option
option — An option for a software command
Synopsis
Mixed Content Model
option ::=
(#PCDATA|link|olink|ulink|action|application|classname|methodname|
interfacename|exceptionname|ooclass|oointerface|ooexception|
package|command|computeroutput|database|email|envar|errorcode|
errorname|errortype|errortext|filename|function|guibutton|
guiicon|guilabel|guimenu|guimenuitem|guisubmenu|hardware|
interface|keycap|keycode|keycombo|keysym|literal|code|constant|
markup|medialabel|menuchoice|mousebutton|option|optional|
parameter|prompt|property|replaceable|returnvalue|sgmltag|
structfield|structname|symbol|systemitem|uri|token|type|
userinput|varname|nonterminal|anchor|remark|subscript|
superscript|inlinegraphic|inlinemediaobject|indexterm|beginpage)*
Attributes
Description
Option identifies an argument to a software command or instruction. Options may or may not be required. The optional element can be used to explicitly identify options that are not required.
Processing expectations
Formatted inline.
DocBook does not specify whether or not a symbol (such as - or /) is generated before the content of Option, or what that symbol might be. Generating the text may or may not be desirable, but in either case, it is an interchange issue. See Appendix F, Interchanging DocBook Documents.
Parents
These elements contain option: action, application, arg, attribution, bibliomisc, bridgehead, citation, citetitle, classsynopsisinfo, code, command, computeroutput, database, emphasis, entry, filename, firstterm, foreignphrase, funcparams, funcsynopsisinfo, function, glosssee, glossseealso, glossterm, group, hardware, interfacename, keycap, lineannotation, link, literal, literallayout, lotentry, member, msgaud, olink, option, optional, para, parameter, phrase, primary, primaryie, productname, programlisting, property, quote, refdescriptor, refentrytitle, refname, refpurpose, remark, screen, screeninfo, secondary, secondaryie, see, seealso, seealsoie, seeie, seg, segtitle, simpara, subtitle, synopsis, systemitem, td, term, termdef, tertiary, tertiaryie, th, title, titleabbrev, tocback, tocentry, tocfront, trademark, ulink, userinput.
Children
The following elements occur in option: action, anchor, application, beginpage, classname, code, command, computeroutput, constant, database, email, envar, errorcode, errorname, errortext, errortype, exceptionname, filename, function, guibutton, guiicon, guilabel, guimenu, guimenuitem, guisubmenu, hardware, indexterm, inlinegraphic, inlinemediaobject, interface, interfacename, keycap, keycode, keycombo, keysym, link, literal, markup, medialabel, menuchoice, methodname, mousebutton, nonterminal, olink, ooclass, ooexception, oointerface, option, optional, package, parameter, prompt, property, remark, replaceable, returnvalue, sgmltag, structfield, structname, subscript, superscript, symbol, systemitem, token, type, ulink, uri, userinput, varname.
See Also
computeroutput, constant, literal, markup, optional, parameter, prompt, replaceable, sgmltag, userinput, varname.
Examples
<!DOCTYPE para PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.1.2//EN"
"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.1.2/docbookx.dtd">
<para>
The <option>-a</option> option on the <acronym>UNIX</acronym>
<command>ls</command> command or the <option>/r</option> option on the
<acronym>DOS</acronym> <command>attrib</command>
command, for example.
</para>
The -a option on the UNIX ls command or the /r option on the DOS attrib command, for example.