doc/src/sgml/notation.sgml

   1 <!-- $PostgreSQL$ -->
   2
   3 <sect1 id="notation">
   4  <title>Conventions</title>
   5
   6  <para>
   7   This book uses the following typographical conventions to mark
   8   certain portions of text: new terms, foreign phrases, and other
   9   important passages are emphasized in <emphasis>italics</>.
  10   Everything that represents input or output of the computer, in
  11   particular commands, program code, and screen output, is shown in a
  12   monospaced font (<literal>example</literal>).  Within such
  13   passages, italics (<replaceable>example</replaceable>) indicate
  14   placeholders; you must insert an actual value instead of the placeholder.
  15   On occasion, parts of program code are emphasized in bold face
  16   (<emphasis role="bold"><literal>example</></>), if they have been
  17   added or changed since the preceding example.
  18  </para>
  19
  20  <para>
  21   The following conventions are used in the synopsis of a command:
  22   brackets (<literal>[</literal> and <literal>]</literal>) indicate
  23   optional parts.  (In the synopsis of a Tcl command, question marks
  24   (<literal>?</>) are used instead, as is usual in Tcl.)  Braces
  25   (<literal>{</literal> and <literal>}</literal>) and vertical lines
  26   (<literal>|</literal>) indicate that you must choose one
  27   alternative.  Dots (<literal>...</>) mean that the preceding element
  28   can be repeated.
  29  </para>
  30
  31  <para>
  32   Where it enhances the clarity, SQL commands are preceded by the
  33   prompt <literal>=&gt;</>, and shell commands are preceded by the
  34   prompt <literal>$</>.  Normally, prompts are not shown, though.
  35  </para>
  36
  37  <para>
  38   An <firstterm>administrator</firstterm> is generally a person who is
  39   in charge of installing and running the server.  A <firstterm>user</firstterm>
  40   could be anyone who is using, or wants to use, any part of the
  41   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> system.  These terms should not
  42   be interpreted too narrowly; this book does not have fixed
  43   presumptions about system administration procedures.
  44  </para>
  45 </sect1>