<code>

Code Text

A container element for technical content such as programming language code, pseudo-code, schemas and DTDs, or a markup fragment.

Remarks

The <code> element may contain preformatted text, which may contain emphasis elements for syntax coloring, or it may contain an external link to a binary executable file.
Best Attribute Practice: The various semantic attributes should be used to name the type of code, the language, the intended platform(s), etc. Executable code should always be marked as such using the @executable attribute. The @specific-use attribute may also be used to describe the rationale or uses for a code sample.
Alternatives: When code is present in more than one form, the <code> element can be used inside an <alternatives> element. The various versions of the code can be syntax colored using the face markup from this Tag Set, syntax colored using processing instructions or other mechanisms from a syntax coloring program, plain ASCII for cut and paste, an executable version, etc.
MathML: The MathML elements to describe equations are not permitted within <code>. If equations are encountered within computer code, they can be tagged using the element <named-content> to preserve the fact that they were equations or the element <styled-content> to preserve the fact that they were set in a math font.

Related Elements

Compare to <preformat>: This element is similar to <preformat> in the preservation of whitespace, line-endings, and such formatting. The <code> element differs from <preformat> semantically; a <preformat> element may contain almost anything, for example, ASCII art, a man-machine dialog, error messages, 3 words on a line with space between them, or a poem. The <code> element is specifically for technical coding fragments, for example: computer programming language code; executable binary code; illustrative pseudo-code; an XSD, RNG, or DTD schema fragment; an SQL or XQuery query; or a markup fragment that is part of an XML document instance.
Inline versus Block: The element <code> is used for block-level code fragments. The element <monospace> is only for monospaced words or phrases that are inline with other text, for example, very short computer code snippets, parameters and operators, etc.

Attributes

code-type Type of Code
code-version Code Version
executable Executable
id Document Internal Identifier
language Code Language
language-version Code Language Version
orientation Orientation
platforms Platforms
position Position
specific-use Specific Use
xml:base Base
xml:lang Language of an Element
xml:space Space

Model Description

Any combination of:

This element may be contained in:

<ack>, <alternatives>, <app>, <app-group>, <bio>, <body>, <boxed-text>, <chem-struct>, <chem-struct-wrap>, <disp-formula>, <disp-quote>, <fig>, <glossary>, <index>, <index-div>, <index-group>, <license-p>, <named-content>, <non-normative-example>, <non-normative-note>, <normative-example>, <normative-note>, <notes>, <p>, <ref-list>, <sec>, <see>, <see-also>, <see-also-entry>, <see-entry>, <styled-content>, <supplementary-material>, <table-wrap>, <td>, <term>, <term-display>, <term-sec>, <th>

Example 1

Binary code:
...
<p>... If code position 01 is assigned to &ldquo;a&rdquo;, 
 code position 02 assigned to &ldquo;A&rdquo;, code position 
 03 to &ldquo;b&rdquo;, code position 04 to &ldquo;B&rdquo; 
 and so on, a list sorted directly according to these 
 rearranged values will yield the following:
 <code>
       Sorted  Internal
       List    Values
       
       aaaa    01010101
       abbb    01030303
       Aaaa    02010101
       Abbb    02030303
 </code>
</p>
...

Example 2

Coding for line types:
...
<p>Define the line types:</p>
<code>
     simple_line =     (symbol_definition | collating_element | 
                        weight_assignment | order_end)? line_completion ;
     table_line =      simple_line | tailoring_line ;
     tailoring_line =  (reorder_after | order_start | reorder_end | 
                        section_definition | reorder_section_after) 
                        line_completion ;
</code>
...

NISO STS 1.0 Tag Suite Components

Version of October 2017

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