
Document Conventions
********************

This manual uses several conventions to highlight certain words and
phrases and draw attention to specific pieces of information.


Typographic Conventions
=======================


Mono-spaced with non-white background
-------------------------------------

Used to highlight system input, including shell commands, file names
and paths. Also used to highlight keycaps and key combinations. For
example:

   To see the contents of the file "my_next_bestselling_novel" in your
   current working directory, enter the "cat
   my_next_bestselling_novel" command at the shell prompt and press
   "Enter" to execute the command.

The above includes a filename, a shell command and a keycap, all
present in mono-spaced type and all distinguishable thanks to context.

Key combinations can be distinguished from keycaps by the hyphen
connecting each part of a key combinations. For example:

   Press "Enter" to execute the command.

   Press "Ctrl-Alt-F2" to switch to the first virtual terminal. Press
   "Ctrl-Alt-F1" to return to your X-Windows session.

The first paragraph highlights the particular keycap to press. The
second highlights two key combinations (each a set of three keycaps
with each set pressed simultaneously).

If source code is discussed, class names, methods, functions, variable
names and returned values mentioned within a paragraph will be
presented as above, in "mono-spaced type". For example:

   File-related classes include "filesystem" for file systems, "file"
   for files, and "dir" for directories. Each class has its own
   associated set of permissions.


Proportional Bold
-----------------

This denotes words or phrases encountered on a system, including
application names; dialog box text; labelled buttons; check-box and
radio button labels; menu titles and sub-menu titles. For example:

   Choose **System** -> **Preferences** -> **Mouse** from the main
   menu bar to launch **Mouse Preferences**. In the **Buttons** tab,
   click the **Left-handed mouse** check box and click **Close** to
   switch the primary mouse button from the left to the right (making
   the mouse suitable for use in the left hand).


Italic
------

The addition of italics indicates replaceable or variable text.
Italics denotes text you do not input literally or displayed text that
changes depending on circumstance. For example:

   To connect to a remote machine using ssh, type "ssh
   *username@domain.name*" at a shell prompt. If the remote machine is
   **example.com** and your username on that machine is **john**, type
   "ssh john@example.com"

   The "mount -o remount *file-system*" command remounts the named
   file system. For example, to remount the "/home" file system, the
   command is "mount -o remount /home".

   To see the version of a currently installed package, use the "rpm
   -q *package*" command. It will return a result as follows:
   *package-version-release*.

Note the words in bold italics above — username, domain.name, file-
system, package, version and release. Each word is a placeholder,
either for text you enter when issuing a command or for text displayed
by the system.

Aside from standard usage for presenting the title of a work, italics
denotes the first use of a new and important term. For example:

   Publican is a *DocBook* publishing system.


Pull-quote Conventions
======================

Terminal output and source code listings are set off visually from the
surrounding text.

Output sent to a terminal is presented thus:

   books        Desktop   documentation  drafts  mss    photos   stuff  svn
   books_tests  Desktop1  downloads      images  notes  scripts  svgs

Source-code listings are also presented this way but may add syntax
highlighting.


Notes and Warnings
==================

Finally, we use three visual styles to draw attention to information
that might otherwise be overlooked.

Note: Notes are tips, shortcuts, or alternative approaches to the
  task at hand. Ignoring a note should have no negative consequences,
  but you might miss out on a trick that makes your life easier.

Important: Important boxes detail things that are easily missed:
  configuration changes that only apply to the current session, or
  services that need restarting before an update will apply. Ignoring
  a box labelled 'Important' will not cause data loss but may cause
  irritation and frustration.

Warning: Warnings should not be ignored. Ignoring warnings will most
  likely cause data loss.
