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<div id="contentHeaderCentre">-- Perl 5.8.8 documentation --</div>
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<div id="contentHeaderCentre">-- Perl 5.10.0 documentation --</div>
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<div id="breadCrumbs"><a href="index.html">Home</a> > <a href="index-language.html">Language reference</a> > perlpod</div>
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<script language="JavaScript">fromSearch();</script>
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<div id="contentBody"><div class="title_container"><div class="page_title">perlpod</div></div><ul><li><a href="#NAME-POD-plain-old-documentation">NAME
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</a><li><a href="#DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a><ul><li><a href="#Ordinary-Paragraph-POD%2c-ordinary-paragraph">Ordinary Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Verbatim-Paragraph-POD%2c-verbatim-paragraph-verbatim">Verbatim Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Command-Paragraph-POD%2c-command">Command Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Formatting-Codes-POD%2c-formatting-code-formatting-code-POD%2c-interior-sequence-interior-sequence">Formatting Codes
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<div id="contentBody"><div class="title_container"><div class="page_title">perlpod</div></div><ul><li><a href="#NAME">NAME
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</a><li><a href="#DESCRIPTION">DESCRIPTION</a><ul><li><a href="#Ordinary-Paragraph">Ordinary Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Verbatim-Paragraph">Verbatim Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Command-Paragraph">Command Paragraph
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</a><li><a href="#Formatting-Codes">Formatting Codes
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</a><li><a href="#The-Intent-POD%2c-intent-of">The Intent
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</a><li><a href="#Embedding-Pods-in-Perl-Modules-POD%2c-embedding">Embedding Pods in Perl Modules
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</a><li><a href="#Hints-for-Writing-Pod">Hints for Writing Pod</a></ul><li><a href="#SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a><li><a href="#AUTHOR">AUTHOR</a></ul><a name="NAME-POD-plain-old-documentation"></a><h1>NAME
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</a><li><a href="#The-Intent">The Intent
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</a><li><a href="#Embedding-Pods-in-Perl-Modules">Embedding Pods in Perl Modules
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</a><li><a href="#Hints-for-Writing-Pod">Hints for Writing Pod</a></ul><li><a href="#SEE-ALSO">SEE ALSO</a><li><a href="#AUTHOR">AUTHOR</a></ul><a name="NAME"></a><h1>NAME
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<p>perlpod - the Plain Old Documentation format</p>
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<a name="DESCRIPTION"></a><h1>DESCRIPTION</h1>
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=cut</pre><p>To explain them each in detail:</p>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead1-_Heading-Text_'-%3dhead1-%3dhead2-%3dhead3-%3dhead4-head1-head2-head3-head4"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head1 Heading Text</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead1-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head1 <i>Heading Text</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead2-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head2 Heading Text</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead3-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head3 Heading Text</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead4-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head4 Heading Text</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead2-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head2 <i>Heading Text</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead3-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head3 <i>Heading Text</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dhead4-_Heading-Text_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head4 <i>Heading Text</i></span></code>
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<p>Head1 through head4 produce headings, head1 being the highest
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level. The text in the rest of this paragraph is the content of the
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heading. For example:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =head2 Object Attributes</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">head2</span> <span class="w">Object</span> <span class="w">Attributes</span></pre>
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<p>The text "Object Attributes" comprises the heading there. (Note that
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head3 and head4 are recent additions, not supported in older Pod
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translators.) The text in these heading commands can use
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formatting codes, as seen here:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =head2 Possible Values for C<span class="q"><$/></span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">head2</span> <span class="w">Possible</span> <span class="w">Values</span> for <span class="w">C</span><span class="q"><$/></span></pre>
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<p>Such commands are explained in the
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"<a href="#Formatting-Codes">Formatting Codes</a>" section, below.</p>
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<li><a name="'%3dover-_indentlevel_'-%3dover-%3ditem-%3dback-over-item-back"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=over indentlevel</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dover-_indentlevel_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=over <i>indentlevel</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3ditem-_stuff..._'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=item stuff...</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3ditem-_stuff..._'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=item <i>stuff...</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dback'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=back</span></code>
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Pod block starts with <i>any</i> command paragraph, so a "=pod" command is
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usually used just when you want to start a Pod block with an ordinary
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paragraph or a verbatim paragraph. For example:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =item <span class="i">stuff</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> This function does stuff.</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =cut</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">item</span> <span class="i">stuff</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <span class="w">This</span> <span class="w">function</span> <span class="w">does</span> <span class="w">stuff</span>.</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">cut</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"><a name="stuff"></a> sub <span class="m">stuff</span> <span class="s">{</span>
