Convention
Description
This type style
Monospace text indicates an element of syntax, a reserved word, a keyword, a file name, or part of a program example (text normally appears as lowercase unless UPPERCASE is required).
this type style
Italic, monospaced text indicates placeholders for information that you must supply.
{value|value}
Braces and a vertical bar indicate a choice among two or more items. You must choose one of the items unless all of the items are also enclosed in square brackets.
-option or /option
A slash before an option name indicates the option is available on Windows systems. A dash before an option name indicates the option is available on Linux* systems.
For example:
Windows* option: /fast
Linux option: -fast
Note
If an option is available on both Windows and Linux systems, no slash or dash appears in the general description of the option. The slash and dash will only appear where the option syntax is described.
/option:parameter
or -option parameter
Indicates that an option requires a parameter.
For example, you must specify a parameter for option arch:
Windows option: /arch:SSE
Linux option: -arch SSE
/option:keyword or
-option keyword
Indicates that an option requires one of the keyword values.
option[:keyword] or
-option [keyword]
Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional keyword.
option[n]
Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional value; for example, in /unroll[n] or -unroll[n], the n can be omitted or a valid value can be specified.
option[-]
Indicates that a trailing hyphen disables the option; for example, /Qansi-alias- disables the Windows option /Qansi-alias and -ansi-alias- disables the Linux option -ansi-alias.
[no]option
Indicates that "no" preceding an option disables the option. For example:
In the Windows option /[no]traceback, /traceback enables the option, while /notraceback disables it.
In the Linux option -[no]traceback; -traceback enables the option, while -notraceback disables it.
...
A horizontal ellipsis (three dots) following an item indicates that the item preceding the ellipsis can be repeated. In code examples, a horizontal ellipsis means that not all statements are shown.