Altera Documentation Conventions
Altera® documents use consistent conventions to make it easy for you to find and interpret information:
Altera documentation uses the following typographic conventions:
| Visual Cue | Meaning |
| Bold Initial Capitals | Command names, dialog box titles, and button names are shown in bold type, with initial capital letters. Examples: Find Text command, Save As dialog box, Start button. |
| bold type | Directory names, project names, disk drive names, filenames, filename extensions, and software utility names are shown in bold type. Examples: \maxplus2 directory, d: drive, chiptrip.gdf file. These items are not case-sensitive in the Windows environment; however, they are case-sensitive in the UNIX workstation environment. Altera documentation shows these items in the case appropriate to the workstation environment. |
| Initial Capitals | Keyboard keys, user-editable application window fields, and menu names are shown with initial capital letters. Examples: Delete key, the Start Time field, the Options menu. |
| "Subheading Title" | Subheadings within a document are enclosed in quotation marks. In manuals, titles of help topics are also shown in quotation marks. |
| Italic Initial Capitals | Help categories, section titles in books, application note and brief names, checkbox options, and options in dialog boxes are shown in italic type with initial capital letters. Examples: Text Editor Procedures, the Check Outputs option, the Directories box in the Open dialog box. |
| italic type | Variables are enclosed in angle brackets (< >) and shown in italic type. Example: <filename>, <project name>.acf file. |
| Bold Italic Type | Book and CD-ROM titles are shown in bold italic type with initial capital letters. Example: MAX+PLUS II Getting Started. |
Monospace font | Anything that must be typed exactly as it appears is shown in monospace font. For example: c:\max2work\tutorial\chiptrip.gdf. Also, sections of an actual file, such as a Report File, references to parts of files (e.g., the AHDL keyword SUBDESIGN), and logic function names (e.g., DFF and 16cudslr) are shown in monospace font. |
Bold Monospace font | In syntax descriptions, bold monospace font may be used to help distinguish literal text from variables. |
| 1., 2., 3., and a., b., c.,... | Numbered steps are used in a list of items when the sequence of the items is important, such as the steps listed in a procedure.
Bullets are used in a list of items when the sequence of the items is not important. |
| The checkmark indicates a procedure that consists of one step only. |
| The hand points to information that requires special attention. |
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The feet show you where to go for more information. |
The following terminology is used throughout Altera documentation:
| Term | Meaning |
| Button 1 | Left mouse button. |
| Button 2 | For PCs, the right button on a two-button mouse or the middle or right button on a three-button mouse. For UNIX workstations, the right button on a three-button mouse. |
| "point to" | Indicates that you should move the mouse so that the pointer is over the specified item. |
| "choose" | Indicates that you need to use a mouse or key combination to start an action. For example, when you use the mouse to choose a button, you point to the button and click Button 1. When you use the keyboard to choose a command, you type Alt and then type letters that are underlined in the menu bar and menu. (In UNIX workstation-based MAX+PLUS® II software, you must use Ctrl instead of Alt.) |
| "select" | Indicates that you need to highlight text, and/or objects, or an option in a dialog box with a key combination or the mouse. A selection does not start an action. Example: Select the AND2 primitive, then choose Delete from the Edit menu. |
| "press" | Indicates that you must hold down a mouse button or key. |
| "turn on"/"turn off" | Indicates that you must click Button 1 on a checkbox or choose a menu command to turn a function on or off. |
| "click" | Indicates a quick press and release of a mouse button. |
| "double-click" | Indicates two clicks in rapid succession. |
Backus-Naur Form (BNF) is used to define the syntax of typed commands, text file formats, and variables. BNF uses the following notation:
| Characters |
Meaning |
| ::= |
"Is defined as" |
| <...> |
Identifiers (i.e., variables) |
| [...] |
Optional items |
| { ... } |
Repeated items (zero or more times) |
...|... |
Indicates a choice between items |
:n:n |
Suffix indicates a range (e.g., <name char>:1:8 means "from 1 to 8 name characters") |
| italic type |
Variables in syntax descriptions, i.e., text |
Monospace font |
Literal text in syntax descriptions that you must type |
Bold Monospace font | sometimes used to help distinguish literal text from italic variables in syntax descriptions |
Key combinations and sequences appear in the following format:
| Format Cue | Meaning |
| Key1+Key2 | A plus (+) symbol indicates that you must hold down the first key when you press the second key. Example: Ctrl+L means that you must hold down Ctrl while pressing L, then release both keys. |
| Key1,Key2 | A comma (,) indicates that you must press the keys sequentially. Example: Alt,F1 means that you must press Alt and release it, then press F1 and release it. |
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