Conventions Used in the Syntax Graphs

Conventions Used in the Syntax Graphs

The commands described in this chapter are presented in the form of syntax graphs.

• Commands are shown in a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, where the capital letters indicate the minimum abbreviation.

  Note:
  This convention does not mean that the second part of the command must be typed in lowercase letters; commands may be entered in any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.

• For example, the command:

  Create

• can be input in any of the following forms:

  CR

  CRE

  CREA

  CREAT

  CREATE

• Commands shown in all uppercase letters cannot be abbreviated.

• Command arguments are shown in lowercase letters. These are just descriptions of what you need to enter. For example:

  FONTDirectory name

• Means that to set the name of the Font Directory to newfonts, you enter

  FONTD newfonts

• Syntax graphs are read from top left to bottom right. The start point is shown by >, and you can follow any path through the graph until the exit point, shown by >, is reached.

• Points marked with a plus sign (+) are option junctions which allow you to input any one of the commands to the right of the junction. For example:

  >---+--- ABC ---.

  | |

  |--- PQR --- |

  | |

  ‘------------+->

• Means you can type in ABC or PQR or just press Enter to get the default option.

• Text in angle brackets <. . . > is the name of another syntax graph. This convention is used for syntax which occurs in many places. The graphs referred to are described at the end of this section. For example:

  >---+--- ABC -----.

  | |

  |--- PQR -----|

  | |

  |--- <dia> ---|

  | |

  ‘-------------+--->

• Means you can type in ABC or PQR or any command allowed by the syntax given in diagram <dia> or just press Enter to get the default option.

• Points marked with an asterisk (*) are loop back junctions. Command options following these may be repeated as required. For example:

  .-----<-------.

  / |

  >---*--- option1 ---|

  | |

  |--- option2 ---|

  | |

  ‘--- option3 ---+--->

• Means that you can enter any combination of option1 and/or option2 and/or option3, where the options can be commands, other syntax diagrams, or command arguments.

• The simplified format

  .----<------.

  / |

  >---*--- name ----+--->

• Means that you may type in a list of Marine names, separated by at least one space.

• Names in lowercase letters enclosed in angled brackets (for example <gid>) represent subsidiary syntax diagrams. The only ones used in this manual are <gid> and <uval>.

• In Isodraft, the <gid> syntax has the restricted range of options shown here.

  >---+--- name ----.

  | |

  ‘--- refno ---+--->

• The full range of options for <gid> are shown in the Command Reference Section of the Software Customisation Guide. They apply only to database navigation operations.

• <uval> is used to enter a dimension using a unit of measurement which is not the current default unit:

  ---+-- value -----.

  | |

  ‘-- <expres> --+-- EXponential -- value --.

  | |

  ‘--------------------------+--- MM -------.

  | |

  |--- Metres ---|

  | |

  |--- INches ---|

  | |

  |--- FT -------|

  | |

  |--- FEet -----|

  | |

  |--- text -----|

  | |

  ‘--------------+-->

• where <expres> is another subsidiary diagram representing the range of mathematical expressions which can be used to input values, and text represents a user-defined unit of measurement. Using expressions in Marine is described in the Software Customisation Guide.

• For example:

  9.75 INCH

  1.5 FT

  Note:
  For information about the syntax for PML, the Marine Programmable Macro Language, and the Marine forms and menus, see the Software Customisation Guide.