| DocBook: The Definitive Guide 2.0.17 (Alpha)

# refname

$Revision: 1666 $

$Date: 2002-06-12 07:19:37 -0400 (Wed, 12 Jun 2002) $

refname — The name of (one of) the subject(s) of a reference page

## Synopsis

### Mixed Content Model

    refname ::=
    (#PCDATA|action|application|classname|methodname|interfacename|
     exceptionname|ooclass|oointerface|ooexception|package|command|
     computeroutput|database|email|envar|errorcode|errorname|
     errortype|errortext|filename|function|guibutton|guiicon|guilabel|
     guimenu|guimenuitem|guisubmenu|hardware|interface|keycap|keycode|
     keycombo|keysym|literal|code|constant|markup|medialabel|
     menuchoice|mousebutton|option|optional|parameter|prompt|property|
     replaceable|returnvalue|sgmltag|structfield|structname|symbol|
     systemitem|uri|token|type|userinput|varname|nonterminal)*

### Attributes

Common attributes

## Description

`RefEntry`s are small units of reference documentation describing a single topic. The `RefName` identifies the topic. Often this is the name of the command or function that the reference page describes.

Some reference pages describe a whole family of very closely related commands or functions. In this case, a `RefEntry` will have multiple `RefName`s, one for each command or function. When a `RefEntry` has several `RefName`s, it is likely to have a `RefDescriptor` that identifies the whole family of functions.

### Processing expectations

May be formatted inline or as a displayed block, depending on context.

Formatting reference pages may require a fairly sophisticated processing system. Much of the meta-information about a reference page (its name, type, purpose, title, and classification) is stored in wrappers near the beginning of the `RefEntry`.

Common presentational features, such as titles and running headers, may require data from several of these wrappers plus some generated text. Other formatting often requires that these elements be reordered.

### Future Changes

The `InterfaceDefinition` element will be discarded in DocBook V4.0. It will no longer be available in the content model of this element.

### Parents

These elements contain refname: `refnamediv`.

### Children

The following elements occur in refname: `action`, `application`, `classname`, `code`, `command`, `computeroutput`, `constant`, `database`, `email`, `envar`, `errorcode`, `errorname`, `errortext`, `errortype`, `exceptionname`, `filename`, `function`, `guibutton`, `guiicon`, `guilabel`, `guimenu`, `guimenuitem`, `guisubmenu`, `hardware`, `interface`, `interfacename`, `keycap`, `keycode`, `keycombo`, `keysym`, `literal`, `markup`, `medialabel`, `menuchoice`, `methodname`, `mousebutton`, `nonterminal`, `ooclass`, `ooexception`, `oointerface`, `option`, `optional`, `package`, `parameter`, `prompt`, `property`, `replaceable`, `returnvalue`, `sgmltag`, `structfield`, `structname`, `symbol`, `systemitem`, `token`, `type`, `uri`, `userinput`, `varname`.

## See Also

`refdescriptor`, `refentrytitle`.

## Examples

For examples, see `refentry`, `reference`.

refmiscinfo |  | refnamediv

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