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<span class="s">}</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =pod</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">pod</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> Remember to check its return value, as in:</pre><pre class="verbatim"> <span class="i">stuff</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span> || <a class="l_k" href="functions/die.html">die</a> <span class="q">"Couldn't do stuff!"</span><span class="sc">;</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =cut</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">cut</span></pre>
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<li><a name="'%3dbegin-_formatname_'-%3dbegin-%3dend-%3dfor-begin-end-for"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=begin formatname</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dbegin-_formatname_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=begin <i>formatname</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dend-_formatname_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=end formatname</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dend-_formatname_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=end <i>formatname</i></span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dfor-_formatname_-_text..._'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=for formatname text...</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dfor-_formatname_-_text..._'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=for <i>formatname</i> <i>text...</i></span></code>
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<p>For, begin, and end will let you have regions of text/code/data that
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are not generally interpreted as normal Pod text, but are passed
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formatter that can use that format will use the region, otherwise it
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will be completely ignored.</p>
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<p>A command "=begin <i>formatname</i>", some paragraphs, and a
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command "=end <i>formatname</i>", mean that the text/data inbetween
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command "=end <i>formatname</i>", mean that the text/data in between
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is meant for formatters that understand the special format
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called <i>formatname</i>. For example,</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =begin html</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">begin</span> <span class="w">html</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <hr> <img src="thang.png">
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<p> This is a raw HTML paragraph </p></pre><pre class="verbatim"> =end html</pre>
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<p> This is a raw HTML paragraph </p></pre><pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">end</span> <span class="w">html</span></pre>
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<p>The command "=for <i>formatname</i> <i>text...</i>"
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specifies that the remainder of just this paragraph (starting
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right after <i>formatname</i>) is in that special format. </p>
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right after <i>formatname</i>) is in that special format.</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =for html <hr> <img src="thang.png">
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<p> This is a raw HTML paragraph </p></pre><p>This means the same thing as the above "=begin html" ... "=end html"
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after the "=begin" command and a blank line before the "=end"
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<p>Here are some examples of how to use these:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =begin html</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <br>Figure 1.<br><IMG SRC="figure1.png"><br></pre><pre class="verbatim"> =end html</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =begin text</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">begin</span> <span class="w">html</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <br>Figure 1.<br><IMG SRC="figure1.png"><br></pre><pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">end</span> <span class="w">html</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">begin</span> <span class="w">text</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> ---------------
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---------------</pre><pre class="verbatim"> ^^^^ Figure 1. ^^^^</pre><pre class="verbatim"> =end text</pre>
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---------------</pre><pre class="verbatim"> ^^^^ Figure 1. ^^^^</pre><pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">end</span> <span class="w">text</span></pre>
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<p>Some format names that formatters currently are known to accept
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include "roff", "man", "latex", "tex", "text", and "html". (Some
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formatters will treat some of these as synonyms.)</p>
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<p>A format name of "comment" is common for just making notes (presumably
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to yourself) that won't appear in any formatted version of the Pod
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<pre class="verbatim"> =for comment
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Make sure that all the available options are documented!</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =for <span class="w">comment</span>
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<span class="w">Make</span> <span class="w">sure</span> <span class="w">that</span> <span class="w">all</span> <span class="w">the</span> <span class="w">available</span> <span class="w">options</span> <span class="w">are</span> <span class="w">documented</span>!</pre>
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<p>Some <i>formatnames</i> will require a leading colon (as in
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<code class="inline"><span class="q">"=for :formatname"</span></code>
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normal formatting (e.g., may not be a normal-use paragraph, but might
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be for formatting as a footnote).</p>
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<li><a name="'%3dencoding-_encodingname_'-%3dencoding-encoding"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=encoding encodingname</span></code>
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<li><a name="'%3dencoding-_encodingname_'"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="pd">=encoding <i>encodingname</i></span></code>
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<p>This command is used for declaring the encoding of a document. Most
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users won't need this; but if your encoding isn't US-ASCII or Latin-1,
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then put a <code class="inline"><span class="pd">=encoding encodingname</span></code>
