helps users understand when and why to perform a task.
The context element serves these primary purposes:
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Providing background information necessary for task completion
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Explaining the circumstances under which the task should be performed
Key characteristics of the context element:
Must appear within
taskbodyin ony order and any numberCan contain other block elements
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Can contain some conceptual information relevant to the task
Content within the context element typically follows these output formatting rules:
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Typically displayed with a heading such as About this task, Background, or Context
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Usually appears between
prereqandstepsorsteps-unorderedin the rendered output -
Often formatted with standard paragraph styling without special visual treatment
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May include embedded images, diagrams, or tables to illustrate concepts
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May include links to related conceptual information
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Generally appears less prominently than steps or prerequisites
Use context to:
Explain the purpose, value, and scenarios for performing the task
Provide business context and broader implications of the procedure
Clarify terminology, concepts, and architectural information needed for understanding
Explain relationships with other procedures and identify alternative approaches
Present essential conceptual information that directly supports the task
A context element added to a task topic in the Heretto CCMS Content Editor.
The DITA source of the context element with the surrounding context of a task:
<task id="task-6981">
<title>Signing in to MobileView</title>
<shortdesc>Sign in to the MobileView application through the ClusterControl server.</shortdesc>
<prolog>
<author translate="no" type="creator">Heretto User <user@heretto.com></author>
</prolog>
<taskbody>
<prereq>
<p>Ensure you have your username, password, and the name of the server that you want to connect to.</p>
</prereq>
<context>
<p>MobileView requires authentication to ensure secure access to your ClusterControl server resources and project data. You can authenticate either through your MobileView-specific credentials or using your Windows account credentials through single sign-on.</p>
</context>
<steps>
<step>
<cmd>To open MobileView, click <menucascade><uicontrol>Start</uicontrol><uicontrol>All programs</uicontrol><uicontrol>Thunderbird MobileView</uicontrol></menucascade> (...)</cmd>
</step>
</steps>
</taskbody>
</task>