is used for the names of all UNIX utilities, switches, directories,
and filenames and to emphasize new terms and concepts when they
are first introduced.
Bold
is used occasionally within text to make words easy to find -- just like
movie stars' names in the People section of your local newspaper.
For example, it is used with line numbers in the descriptions
of files and programs.
Teletype
(constant width) is used for sample code fragments and examples.
A reference in
text to a word or item used in an example or code fragment is
also shown in teletype font.
Teletype Bold
is used in examples to show commands or text that would be typed
in literally by the user.
Teletype Italic
Teletype Bold Italic
are used in code fragments and examples to show variables for which
a context-specific substitution should be made.
(The variable filename, for example, would be replaced by some
actual filename.)
Constant italic is also used to highlight line numbers
in examples (like 12>).
These line numbers are not part of the file; they are for reference only.
function(n)
is a reference to a manual page in Section n of the
UNIX programmer's manual.
For example,
mh-format(5)
refers to a page called mh-format in Section 5.
%
is the C shell prompt.
$
is the Bourne shell prompt.
...
stands for text (usually computer output) that's been
omitted for clarity or to save space.
:-)
is an "electronic smiley face," a convention in electronic communication.
It means "don't take that seriously."
CTRL
stands for a control character.
To create
CTRL-D,
for example, hold down the
Control key and press the
"d" key.
Control characters are not case sensitive;
"d" refers to both the uppercase and lowercase letter.
Control characters are also shown with a caret (^) and the letter,
as in ^D.
META
stands for a Meta character.
Meta characters are written as follows:
if the character is a lowercase
letter, the meta character will appear as
META-C.
If the character is an uppercase letter, the meta character will
appear as
META-SHIFT-C.
To create
META-C, for example, hold down the
"Meta"
key and press the "c"
key.
To make the
META-SHIFT-C
character, hold down both the
"Meta"
key and the
SHIFT
(shift) key and press the "c" key.
The Meta key isn't always labeled "Meta".
If your keyboard doesn't have Meta keys, try using a utility like
xmodmap(1)
to redefine some other key -- or use another
command to do what you need.