Parameter lists

Parameter lists are another way of defining terms in a list form. You use a parameter list when the terms you are defining are related to the application in some way (for example, showing codes or parameters).

The tags you use to create parameter lists are the PARML tag and its required end tag, the PT (parameter term) tag, and the PD (parameter description) tag. The parameter list tags work a lot like the definition list tags in defining terms and descriptions, except there are no tags for defining list headings.

The PARML tag also contains the TSIZE, BREAK, COMPACT, INDENT, and SKIP attributes. The TSIZE default value is 10 bytes, as it is for definition lists. However, the BREAK default value for parameter lists is ALL, instead of NONE, as in definition lists. Thus, the parameter descriptions format on the lines following the parameter terms unless you specify otherwise.

A parameter list can contain multiple parameter terms. The TSIZE attribute of the enclosing PARML tag specifies the number of PT tags in a group and their respective widths. For example, TSIZE='10 5' specifies 2 parameter term columns with sizes of 10 and 5 characters, respectively.

Here is the markup for a typical parameter list:

<!doctype dm system>
<panel name=ordnum width=52>Order Numbers
  <area>
    <info width=50>
      <p>The order number assigned to each inventory item
      represents specific information about the item.
      <p>Specifically,
      <parml>
        <pt>123
        <pd>The first 3 digits represent the
        department the item is stocked in.
        <pt>456
        <pd>The fourth, fifth, and sixth digits
        represent the item.
        <pt>78
        <pd>The seventh and eighth digits represent
        the lot number of the item.
      </parml>
    </info>
  </area>
</panel>

Here is the formatted parameter list:

Figure 1. Parameter list

                   Order Numbers

 The order number assigned to each inventory item
 represents specific information about the item.

 Specifically,

 123
           The first 3 digits represent the
           department the item is stocked in.

 456
           The fourth, fifth, and sixth digits
           represent the item.

 78
           The seventh and eighth digits represent
           the lot number of the item.