RE: writing commands

["Walden Miller" <wmiller -at- vidiom -dot- com>]

I have not been following this thread, so excuse me If I am repeating
someone else....

Using brackets, braces, etc. all originate from a form a defining syntax
prior to WYSIWIG displays: Backus-Naur format (BNF).  There is actually a
few versions of it, but the core is the same and has been used consistently
for the 25+ years I have written manuals.

The versions I have used were modified to reflect typography:  Italics for
variables and a specific bold font for literals.  All other grammar was
Extended BNF.

We used a page at the beginning of  the manual for  conventions.

We used the form:

init  type [serial_number]                

Where 
     type	is one of the following: basic, pro, or delux.
     serial_number 
		is the number found on the back of the unit.  If
serial_number is not specified, 
		then you are prompted for the serial number.

Serial_number and type would be in italics indicating that you replace them
with a value.
Init, basic, pro, delux would be in a bold sans serif font t o indicate you
type them as given.  The brackets indicate that serial_number is optional.

We didn't use < or > to indicate items because < and > are command line
operators in many OS's.

Look up BNF on the web for more info....

Hope this helps.

w


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