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(texinfo)code


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`@code'{SAMPLE-CODE}
--------------------

  Use the `@code' command to indicate text that is a piece of a program
and which consists of entire syntactic tokens.  Enclose the text in
braces.

  Thus, you should use `@code' for an expression in a program, for the
name of a variable or function used in a program, or for a keyword in a
programming language.

  Use `@code' for command names in languages that resemble programming
languages, such as Texinfo.  For example, `@code' and `@samp' are
produced by writing `@code{@@code}' and `@code{@@samp}' in the Texinfo
source, respectively.

  It is incorrect to alter the case of a word inside an `@code' command
when it appears at the beginning of a sentence.  Most computer
languages are case sensitive.  In C, for example, `Printf' is different
from the identifier `printf', and most likely is a misspelling of it.
Even in languages which are not case sensitive, it is confusing to a
human reader to see identifiers spelled in different ways.  Pick one
spelling and always use that.  If you do not want to start a sentence
with a command name written all in lower case, you should rearrange the
sentence.

  In the printed manual, `@code' causes TeX to typeset the argument in
a typewriter face.  In the Info file, it causes the Info formatting
commands to use single quotation marks around the text.

  For example,

     The function returns @code{nil}.

produces this in the printed manual:

     The function returns `nil'.

  Here are some cases for which it is preferable not to use `@code':

   * For shell command names such as `ls' (use `@command').

   * For shell options such as `-c' when such options stand alone (use
     `@option').

   * Also, an entire shell command often looks better if written using
     `@samp' rather than `@code'.  In this case, the rule is to choose
     the more pleasing format.

   * For environment variable such as `TEXINPUTS' (use `@env').

   * For a string of characters shorter than a syntactic token.  For
     example, if you are writing about `goto-ch', which is just a part
     of the name for the `goto-char' Emacs Lisp function, you should use
     `@samp'.

   * In general, when writing about the characters used in a token; for
     example, do not use `@code' when you are explaining what letters
     or printable symbols can be used in the names of functions.  (Use
     `@samp'.)  Also, you should not use `@code' to mark text that is
     considered input to programs unless the input is written in a
     language that is like a programming language.  For example, you
     should not use `@code' for the keystroke commands of GNU Emacs (use
     `@kbd' instead) although you may use `@code' for the names of the
     Emacs Lisp functions that the keystroke commands invoke.


  Since `@command', `@option', and `@env' were introduced relatively
recently, it is acceptable to use `@code' or `@samp' for command names,
options, and environment variables.  The new commands allow you to
express the markup more precisely, but there is no real harm in using
the older commands, and of course the long-standing manuals do so.


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