1.5 Documentation Conventions

1.5.1 Type Conventions

This manual uses type conventions to indicate special meanings. These conventions are listed in Table 5.

Table 5 -- Type conventions

Convention	Purpose	Example
`courier`	Code, variables, symbols, operating system commands, and the names of functions, directories, and files.	fin.close(); the `<rw_root>` directory
`<x>`	A variable in a file name or directory path. Table 6 lists possible variables.	`<ver>` is the version number of your product
italic	Emphasis. New terms.	operating system family the opaque mechanism
bold	Emphasis. Commands from an interface. Rogue Wave product names.	Deprecated class. Use... the OK button Tools.h++ Professional files
*bold italic*	Class names.	*RWCString*
`.` `.` `.` or `...`	Code is missing.	`main()` `{ .` `. //Something` `. //happens!` `}`

1.5.2 Pathname Variables

The Software Parts Manager (SPM) application that you use to install and build Rogue Wave products provides a system of variables that allow you to manage multiple builds. This manual uses these variables as placeholders in pathnames to indicate information that change s according to your product, compiler, platform, and installation. These variables are set off by angle brackets, as in <x>. Table 6 explains the path name variables used in SPM installations. For more information, please see the Build Guide.

Table 6 -- Path name variables

Convention	Definition	Example
`<rw_root>`	The name you gave your Rogue Wave root directory.	`c:\rwav`
`<ver>`	The version number of your product, operating system, or compiler.	`tpr00120 WINNT4 MSVC50`
`<osfam>`	A mnemonic representing your operating system family: `w` for Windows, and `u` for Unix. Also represented as `[w\|u]`.	`tpr00120w`
`<OS>`	A mnemonic representing your operating system.	`WIN95 SOLARIS`
`<COMPILER>`	A mnemonic representing your compiler.	`MSVC`
`<buildtype>`	A build type, consisting of a build number, binding type, and optional user-defined library suffix.	`7s` `7d_test`
`<ext>`	An extension.	`.lib`
`\`	A delimiter in a path name. Unix users should replace `\` with `/`.	`parts\htmldocs`

Here is an example of a path name that uses SPM variables:

<rw_root>\parts\tpr<ver><osfam>\source\obj\<OS+ver>\
<COMPILER+ver>\<buildtype>

With the variables specified, this path could become:

c:\rwav\parts\tpr0120w\source\obj\WINNT4\MSVC60\7s

This specific path indicates a c:\rwav root directory containing the product Tools.h++ Professional 1.2, configured for Windows NT, the Microsoft Visual C++ compiler, and the 7s library build type. Build types are explained in detail in the Build Guide.

1.5.3 Terminology and Notation

Like most technical manuals, this manual contains terminology that may be unfamiliar at first. If you encounter an unfamiliar term, please consult the glossary at the end of this manual.

The notation system used in the hierarchy diagrams is the standard Unified Modeling Language (UML). See any UML guide for information.

1.5.4 Naming Conventions

Most Rogue Wave class names and types start with the capital letters RW. All member function names start with a lower case letter, but subsequent words are capitalized. All global function names start with the lower case letters rw. In most class and function names, words are fully spelled out, not abbreviated. Here are some examples:

*RWSocket*	A class name
`doReadObject()`	A function name
`rwServiceCancellation()`	A global function name

In our manuals, we sometimes refer to an instance of a class by an English name; for example, the "runnable" instead of "the RWRunnable instance." We do this for readability when the meaning should be clear from context. If there is possible ambiguity, however, we use the actual class name.