DOCBOOK-APPS: Inquiry on inlines vs. sections of similar nature

[Bernd Kreimeier <bk@lokigames.com>]

It might be helpful to have the backend format function and 
variable names identically in listings and code snipplets as 
well as in the actual text  paragraphs. When I tried to 
rework the Linuxdoc DTD for the now abandoned SGMLtools, 
I had matching elements that in HTML were mapped to <pre> 
plus <tt>. I had similar matched pairs e.g. for block quotes 
and quotes merged into the text (which the LaTex ASP then 
rendered e.g. in matching italics).

It seems such a matching pair is missing from DocBook?

E.g. there seems no way to mark every occurence of 
whateverFunc in a way that would (with proper stylesheet)
render them identically. In other words, there is no
match for e.g. <programlisting> or <funcname> that works
inlined in regular text. You can use EnvVar to acocmplish
matching appearance, but that's exactly the kind of abuse 
you want to avoid. In reversal, a matching EnvSynopsis
is absent as well.

It seems natural to me to combine glossar-like definitions 
of a function, variable etc. with their repeated occurence 
and use in the text in a way that visually underlines the 
connection. Am I missing something?

                                             b.