Description
Option identifies an optional argument to a software command.
Processing expectations
Formatted inline.
DocBook does not specify whether or not a symbol (such as - or /) is generated before the content of Option, or what that symbol might be. Generating the text may or may not be desirable, but in either case, it is an interchange issue. See Appendix F.
Future Changes
The content model of Option will be constrained to (#PCDATA | Replaceable | InlineGraphic) in DocBook V4.0.
Parents
These elements contain Option: Action, Application, Arg, Attribution, BiblioMisc, BridgeHead, Citation, CiteTitle, Command, Comment, ComputerOutput, Database, Emphasis, entry, Filename, ForeignPhrase, FuncParams, FuncSynopsisInfo, Function, GlossSee, GlossSeeAlso, GlossTerm, Group, Hardware, Interface, InterfaceDefinition, KeyCap, LineAnnotation, Link, Literal, LiteralLayout, LoTentry, Member, MsgAud, OLink, Option, Optional, Para, Parameter, Phrase, Primary, PrimaryIE, ProductName, ProgramListing, Property, Quote, RefDescriptor, RefEntryTitle, RefName, RefPurpose, Screen, ScreenInfo, Secondary, SecondaryIE, See, SeeAlso, SeeAlsoIE, SeeIE, Seg, SegTitle, SimPara, Subtitle, Synopsis, SystemItem, Term, Tertiary, TertiaryIE, Title, TitleAbbrev, ToCback, ToCentry, ToCfront, Trademark, ULink, UserInput.
Children
The following elements occur in Option: Action, Anchor, Application, ClassName, Command, Comment, ComputerOutput, Constant, Database, Email, EnVar, ErrorCode, ErrorName, ErrorType, Filename, Function, GUIButton, GUIIcon, GUILabel, GUIMenu, GUIMenuItem, GUISubmenu, Hardware, IndexTerm, InlineGraphic, InlineMediaObject, Interface, InterfaceDefinition, KeyCap, KeyCode, KeyCombo, KeySym, Link, Literal, Markup, MediaLabel, MenuChoice, MouseButton, MsgText, OLink, Option, Optional, Parameter, Prompt, Property, Replaceable, ReturnValue, SGMLTag, StructField, StructName, Subscript, Superscript, Symbol, SystemItem, Token, Type, ULink, UserInput, VarName.
In some contexts, the following elements are allowed anywhere: BeginPage, IndexTerm.
In some contexts, the following elements are excluded: IndexTerm.