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then put a <code class="inline"><span class="pd">=encoding <i>encodingname</i></span></code>
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command early in the document so
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that pod formatters will know how to decode the document. For
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<i>encodingname</i>, use a name recognized by the <a href="Encode/Supported.html">Encode::Supported</a>
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module. Examples:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<a class="l_w" href="encoding.html">encoding</a> <a class="l_w" href="utf8.html">utf8</a></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<a class="l_w" href="encoding.html">encoding</a> koi8-r
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=<a class="l_w" href="encoding.html">encoding</a> ShiftJIS
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=<a class="l_w" href="encoding.html">encoding</a> big5</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">encoding</span> <span class="w">utf8</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">encoding</span> <span class="w">koi8</span>-r</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">encoding</span> <span class="w">ShiftJIS</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">encoding</span> <span class="w">big5</span></pre>
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<p>And don't forget, when using any command, that the command lasts up
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examples below, you can see that every command needs the blank
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line after it, to end its paragraph.</p>
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<p>Some examples of lists include:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =over</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =item *</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> First item</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =item *</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> Second item</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =back</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =over</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =item <span class="i">Foo</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> Description of Foo function</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =item <span class="i">Bar</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> Description of Bar function</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =back</pre>
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<a name="Formatting-Codes-POD%2c-formatting-code-formatting-code-POD%2c-interior-sequence-interior-sequence"></a><h2>Formatting Codes
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">over</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">item</span> *</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <span class="w">First</span> <span class="w">item</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">item</span> *</pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <span class="w">Second</span> <span class="w">item</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">back</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">over</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">item</span> <span class="i">Foo</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <span class="w">Description</span> <span class="w">of</span> <span class="w">Foo</span> <span class="w">function</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">item</span> <span class="i">Bar</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> <span class="w">Description</span> <span class="w">of</span> <span class="w">Bar</span> <span class="w">function</span></pre>
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<pre class="verbatim"> =<span class="w">back</span></pre>
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<a name="Formatting-Codes"></a><h2>Formatting Codes
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<p>In ordinary paragraphs and in some command paragraphs, various
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formatting codes (a.k.a. "interior sequences") can be used:</p>
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<li><a name="'I%3ctext%3e'----italic-text-I-I%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-italic-italic"></a><b><code class="inline">I<span class="q"><text></span></code>
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<li><a name="'I%3ctext%3e'----italic-text"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">I</span><span class="q"><text></span></code>
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<p>Used for emphasis ("<code class="inline">be I<span class="q"><careful!></span></code>
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<p>Used for emphasis ("<code class="inline"><span class="w">be</span> <span class="w">I</span><span class="q"><careful!></span></code>
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") and parameters
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("<code class="inline"><a class="l_k" href="functions/redo.html">redo</a> <span class="j">I</span><span class="q"><LABEL></span></code>
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<li><a name="'B%3ctext%3e'----bold-text-B-B%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-bold-bold"></a><b><code class="inline"><a class="l_w" href="B.html">B</a><span class="q"><text></span></code>
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<li><a name="'B%3ctext%3e'----bold-text"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">B</span><span class="q"><text></span></code>
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<p>Used for switches ("<code class="inline">perl's <a class="l_w" href="B.html">B</a><span class="q"><-n></span> switch</code>
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<p>Used for switches ("<code class="inline"><span class="w">perl's</span> <span class="w">B</span><span class="q"><-n></span> switch</code>
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("<code class="inline">some systems provide a <a class="l_w" href="B.html">B</a><span class="q"><chfn></span> for that</code>
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("<code class="inline"><span class="w">some</span> <span class="w">systems</span> <span class="w">provide</span> <span class="w">a</span> <span class="w">B</span><span class="q"><chfn></span> for <span class="w">that</span></code>
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emphasis ("<code class="inline">be <a class="l_w" href="B.html">B</a><span class="q"><careful!></span></code>
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emphasis ("<code class="inline"><span class="w">be</span> <span class="w">B</span><span class="q"><careful!></span></code>
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("<code class="inline">and that feature is known as <a class="l_w" href="B.html">B</a><span class="q"><autovivification></span></code>
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("<code class="inline">and <span class="w">that</span> <span class="w">feature</span> <span class="w">is</span> <span class="w">known</span> <span class="w">as</span> <span class="w">B</span><span class="q"><autovivification></span></code>
