option
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This is an alpha version of this book.

# option

## Name

option — An option for a software command

##

# Synopsis

### Mixed Content Model

    option ::=
    (#PCDATA|replaceable|inlinegraphic|inlinemediaobject|indexterm|
     beginpage)*

### Attributes

Common attributes

### Parameter Entities

The following parameter entities contain option:

Parameter Entities
`%cptr.char.mix;` | `%ndxterm.char.mix;` | `%para.char.mix;`
`%refinline.char.mix;` | `%refname.char.mix;` | `%tbl.entry.mdl;`
`%tech.char.class;` | `%title.char.mix;` |

## 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: `application`, `arg`, `attribution`, `bibliomisc`, `bridgehead`, `citation`, `citetitle`, `classsynopsisinfo`, `command`, `computeroutput`, `emphasis`, `entry`, `foreignphrase`, `funcparams`, `funcsynopsisinfo`, `function`, `glosssee`, `glossseealso`, `glossterm`, `group`, `lineannotation`, `link`, `literal`, `literallayout`, `lotentry`, `member`, `msgaud`, `olink`, `optional`, `para`, `phrase`, `primary`, `primaryie`, `productname`, `programlisting`, `quote`, `refdescriptor`, `refentrytitle`, `refname`, `refpurpose`, `remark`, `screen`, `screeninfo`, `secondary`, `secondaryie`, `see`, `seealso`, `seealsoie`, `seeie`, `seg`, `segtitle`, `simpara`, `subtitle`, `synopsis`, `term`, `tertiary`, `tertiaryie`, `title`, `titleabbrev`, `tocback`, `tocentry`, `tocfront`, `trademark`, `ulink`, `userinput`.

### Children

The following elements occur in option: `beginpage`, `indexterm`, `inlinegraphic`, `inlinemediaobject`, `replaceable`.

## See Also

`computeroutput`, `constant`, `literal`, `markup`, `optional`, `parameter`, `prompt`, `replaceable`, `sgmltag`, `userinput`, `varname`.

## Examples

    <!DOCTYPE para PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.1.2//EN"
              "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.1.2/docbookx.dtd">
    <para>
    The <option>-a</option> option on the <acronym>UNIX</acronym>
    <command>ls</command> command or the <option>/r</option> option on the
    <acronym>DOS</acronym> <command>attrib</command>
    command, for example.
    </para>

The `-a` option on the UNIX ls command or the `/r` option on the DOS attrib command, for example.

For additional examples, see also `optional` .

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