DECdocument
DECdocument
Tutorial and
Application Guide
Previous Contents Index

3.6 Indenting Text with the <SAMPLE_TEXT> Tag

You can indent blocks of text by using the <SAMPLE_TEXT> and <ENDSAMPLE_TEXT> tags. The format is:

<SAMPLE_TEXT>

text

<ENDSAMPLE_TEXT>

Example: <SAMPLE_TEXT>, <ENDSAMPLE_TEXT>

We are going to indent the "list" that is in the sample documentation. To do this, we will add two tags as shown in the following example. 


<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 
 
<sample_text>
<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> 
<endsample_text>
 
<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.

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

3.7 Using the <LINE> Tag

There are several different ways the <LINE> tag can be used. You can use the <LINE> tag to print specific text on a new line. If you use arguments with the <LINE> tag, you can indent a line or block of text and/or specify some vertical space. Here are some examples:

Preceding line of text...
<line>
This form is used to place text on a separate line with no space between the line and the preceding line.

Preceding line of text...
<line>(indent)
This form is used to place text on a separate line and indent the text. There is no space between the line and the preceding line.

Preceding line of text...
<line>(indent\3)
This form is used to place text on a separate line AND indent the text a specified unit. The unit number can be 2 thru 9 (1 is the default). In this case, 3 is the unit number. The size of the units can vary depending on the DOCTYPE. There is no space between the line and the preceding line.

Preceding line of text...
<line>(smallskip)

This form is used to place text on a separate line AND put some space between the line and the preceding line. The actual amount of vertical space is determined by the DOCTYPE used.

Preceding line of text...
<line>(bigskip)


This form is used to place text on a separate line AND put a larger space between the line and the preceding line. The actual amount of vertical space is determined by the DOCTYPE used.

Preceding line of text...
<line>(indent\3\smallskip)

This form is used to place text on a separate line AND indent the text 3 units. ALSO, there will be some space between the line and the preceding line.

Note
The size of the indented space and vertical space varies depending on the DOCTYPE used.

Example: <LINE>

We will add some text to the table in our sample documentation to show how the <LINE> tag can be used to put specific text on separate lines. We will also add some text at the bottom of the sample documentation to show how text can be indented. 


<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 
 
<sample_text> 
<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> 
<endsample_text> 
 
<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<line>Toy Poodle)
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel<line>Boston Terrier)
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter<line>Collie)
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd<line>Retrievers)
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane<line>St. Bernard)
<endtable> 
 
<line>(indent\4\bigskip)
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes.

Command

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

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
Toy Poodle
small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
Boston Terrier
medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
Collie
large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
Retrievers
giant over 100 lbs Great Dane
St. Bernard


Dogs come in all shapes and sizes.

3.8 Use the <CODE_EXAMPLE> Tags for Unformatted Text

If you have text or an example that you do not want formatted but shown exactly as it appears in the SDML file, you can use the <CODE_EXAMPLE> and <ENDCODE_EXAMPLE> tags. Here are the two formats:

<CODE_EXAMPLE>(text)

and

<CODE_EXAMPLE>

text

<ENDCODE_EXAMPLE>

Example: <CODE_EXAMPLE>, <ENDCODE_EXAMPLE>

We will add some text to the bottom of the sample documentation SDML file. 


<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 
 
<sample_text> 
<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> 
<endsample_text> 
 
<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<line>Toy Poodle) 
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel<line>Boston Terrier) 
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter<line>Collie) 
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd<line>Retrievers) 
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane<line>St. Bernard) 
<endtable> 
 
<line>(indent\4\bigskip) 
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 
 
 
<code_example>
                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/ 
<endcode_example>

Command

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

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
Toy Poodle
small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
Boston Terrier
medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
Collie
large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
Retrievers
giant over 100 lbs Great Dane
St. Bernard


Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 


                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/

3.9 Adding Notes with the <NOTE> Tag

You can put notes in your documentation with the <NOTE> tag. There are two formats for this tag and they are:

<NOTE>(note text)

and

<NOTE>(optional heading text)

note text

<ENDNOTE>

Example: <NOTE>, <ENDNOTE>

We will add a note to the bottom of the sample documentation SDML file. 


<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 
 
<sample_text> 
<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> 
<endsample_text> 
 
<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<line>Toy Poodle) 
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel<line>Boston Terrier) 
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter<line>Collie) 
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd<line>Retrievers) 
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane<line>St. Bernard) 
<endtable> 
 
<line>(indent\4\bigskip) 
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 
 
<code_example> 
                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/ 
<endcode_example> 
 
 
<note>
Dogs can be best friends.
<endnote>

Command

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

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
Toy Poodle
small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
Boston Terrier
medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
Collie
large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
Retrievers
giant over 100 lbs Great Dane
St. Bernard


Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 


                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/

Note
Dogs can be best friends.

Comments

When you use the <NOTE>, <ENDNOTE> tags, you can give the note a heading by putting some text in parentheses after the <NOTE> tag. For example, this note: 


 
<note>(Test Note) 
This is a note which has a heading. 
<endnote>
will look like this:

Test Note
This is a note which has a heading.

3.10 Putting Comments in the SDML file

If you want to put comments in your SDML file, you can do this with the <COMMENT> tag. The commented text is NOT included in the output file. There are two formats for the <COMMENT> tag and they are:

<COMMENT>(text)

and

<COMMENT>

text

<ENDCOMMENT>

Example: <COMMENT>, <ENDCOMMENT>

We will add a comment to the top of the SAMPLE_DOC.SDML file. 


<comment>(This is the DECdocument sample documentation file)
 
<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 
 
<sample_text> 
<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> 
<endsample_text> 
 
<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<line>Toy Poodle) 
<table_row>(small\15-30 lbs\Cocker Spaniel<line>Boston Terrier) 
<table_row>(medium\30-60 lbs\Irish Setter<line>Collie) 
<table_row>(large\60-100 lbs\German Shepherd<line>Retrievers) 
<table_row>(giant\over 100 lbs\Great Dane<line>St. Bernard) 
<endtable> 
 
<line>(indent\4\bigskip) 
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 
 
<code_example> 
                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/ 
<endcode_example> 
 
<note> 
Dogs can be best friends. 
<endnote>

Command

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

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
Toy Poodle
small 15-30 lbs Cocker Spaniel
Boston Terrier
medium 30-60 lbs Irish Setter
Collie
large 60-100 lbs German Shepherd
Retrievers
giant over 100 lbs Great Dane
St. Bernard


Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. 


                           D O G  | 
                                  | 
                                  V 
                   @____/\
                   |    ^ |              \
                   |______|              / 
                          |------------- 
                          /             \
                          \             / 
                           ------------- 
                           /  \     /  \
                         _/  _/   _/  _/

Note
Dogs can be best friends.

Comments

As you can see, the comment did NOT appear in the output.

Note
Comments can be placed anywhere in the SDML file. However, comments cannot be nested. That is, you cannot have comments inside of a commented text block.

Previous Next Contents Index