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<li><a name="'C%3ccode%3e'----code-text-C-C%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-code-code"></a><b><code class="inline">C<span class="q"><code></span></code>
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<li><a name="'C%3ccode%3e'----code-text"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">C</span><span class="q"><code></span></code>
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<p>Renders code in a typewriter font, or gives some other indication that
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this represents program text ("<code class="inline">C<span class="q"><gmtime($^T)></span></code>
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this represents program text ("<code class="inline"><span class="w">C</span><span class="q"><gmtime($^T)></span></code>
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form of computerese ("<code class="inline">C<span class="q"><drwxr-xr-x></span></code>
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form of computerese ("<code class="inline"><span class="w">C</span><span class="q"><drwxr-xr-x></span></code>
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<li><a name="'L%3cname%3e'----a-hyperlink-L-L%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-hyperlink-hyperlink"></a><b><code class="inline">L<span class="q"><name></span></code>
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<li><a name="'L%3cname%3e'----a-hyperlink"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><name></span></code>
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<p>There are various syntaxes, listed below. In the syntaxes given,
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<code class="inline">text</code>
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, <code class="inline">name</code>
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, and <code class="inline">section</code>
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<code class="inline"><span class="w">text</span></code>
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, <code class="inline"><span class="w">name</span></code>
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, and <code class="inline"><span class="w">section</span></code>
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cannot contain the characters
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'/' and '|'; and any '<' or '>' should be matched.</p>
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<p><code class="inline">L<span class="q"><name></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><name></span></code>
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<p>Link to a Perl manual page (e.g., <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><Net::Ping></span></code>
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<p>Link to a Perl manual page (e.g., <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><Net::Ping></span></code>
395
that <code class="inline">name</code>
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that <code class="inline"><span class="w">name</span></code>
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should not contain spaces. This syntax
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is also occasionally used for references to UNIX man pages, as in
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<code class="inline">L<span class="q"><crontab(5)></span></code>
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<code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><crontab(5)></span></code>
402
<p><code class="inline">L<span class="q"><name/"sec"></span></code>
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or <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><name/sec></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><name/"sec"></span></code>
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or <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><name/sec></span></code>
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<p>Link to a section in other manual page. E.g.,
406
<code class="inline">L<span class="q"><perlsyn/"For Loops"></span></code>
407
<code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><perlsyn/"For Loops"></span></code>
410
<p><code class="inline">L<span class="q"></"sec"></span></code>
411
or <code class="inline">L<span class="q"></sec></span></code>
412
or <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><"sec"></span></code>
411
<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"></"sec"></span></code>
412
or <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"></sec></span></code>
413
or <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><"sec"></span></code>
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<p>Link to a section in this manual page. E.g.,
415
<code class="inline">L<span class="q"></"Object Methods"></span></code>
416
<code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"></"Object Methods"></span></code>
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<p>A section is started by the named heading or item. For
420
example, <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><perlvar/$.></span></code>
421
or <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><perlvar/"$."></span></code>
421
example, <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><perlvar/$.></span></code>
422
or <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><perlvar/"$."></span></code>
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link to the section started by "<code class="inline"><span class="pd">=item $.</span></code>
424
425
" in perlvar. And
425
<code class="inline">L<span class="q"><perlsyn/For Loops></span></code>
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or <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><perlsyn/"For Loops"></span></code>
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<code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><perlsyn/For Loops></span></code>
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or <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><perlsyn/"For Loops"></span></code>
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both link to the section started by "<code class="inline"><span class="pd">=head2 For Loops</span></code>
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<p>Or you can link to a web page:</p>
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<p><code class="inline">L<span class="q"><scheme:...></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><scheme:...></span></code>
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<p>Links to an absolute URL. For example,
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<code class="inline">L<span class="q"><<a href="http://www.perl.org/">http://www.perl.org/</a>></span></code>
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<code class="inline">L<<a href="http://www.perl.org/">http://www.perl.org/</a>></code>. But note
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that there is no corresponding <code class="inline">L<text|scheme:...></code> syntax, for
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various reasons.</p>
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<li><a name="'E%3cescape%3e'----a-character-escape-E-E%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-escape-escape"></a><b><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><escape></span></code>
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<li><a name="'E%3cescape%3e'----a-character-escape"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><escape></span></code>
