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| 53 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION000400000000000000000"></A><A NAME="style-guide"></A> |
| 54 | <BR> |
| 55 | 3 Style Guide |
| 56 | </H1> |
| 57 | |
| 58 | <P> |
| 59 | The Python documentation should follow the <em class="citetitle"><a |
| 60 | href="http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/APStyleGuide/AppleStyleGuide2003.pdf" |
| 61 | title="Apple Publications Style Guide" |
| 62 | >Apple Publications Style Guide</a></em> wherever possible. This particular |
| 63 | style guide was selected mostly because it seems reasonable and is |
| 64 | easy to get online. |
| 65 | |
| 66 | <P> |
| 67 | Topics which are not covered in the Apple's style guide will be |
| 68 | discussed in this document if necessary. |
| 69 | |
| 70 | <P> |
| 71 | Many special names are used in the Python documentation, including |
| 72 | the names of operating systems, programming languages, standards |
| 73 | bodies, and the like. Many of these were assigned <span class="LaTeX">LaTeX</span> macros |
| 74 | at some point in the distant past, and these macros lived on long |
| 75 | past their usefulness. In the current markup, most of these entities |
| 76 | are not assigned any special markup, but the preferred spellings are |
| 77 | given here to aid authors in maintaining the consistency of |
| 78 | presentation in the Python documentation. |
| 79 | |
| 80 | <P> |
| 81 | Other terms and words deserve special mention as well; these conventions |
| 82 | should be used to ensure consistency throughout the documentation: |
| 83 | |
| 84 | <P> |
| 85 | <DL> |
| 86 | <DT><STRONG>CPU</STRONG></DT> |
| 87 | <DD>For ``central processing unit.'' Many style guides say this |
| 88 | should be spelled out on the first use (and if you must use it, |
| 89 | do so!). For the Python documentation, this abbreviation should |
| 90 | be avoided since there's no reasonable way to predict which occurrence |
| 91 | will be the first seen by the reader. It is better to use the |
| 92 | word ``processor'' instead. |
| 93 | |
| 94 | <P> |
| 95 | </DD> |
| 96 | <DT><STRONG>POSIX</STRONG></DT> |
| 97 | <DD>The name assigned to a particular group of standards. This is |
| 98 | always uppercase. Use the macro <tt class='macro'>\POSIX</tt> to represent this |
| 99 | name. |
| 100 | |
| 101 | <P> |
| 102 | </DD> |
| 103 | <DT><STRONG>Python</STRONG></DT> |
| 104 | <DD>The name of our favorite programming language is always |
| 105 | capitalized. |
| 106 | |
| 107 | <P> |
| 108 | </DD> |
| 109 | <DT><STRONG>Unicode</STRONG></DT> |
| 110 | <DD>The name of a character set and matching encoding. This is |
| 111 | always written capitalized. |
| 112 | |
| 113 | <P> |
| 114 | </DD> |
| 115 | <DT><STRONG><span class="Unix">Unix</span></STRONG></DT> |
| 116 | <DD>The name of the operating system developed at AT&T Bell Labs |
| 117 | in the early 1970s. Use the macro <tt class='macro'>\UNIX</tt> to use this |
| 118 | name. |
| 119 | |
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| 158 | <span class="release-info">Release 2.4.2, documentation updated on 28 September 2005.</span> |
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