DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide

Name

option — An option for a software command

Synopsis

option ::= (text | phrase ^db._phrase | replaceable | Graphic inlines | Indexing inlines | Linking inlines | Ubiquitous inlines)*

Attribute synopsis

Common attributes and common linking attributes.

Description

An 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 D.

See Also

computeroutput, constant, literal, markup, optional, parameter, prompt, replaceable, tag, userinput, varname

Examples

<article xmlns='http://docbook.org/ns/docbook'>
<title>Example option</title>

<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>

</article>

The -a option on the UNIX ls command or the /r option on the DOS attrib command, for example.