Notation and Syntax Conventions

italics

Indicates arguments in a command line that you must replace with a valid value. In commands and functions, it indicates a portion of the name that is a variable, for which you must make the appropriate substitution, as well as function arguments. In text, italics indicate document titles, filenames, glossary items, new terms, and variables.

bold

Indicates commands, routines, and entry point names, as well as the names of UNIX and IRIX functions. A function with a man page in the IRIX Device Driver Reference Pages, manual is indicated as follows:

ioctl(D2)

where D2 is the number of the section that contains the man page.

Note: If a reference to a function is hyperlinked to the online version of the IRIX Device Driver Reference Pages, it looks like this instead:

ioctl(D2)

The online version displays in red, and you can go directly to the online man page by clicking on the entry.

courier

Indicates computer output and program listings.

courier bold

Indicates user input to the computer and nonprinting keys.

[ ]

Enclose optional command arguments. (Do not enter the brackets.)

. . .

Indicates that the preceding optional items can appear more than once in succession.

|

Separates a list of items, of which you can choose one.