The following shows the syntax of the <!ENTITY> tag you use
to define your own symbols in the message table or setup data set:
- <!ENTITY entity-name "replacement
text" -- comment -- >
- An ENTITY identifies an entity declaration, which just means it's
how you define a symbol. An entity statement breaks down as follows:
- entity-name
- Specifies the name you select for your symbol. When you specify
the entity name in your message table, it will resolve to the replacement
text when you generate the message table.
- "replacement text"
- A single string specifying the text that you want your entity
or symbol name to resolve to.
Local symbols can use symbols within
the replacement text. For example, you could define a symbol as follows:
<!ENTITY good2 "&good1; is a good symbol, these are two good symbols">
Then in the message table, you code the following sentence:
If &good2; we can use in a message.
Will
resolve into a complete sentence when the check runs:
If &good1; is a good symbol, these are two good symbols we can use in a message.
Neat
huh? Don't get yourself tied in knots though!
- -- comment -- >
- Specifies a comment within an entity declaration. You can insert
a comment anywhere in an entity declaration between the < > delimiters.
Identify the start and end of the comment with two hyphens (--). The
following example shows a comment in an entity declaration:
<!ENTITY newsym "the symbol resolves to this text" -- this is a comment -->