Typographic Conventions

This document uses the following typographic conventions.

audit(5): An HP-UX manpage. audit is the name and 5 is the section in the HP-UX Reference. On the web and on the Instant Information DVD, it may be a hot link to the manpage itself. From the HP-UX command line, you can enter man audit or man 5 audit to view the manpage. See man(1).
Document Title: The title of a document. On the web and on the Instant Information DVD, it may be a hot link to the document itself.
Command: A command name or qualified command phrase.
ComputerOut: Text displayed by the computer.
Emphasis: Text that is emphasized.
Emphasis: Text that is strongly emphasized.
KeyCap: The name of a keyboard key. Note that Return and Enter both refer to the same key.
FirstTerm: The defined use of an important word or phrase.
UserInput: Commands and other text that the user types.
Replaceable: The name of a variable that you may replace in a command or function or information in a display that represents several possible values.
$: Default user command prompt.
#: Default superuser (root) command prompt.
>: Default continuation command prompt.
\: Line continuation marker.

Examples and Shells

This document describes practices used by the system administrator. Since the root user (a superuser) is required to use the POSIX shell /sbin/sh, all command examples use that shell. The POSIX shell is defined in sh-posix(1). For information on other shells, see the Shells User’s Guide and sh(1).

Command Syntax

Literal: A word or character that you enter literally.
Replaceable: A word or phrase that you replace with an appropriate value.
-chars: One or more grouped command options, such as -ikx. The chars are usually a string of literal characters that each represent a specific option. For example, the entry -ikx is equivalent to the individual options -i, -k, and -x. The plus character (+) is sometimes used as an option prefix.
-word: A single command option, such as -help. The word is a literal keyword. The difference from - chars is usually obvious and is clarified in an Options description. The plus character (+) and the double hyphen (--) are sometimes used as option prefixes.
[arg]: The bracket metacharacters enclose optional content in formats and command descriptions.
{arg}: The brace metacharacters enclose required content in formats and command descriptions.
|: The bar metacharacter separates alternatives in a list of choices, usually in brackets or braces.
arg ... [arg]... {arg}...: The ellipsis metacharacter after a token or a right bracket or a right brace metacharacter indicates that the preceding term and its preceding whitespace, if any, may be repeated an arbitrary number of times.
. . .: Ellipsis is sometimes used to indicate omitted items in a range.

Function Synopsis and Syntax

HP-UX functions are described in a definition format rather than a usage format. The definition format includes typing information that is omitted when the function call is actually included in a program.

The general definition form is:

type func ( type param [, type param]... );

For example:

int setuname ( const char *name , size_t namelen);

The usage form is:

func ( param [, param]... );

For example:

setuname ( name , namelen );

The function syntax elements are the same as for commands, except for the options.

Typographic Conventions

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

» Index

Examples and Shells

Command Syntax

Function Synopsis and Syntax