Action item concerning <cmdname>,<parmname, and <option>

[Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com>]

Robert and I had an action item from the TC meeting on 17 January to suggest clarification about the <cmdname>,<parmname, and <option> elements. Below is what we came up with:

 

<cmdname>

A command name is the name of a software command.

Example: Use the <cmdname>dita</cmdname> command to …

 

<parmname>

A parameter name is the name of a parameter that is passed to an API or a command-line interface (CLI).

Example: Use the <parmname>args.bookmap-order</parmname> parameter to specify if the frontmatter and backmatter content order is retained.

 

<option>

The <option> element specifies a permitted value for a parameter or configuration.

Example: Use the <parmname>args.bookmap-order</parmname> parameter to specify if the frontmatter and backmatter content order is retained. The allowed values are <option>retain</option> and <option>discard</option>; the default value is <option>discard</option>.

 

The above definitions and examples (from DITA-OT documentation) reflect how we understand and use these DITA elements.

 

Best,

Kris

 

Kristen James Eberlein
Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
Owner, Eberlein Consulting LLC
kris@eberleinconsulting.com

Skype: kriseberlein; voice: +1 (919) 622-1501