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-- a character escape
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<p>Very similar to HTML/XML <code class="inline"><span class="i">&foo</span><span class="sc">;</span></code>
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"entity references":</p>
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<p>Very similar to HTML/XML <code class="inline">&<i>foo</i>;</code> "entity references":</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><lt></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><lt></span></code>
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-- a literal < (less than)</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><gt></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><gt></span></code>
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-- a literal > (greater than)</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><verbar></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><verbar></span></code>
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-- a literal | (<i>ver</i>tical <i>bar</i>)</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><sol></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><sol></span></code>
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= a literal / (<i>sol</i>idus)</p>
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<p>The above four are optional except in other formatting codes,
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notably <code class="inline">L<span class="q"><...></span></code>
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notably <code class="inline"><span class="w">L</span><span class="q"><...></span></code>
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, and when preceded by a
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capital letter.</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><htmlname></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><htmlname></span></code>
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<p>Some non-numeric HTML entity name, such as <code class="inline">E<span class="q"><eacute></span></code>
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<p>Some non-numeric HTML entity name, such as <code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><eacute></span></code>
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meaning the same thing as <code class="inline"><span class="i">&eacute</span><span class="sc">;</span></code>
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in HTML -- i.e., a lowercase
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e with an acute (/-shaped) accent.</p>
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<p><code class="inline">E<span class="q"><number></span></code>
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<p><code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><number></span></code>
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<p>The ASCII/Latin-1/Unicode character with that number. A
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leading "0x" means that <i>number</i> is hex, as in
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<code class="inline">E<span class="q"><0x201E></span></code>
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<code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><0x201E></span></code>
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. A leading "0" means that <i>number</i> is octal,
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as in <code class="inline">E<span class="q"><075></span></code>
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as in <code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><075></span></code>
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. Otherwise <i>number</i> is interpreted as being
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in decimal, as in <code class="inline">E<span class="q"><181></span></code>
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in decimal, as in <code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><181></span></code>
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<p>Note that older Pod formatters might not recognize octal or
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hex numeric escapes, and that many formatters cannot reliably
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render characters above 255. (Some formatters may even have
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to use compromised renderings of Latin-1 characters, like
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rendering <code class="inline">E<span class="q"><eacute></span></code>
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rendering <code class="inline"><span class="w">E</span><span class="q"><eacute></span></code>
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as just a plain "e".)</p>
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<li><a name="'F%3cfilename%3e'----used-for-filenames-F-F%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-filename-filename"></a><b><code class="inline">F<span class="q"><filename></span></code>
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<li><a name="'F%3cfilename%3e'----used-for-filenames"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">F</span><span class="q"><filename></span></code>
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-- used for filenames
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<p>Typically displayed in italics. Example: "<code class="inline">F<span class="q"><.cshrc></span></code>
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<p>Typically displayed in italics. Example: "<code class="inline"><span class="w">F</span><span class="q"><.cshrc></span></code>
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<li><a name="'S%3ctext%3e'----text-contains-non-breaking-spaces-S-S%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-non-breaking-space--non-breaking-space"></a><b><code class="inline">S<span class="q"><text></span></code>
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<li><a name="'S%3ctext%3e'----text-contains-non-breaking-spaces"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">S</span><span class="q"><text></span></code>
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-- text contains non-breaking spaces
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<p>This means that the words in <i>text</i> should not be broken
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across lines. Example: <code class="inline">S<$x ? $y : $z></code>.</p>
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across lines. Example: <code class="inline"><span class="w">S</span><span class="q"><$x ? $y : $z></span></code> .</p>
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<li><a name="'X%3ctopic-name%3e'----an-index-entry-X-X%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-index-entry-index-entry"></a><b><code class="inline">X<span class="q"><topic name></span></code>
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<li><a name="'X%3ctopic-name%3e'----an-index-entry"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">X</span><span class="q"><topic name></span></code>
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-- an index entry
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<p>This is ignored by most formatters, but some may use it for building
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indexes. It always renders as empty-string.
