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Chapter 3
Using the DECdocument Tags

This chapter will explain what tags to use to designate paragraphs, make lists and tables, emphasis text and denote chapters and sections.

3.1 Paragraph <P> Tag

The paragraph tag <P> is used to mark the beginning of a new paragraph.

Example: <P>

The editor is used to add the two paragraph tags. 


<p>
There are many groups of dogs.  Each group type will perform a different 
specialized task.  One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, 
another is used for searching and so on.  Within each group, there are 
numerous breeds of dogs.  For example, in the hunting group, there are 
Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc. 
<p>
Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and 
what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some breeds 
are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while 
others will bond to all family members.  Selecting the right breed of dog 
is very important.

Command

The following command is used to process the SDML file and create a PS output file which can be printed on a PostScript printer. The output file will again be called SAMPLE_DOC.PS.

If you want to create a file that you can type out at your terminal or print out on a line printer, you can specify the MAIL or TERM destination. For example:

If MAIL is used, the output file will be SAMPLE_DOC.TXT. If TERM is used, the output file will be SAMPLE_DOC.TERM.

When a TERM file is typed or printed, any bold and/or underline text will be displayed/printed as bold and underlined whereas a TXT file will not emphasis this text.

Output

There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc.

Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

Comments

Two paragraphs were created because of the two paragraph tags.

The paragraph <P> tag can be used within a text block. For example: 


. . . Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc.  <p> Before you get a dog, . . .
However, if the tag is placed on a separate line, it is easier to see where the paragraphs start.

Vertical Spacing

There is a single space between text blocks or paragraphs when the <P> tag is used. If you want additional vertical space between the paragraphs or text blocks, you can use several <P> tags. For example: 


        <P> 
        <P> 
        <P> 
    or 
        <P> <P> <P>

3.2 Emphasizing Text with the <EMPHASIS> Tag

If you want text to be emphasized---printed in bold or italic, you use the <EMPHASIS> tag.

When you use the <EMPHASIS> tag, you need to designate whether you want bold or italic. In other words, you must provide some additional information along with the tag. This is the argument. The text that is to be emphasized is enclosed in parenthesis along with the argument which is preceded by a "\" backslash. The format is:

<EMPHASIS>(text\ARGUMENT)

The options are:

Note
There are two other arguments to the <EMPHASIS> tag. These are described in the Tags Quick Reference and Using Global Tags manuals.

Example: <EMPHASIS>

In this example, we will bold the word "groups" and italicize the word "breeds" and the text "Before you get a dog". 


<p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are Labrador Retrievers, 
Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc. 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  Selecting the right breed of 
dog is very important.

Command

The following command is used to process the SDML file and create a PS output file, SAMPLE_DOC.PS. When you print out the file, you will see how the text is emphasized.

Output

There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc.

Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

3.3 Underlining Text with the <UNDERLINE> Tag

If you want to underline a word or some text, you use the <UNDERLINE> tag.

The text that is to be underlined can be enclosed in parenthesis or the <ENDUNDERLINE> tag can be used. The formats are:

<UNDERLINE>(text)

and

<UNDERLINE>

text

<ENDUNDERLINE>

Example: <UNDERLINE>

In this example, we will underline the last sentence in the second paragraph. 


<p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are Labrador Retrievers, 
Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc. 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  <underline>(Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.)

Command

Create a PS or TERM file so you can see how the text is underlined.

Output

There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, etc.

Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

3.4 List Items Using the <LIST> Tags

You can make a list of items by using the <LIST> tags.

When you want to list items, you need to use the <LIST> tag at the beginning of the list, the <ENDLIST> tag at the end of the list and the "list element" <LE> tag to identify each of the items in the list. You also need to tell what type of a list you want. The list type is the argument to the <LIST> tag and is enclosed in parenthesis. The format is:

<LIST>(type of list)

<LE> list element

<LE> list element

<LE> list element

<ENDLIST>

You can have one list element or as many as you want.

There are several types of lists. Three of the commonly used types are:
numbered a number is printed to the left of the item
unnumbered a dot is printed to the left of the item
simple some space will be to the left of the item

We will show examples of each of these list types.

Example: <LIST>

The first list will be a numbered list. 


<p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are 
 
<list>(numbered)
<le> Labrador Retrievers
<le> Golden Retrievers
<le> Pointers
<le> etc.
<endlist>
 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  <underline>(Selecting the 
right breed of dog is very important.)

Command

You can create a PS, TXT or TERM output file. All will show your list.

Output

There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are

  1. Labrador Retrievers
  2. Golden Retrievers
  3. Pointers
  4. etc.

Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

3.4.1 Unnumbered and Simple Lists

If you want to create an unnumbered list, change the list type to unnumbered. The printed list will then look like this:

If you change the list type to simple, the printed list will look like this:

3.4.2 Nested Lists

You can also have nested lists. That is a list for one of the list elements. We will add some text to the documentation example to show a list within a list. The nested list text will be indented for readability purposes only. You can indent nested lists or any other text in your SDML file so the text stands out. DECdocument ignores spacing in the SDML file so you can use spacing that makes things easy to read or not, whatever your choice.

Example: nested list


<p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are 
 
<list>(numbered) 
<le> Labrador Retrievers 
        <list>(unnumbered)
        <le> Black in color
        <le> Chocolate in color
        <le> Yellow in color
        <endlist>
<le> Golden Retrievers 
<le> Pointers 
<le> etc. 
<endlist> 
 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  <underline>(Selecting the 
right breed of dog is very important.)

