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id: cc914cdd55011124c54faa2b3e784505f8436c614574dd926e642f4004611080
title: Typographical Conventions
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canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/service/api-cti/guide/sforce-api-cti-typo-conventions.html
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content_type: documentation
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  - Open CTI Developer Guide
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---

# Typographical Conventions

Typographical conventions are used in our code examples. Learn what Courier font, italics, and brackets mean.

## `Courier font`

In descriptions of syntax, a monospace font indicates items that you should type as shown, except for brackets. For example:

```apex
Public class HelloWorld

```

## *Italics*

In descriptions of syntax, italics represent variables. You supply the actual value. In the following example, three values must be supplied: _datatype__variable_name_ [ = _value_];

If the syntax is bold and italic, the text represents a code element that needs a value supplied by you, such as a class name or variable value:

```apex
 public static class YOURCLASSHERE { ... }

```

## `Bold courier font`

In code samples and syntax descriptions, a bold courier font emphasizes a portion of the code or syntax.

## \< > (less-than and greater-than symbols)

In descriptions of syntax, less-than and greater-than symbols (\< >) are typed exactly as shown.

```visualforce
<apex:pageBlockTable value="{!account.Contacts}" var="contact">
   <apex:column value="{!contact.Name}"/>
   <apex:column value="{!contact.MailingCity}"/>
   <apex:column value="{!contact.Phone}"/>
</apex:pageBlockTable>
```

## { } (braces)

In descriptions of syntax, braces ({ }) are typed exactly as shown.

```visualforce
<apex:page>
    Hello {!$User.FirstName}!
</apex:page>
```

## [ ] (brackets)

In descriptions of syntax, anything included in brackets is optional. In the following example, specifying `{value}` is optional:

```apex
 DATA_TYPE VARIABLE_NAME [ = VALUE];

```

## | (pipe)

In descriptions of syntax, the pipe sign means “or”. You can do one of the following (not all). In the following example, you can create a new unpopulated set in one of two ways, or you can populate the set:

```apex
Set<DATA_TYPE> SET_NAME
   [= new Set<DATA_TYPE>();] |
   [= new Set<DATA_TYPE{VALUE [, VALUE2. . .] };] |
   ;
```