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Example: <code class="inline">X<span class="q"><absolutizing relative URLs></span></code>
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Example: <code class="inline"><span class="w">X</span><span class="q"><absolutizing relative URLs></span></code>
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<li><a name="'Z%3c%3e'----a-null-(zero-effect)-formatting-code-Z-Z%3c%3e-POD%2c-formatting-code%2c-null-null"></a><b><code class="inline">Z<></code>
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<li><a name="'Z%3c%3e'----a-null-(zero-effect)-formatting-code"></a><b><code class="inline"><span class="w">Z</span><></code>
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-- a null (zero-effect) formatting code
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<p>This is rarely used. It's one way to get around using an
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E<...> code sometimes. For example, instead of
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"<code class="inline">NE<lt>3</code>" (for "N<3") you could write
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"<code class="inline">NZ<><<span class="n">3</span></code>
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"<code class="inline"><span class="w">NZ</span><><<span class="n">3</span></code>
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" (the "Z<>" breaks up the "N" and
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the "<" so they can't be considered
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the part of a (fictitious) "N<...>" code.</p>
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of the closing delimiter. (The whitespace is ignored.) So the
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following will also work:
584
<pre class="verbatim"> C<<< <span class="i">$a</span> <=> <span class="i">$b</span> >>>
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C<<<< <span class="i">$a</span> <=> <span class="i">$b</span> >>>></pre>
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<p>And they all mean exactly the same as this:</p>
582
<pre class="verbatim"> C<<< $a <=> $b >>>
583
C<<<< $a <=> $b >>>></pre><p>And they all mean exactly the same as this:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> C<$a E<lt>=E<gt> $b></pre><p>As a further example, this means that if you wanted to put these bits of
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code in <code class="inline">C</code>
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code in <code class="inline"><span class="w">C</span></code>
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(code) style:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> open(X, ">>thing.dat") || die $!
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$foo->bar();</pre><p>you could do it like so:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> C<<< <a class="l_k" href="functions/open.html">open</a><span class="s">(</span>X<span class="cm">,</span> <span class="q">">>thing.dat"</span><span class="s">)</span> || <a class="l_k" href="functions/die.html">die</a> <span class="i">$!</span> >>>
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C<< <span class="i">$foo</span><span class="i">->bar</span><span class="s">(</span><span class="s">)</span><span class="sc">;</span> >></pre>
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<p>which is presumably easier to read than the old way:</p>
589
<pre class="verbatim"> C<<< open(X, ">>thing.dat") || die $! >>>
590
C<< $foo->bar(); >></pre><p>which is presumably easier to read than the old way:</p>
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<pre class="verbatim"> C<open(X, "E<gt>E<gt>thing.dat") || die $!>
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C<$foo-E<gt>bar();></pre><p>This is currently supported by pod2text (Pod::Text), pod2man (Pod::Man),
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and any other pod2xxx or Pod::Xxxx translators that use
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Pod::Parser 1.093 or later, or Pod::Tree 1.02 or later.</p>
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<a name="The-Intent-POD%2c-intent-of"></a><h2>The Intent
595
<a name="The-Intent"></a><h2>The Intent
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<p>The intent is simplicity of use, not power of expression. Paragraphs
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look like paragraphs (block format), so that they stand out
603
visually, and so that I could run them through <code class="inline">fmt</code>
599
visually, and so that I could run them through <code class="inline"><span class="w">fmt</span></code>
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easily to reformat
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them (that's F7 in my version of <b>vi</b>, or Esc Q in my version of
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<b>emacs</b>). I wanted the translator to always leave the <code class="inline">'</code> and <code class="inline">`</code> and