<refentry id="reference.element">
<?dbhtml filename="reference.html"?>
<refentryinfo>
<pubdate>$Date: 2004/12/21 16:01:31 $</pubdate>
<releaseinfo>$Revision: 1.1.1.1 $</releaseinfo>
</refentryinfo>

<refmeta>
<indexterm><primary>elements</primary>
<secondary>reference</secondary></indexterm>
<refentrytitle>reference</refentrytitle>
<refmiscinfo>Element</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>reference</refname>
<refpurpose>&reference.purpose;</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

&reference.synopsis.gen;
<refsect1 condition='ref.description'><title>Description</title>

<para>A <sgmltag>Reference</sgmltag> is a collection of
<sgmltag>RefEntry</sgmltag>s.  In a <sgmltag>Book</sgmltag>, a
<sgmltag>Reference</sgmltag> can occur at either the <sgmltag>Part</sgmltag>
or <sgmltag>Chapter</sgmltag> level.
</para>

<para>
Reference pages are usually bound together by topic; in traditional
&UNIX; documentation they are most frequently bound into volumes.  See
<sgmltag>ManVolNum</sgmltag>.
</para>

<refsect2><title>Processing expectations</title>
<para>
&format.block; <sgmltag>References</sgmltag>s often introduce a forced
page break and may start on the next recto page.  Frequently,
they also produce a separator page, on which may be printed the
content of the <sgmltag>PartIntro</sgmltag>.
</para>
</refsect2>



&reference.parents.gen;
&reference.children.gen;
</refsect1>
<refsect1 condition='ref.elem.attrdesc'><title>Attributes</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry><term>label</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class='attribute'>Label</sgmltag> specifies an identifying string for presentation purposes.
</para>
<para>
Generally, an explicit <sgmltag class='attribute'>Label</sgmltag> attribute is
used only if the processing system is incapable of generating the label
automatically. If present, the <sgmltag class='attribute'>Label</sgmltag> 
is normative; it will used even
if the processing system is capable of automatic labelling.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term>status</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<sgmltag class="attribute">Status</sgmltag> identifies the editorial or publication 
status of the <sgmltag>Reference</sgmltag>.
</para>
<para>
Publication status might be used to control formatting (for example,
printing a <quote>draft</quote> watermark on drafts) or processing (perhaps
a document with a status of <quote>final</quote> should not include any
components that are not final).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Examples</title>

<informalexample role="example-source">
<programlisting>&reference.example.1.txt;</programlisting>
</informalexample>

&reference.example.seealso.gen;
</refsect1>
</refentry>