Command

You can create a PS, TXT or TERM output file. All will show your nested list.

Output

There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are

  1. Labrador Retrievers
  2. Golden Retrievers
  3. Pointers
  4. etc.

    Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

    Comments

    Other types of lists are described in several of the DECdocument manuals. Detailed information can be found in the Using Global Tags manual.

    3.5 Create Tables with the <TABLE> Tags

    You can make different types of tables by using the <TABLE> tags.

    There are four main table tags. These are:

    <TABLE> creates a table
    <TABLE_SETUP> tells how many columns are in the table and how wide the columns are. NOTE: You do NOT specify the width of the last column, DECdocument will take care of the last column width.
    <TABLE_ROW> the text that is in one row of the table
    <ENDTABLE> tells the end of the table

    Example: <TABLE>

    We will now add a table to the SAMPLE_DOC.SDML file. This table will have 3 columns. The editor is used to add the table text. We will also put in a <P> tag before the table text for spacing. 


    <p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are 
 
<list>(numbered) 
<le> Labrador Retrievers 
        <list>(unnumbered) 
        <le> Black in color 
        <le> Chocolate in color 
        <le> Yellow in color 
        <endlist> 
<le> Golden Retrievers 
<le> Pointers 
<le> etc. 
<endlist> 
 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  <underline>(Selecting the 
right breed of dog is very important.) 
 
<p>
<table>
<table_setup>(3\6\12)
<table_row>(tiny\1-15 lbs\Chihuahua)
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel)
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter)
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd)
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane)
<endtable>

    As you can see, the <TABLE_SETUP> tag provides the table column and width information. In this case, there are 3 columns and the maximum width of the first column is 6 characters. The width must be at least 6 characters because the word "medium" is 6 characters. The width of the second column is 12 because "over 100 lbs" is 12 characters. There is NO width given for the third column.

    Note
    You do NOT give the width of the last column of a table because DECdocument controls the last column width.

    There is a <TABLE_ROW> tag for each row of text in the table. The text is enclosed in parenthesis and the column elements are separated by a "\" backslash.

    Command

    You can create a PS, TXT or TERM output file and print or type out the file to see how DECdocument sets up a table.

    • $ document sample_doc.sdml general ps
    • $ document sample_doc.sdml general mail
    • $ document sample_doc.sdml general term
    The output will look like the text shown in the following Output section.

    Output

    There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are

    1. Labrador Retrievers
      • Black in color
      • Chocolate in color
      • Yellow in color
    2. Golden Retrievers
    3. Pointers
    4. etc.

      Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

      tiny 1-15 lbs Chihuahua
      small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
      medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
      large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
      giant over 100 lbs Great Dane

      3.5.1 Table with column headings

      This example shows how to make table column headings. The <TABLE_HEADS> tag is used with column headings.

      Example: <TABLE_HEADS>

      You can edit the SAMPLE_DOC.SDML text file and add the column heading line.

      Note
      If you want to put more space between the columns, you can increase the width of the columns. 


      <p> 
There are many <emphasis>(groups\bold) of dogs.  Each group type 
will perform a different specialized task.  One group is used for herding, 
one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on.  Within 
each group, there are numerous <emphasis>(breeds\italic) of dogs. 
For example, in the hunting group, there are 
 
<list>(numbered) 
<le> Labrador Retrievers 
        <list>(unnumbered) 
        <le> Black in color 
        <le> Chocolate in color 
        <le> Yellow in color 
        <endlist> 
<le> Golden Retrievers 
<le> Pointers 
<le> etc. 
<endlist> 
 
<p> 
<emphasis>(Before you get a dog), you should consider what type of dog you 
want and what the dog will be used for.  If you just want a family pet, some 
breeds are better than others.  Some breeds tend to bond to only one person 
while others will bond to all family members.  <underline>(Selecting the 
right breed of dog is very important.) 
 
 
<p> 
<table> 
<table_setup>(3\6\12) 
 
<table_heads>(Size\Weight\Example)
 
<table_row>(tiny\1-15 lbs\Chihuahua) 
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel) 
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter) 
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd) 
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane) 
<endtable>

      Command

      You can create a PS, TXT or TERM output file.

      • $ document sample_doc.sdml general ps
      • $ document sample_doc.sdml general mail
      • $ document sample_doc.sdml general term

      Output

      There are many groups of dogs. Each group type will perform a different specialized task. One group is used for herding, one is used for hunting, another is used for searching and so on. Within each group, there are numerous breeds of dogs. For example, in the hunting group, there are

      1. Labrador Retrievers
        • Black in color
        • Chocolate in color
        • Yellow in color
      2. Golden Retrievers
      3. Pointers
      4. etc.

        Before you get a dog, you should consider what type of dog you want and what the dog will be used for. If you just want a family pet, some breeds are better than others. Some breeds tend to bond to only one person while others will bond to all family members. Selecting the right breed of dog is very important.

        Size Weight Example
        tiny 1-15 lbs Chihuahua
        small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
        medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
        large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
        giant over 100 lbs Great Dane

        Comments

        Tables can be nested. That is, you can have a table within a table. The Producing Online and Printed DocumentationProducing Online and Printed Documentation manual shows how tables can be nested. The manual also shows table units and describes some other table tags.

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