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RE: [docbook] how to represent userinput with a command option?


Have you tried the <cmdsynopsis/> tag?

<cmdsynopsis><command>wc</command><arg
choice="opt">-w</arg><arg>letter</arg>

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert P. J. Day [mailto:rpjday@mindspring.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 11:30 AM
> To: docbook mailing list
> Subject: [docbook] how to represent userinput with a command option?
> 
> 
> 
>   in numerous places in my new manual, i'm going to want to show
> examples of Linux commands, some with options.  the problem is
> how to best do this:
> 
>   assuming (for the sake of brevity):
> 
>   pr == prompt
>   ui = userinput
>   o == option
>   op == optional
> 
> let's say i wanted to, as part of a <screen>, show a sample command
> 
>   $ wc [-w] letter
> 
> now, the standard way to represent userinput is to display it in
> bold, to emphasize that it's typed by the user.  so, as a first
> attempt:
> 
> <pr>$</pr> <ui>wc <op><o>-w</o></op> letter</ui>
> 
> there is one major problem with how this is rendered, in that, ideally
> the entire command should be displayed in bold, *except* for 
> the square
> brackets.  (if they're also displayed in bold, too many students will
> assume that they should type them.)
>  
>   so, how to have those square brackets rendered in non-bold?  it's
> possible by turning off <userinput> just for the sake of those
> brackets, as in:
> 
> <pr>$</pr> <ui>wc </ui><op><o><ui>-w</ui></o></op><ui> letter</ui>
> 
>   ouch.  is there a semantically more reasonable way to do this?
> i mean, it seems to work but, yeesh.
> 
> rday
> 
> 
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