DocBook markup conventions

This page offers conventions for DocBook markup. Please modify this page as you come across more markup you need for the docs.openstack.org site.

General style conventions

Use "OpenStack", not Openstack or openstack.
Wrap lines to 70 characters.

Information or configuration files that the user has to type or read

<programlisting>
config-file-example=asdf
foo=bar
hello=world
</programlisting>

Inline configuration information (option name or value)

<literal>--use_deprecated_auth</literal>

Configuration information when part should be replaced

<literal>http://<replaceable>IP_ADDRESS</replaceable>/foo/bar</literal>

Inline mention of a specific command

<command>nova-manage</command>

Command to type into a shell

<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>command as a regular usre</userinput>
</screen>

<screen>
<prompt>#</prompt> <userinput>command as root</userinput>
</screen>

<screen>
<prompt>(mysql)</prompt> <userinput>command to type</userinput>
</screen>

Result of the command

<screen>
<computeroutput>result output goes here</computeroutput>
</screen>

Note that this can be combined with a prompt and input:

<screen>
<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>command to type</userinput>
<computeroutput>result output goes here</computeroutput>
</screen>

File names

<filename>/my/file/is/here</filename>

File contents

<programlisting>
contents
of a
file
</programlisting>

Ordered procedure to follow (where step 2 needs to be done after step 1)

<orderedlist>
       <listitem></listitem>
</orderedlist>

Instructions to follow with no critical dependency across steps

<itemizedlist>
      <listitem></listitem>
</itemizedlist>

A list in key/value form

<variablelist>
  <varlistentry>
    <term>key</term>
    <listitem>value</listitem>
  </varlistentry>
  <varlistentry>
    <term>key</term>
    <listitem>value</listitem>
  </varlistentry>
</variablelist>

Documentation/Conventions