1. Introduction <- Table of Contents -> 3. Types of Entries
2. Format of Entries
Section 4 presents Glossary entries in the following manner:
2.1. Order of Entries
Entries are sorted in lexicographic order, without regard to capitalization. Numeric digits are treated as preceding alphabetic characters, and special characters are treated as preceding digits. Blanks are treated as preceding non-blank characters, except that a hyphen or slash between the parts of a multiword entry (e.g., "RED/BLACK separation") is treated like a blank.
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If an entry has multiple definitions (e.g., "domain"), they are numbered beginning with "1", and any of those multiple definitions that are RECOMMENDED for use in IDOCs are presented before other definitions for that entry. If definitions are closely related (e.g., "threat"), they are denoted by adding letters to a number, such as "1a" and "1b".
2.2. Capitalization and Abbreviations
Entries that are proper nouns are capitalized (e.g., "Data Encryption Algorithm"), as are other words derived from proper nouns (e.g., "Caesar cipher"). All other entries are not capitalized (e.g., "certification authority"). Each acronym or other abbreviation that appears in this Glossary, either as an entry or in a definition or explanation, is defined in this Glossary, except items of common English usage, such as "a.k.a.", "e.g.", "etc.", "i.e.", "vol.", "pp.", and "U.S.".
2.3. Support for Automated Searching
Each entry is preceded by a dollar sign ($) and a space. This makes it possible to find the defining entry for an item "X" by searching for the character string "$ X", without stopping at other entries in which "X" is used in explanations.
2.4. Definition Type and Context
Each entry is preceded by a character -- I, N, O, or D -- enclosed in
parentheses, to indicate the type of definition (as is explained
further in Section 3):
- "I" for a RECOMMENDED term or definition of Internet origin.
- "N" if RECOMMENDED but not of Internet origin.
- "O" for a term or definition that is NOT recommended for use in
IDOCs but is something that authors of Internet documents should
know about.
- "D" for a term or definition that is deprecated and SHOULD NOT be
used in Internet documents.
If a definition is valid only in a specific context (e.g., "baggage"), that context is shown immediately following the definition type and is enclosed by a pair of slash symbols (/). If the definition is valid only for specific parts of speech, that is shown in the same way (e.g., "archive").
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2.5. Explanatory Notes
Some entries have explanatory text that is introduced by one or more of the following keywords: - Deprecated Abbreviation (e.g., "AA") - Deprecated Definition (e.g., "digital certification") - Deprecated Usage (e.g., "authenticate") - Deprecated Term (e.g., "certificate authority") - Pronunciation (e.g., "*-property") - Derivation (e.g., "discretionary access control") - Tutorial (e.g., "accreditation") - Example (e.g., "back door") - Usage (e.g., "access")
Explanatory text in this Glossary MAY be reused in IDOCs. However, this text is not intended to authoritatively supersede text of an IDOC in which the Glossary entry is already used.
2.6. Cross-References
Some entries contain a parenthetical remark of the form "(See: X.)", where X is a list of other, related terms. Some entries contain a remark of the form "(Compare: X)", where X is a list of terms that either are antonyms of the entry or differ in some other manner worth noting.
2.7. Trademarks
All servicemarks and trademarks that appear in this Glossary are used in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the mark owner, without any intention of infringement.
2.8. The New Punctuation
This Glossary uses the "new" or "logical" punctuation style favored by computer programmers, as described by Raymond [Raym]: Programmers use pairs of quotation marks the same way they use pairs of parentheses, i.e., as balanced delimiters. For example, if "Alice sends" is a phrase, and so are "Bill receives" and "Eve listens", then a programmer would write the following sentence:
"Alice sends", "Bill receives", and "Eve listens".
According to standard American usage, the punctuation in that sentence is incorrect; the continuation commas and the final period should go inside the string quotes, like this:
"Alice sends," "Bill receives," and "Eve listens."
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However, a programmer would not include a character in a literal string if the character did not belong there, because that could cause an error. For example, suppose a sentence in a draft of a tutorial on the vi editing language looked like this:
Then delete one line from the file by typing "dd".
A book editor following standard usage might change the sentence to look like this:
Then delete one line from the file by typing "dd."
However, in the vi language, the dot character repeats the last command accepted. So, if a reader entered "dd.", two lines would be deleted instead of one.
Similarly, use of standard American punctuation might cause misunderstanding in entries in this Glossary. Thus, the new punctuation is used here, and we recommend it for IDOCs.