<preformat>

Preformatted Text

Text in which spaces, tabs, and line feeds must be preserved. Content is typically displayed in monofont to preserve character alignment.

Remarks

The <preformat> element is typically used for machine-related communication such as ASCII art and error message reports, in which whitespace such as tabs, line feeds, and spaces should be preserved.
Position: The @position attribute may be used to indicate whether this element must be anchored at its exact location within the text, or whether it may float, for example, to the top of the next page, next column, to the end of a logical file, or within a separate window. For the typical <preformat> element, the “float or anchor” decision will be governed by the size of the object. For example, short preformat fragments are typically anchored whereas longer preformats are typically placed elsewhere such as in a separate window or at the end of the document.
Equations: The MathML elements to describe equations are not permitted within <preformat>. If equations are encountered within computer code, they can be tagged using the element <named-content> to preserve the fact that they were equations or the element <styled-content> to preserve that fact that they were set in a math font.

Related Elements

Best Practice: Although it is possible to use <preformat> to tag any format-preserving object, some of these objects have semantic elements that should be used in preference. For example:
  • Poetry and verse should usually be tagged with the <verse-group> element, which may not preserve the exact indentation, but is more likely to be displayed in a proportional font.
  • Programming code, scripts, pseudo-code, DTDs and Schemas, and XML instances should be tagged with the <code> element, making full use of its attributes to identify the type of code.
  • Equations and math are typically tagged with <disp-formula> or <inline-formula>.

Attributes

id Document Internal Identifier
orientation Orientation
position Position
preformat-type Type of Preformatted Text
specific-use Specific Use
xml:base Base
xml:lang Language
xml:space Space

Content Model

<!ELEMENT  preformat    %preformat-model;                            >

Expanded Content Model

(#PCDATA | alt-text | long-desc | email | ext-link | uri | inline-supplementary-material | related-article | related-object | hr | bold | fixed-case | italic | monospace | overline | overline-start | overline-end | roman | sans-serif | sc | strike | underline | underline-start | underline-end | ruby | alternatives | inline-graphic | inline-media | private-char | chem-struct | inline-formula | tex-math | mml:math | abbrev | index-term | index-term-range-end | milestone-end | milestone-start | named-content | styled-content | fn | target | xref | sub | sup | x | attrib | permissions)*

Description

Any combination of:

This element may be contained in:

<abstract>, <ack>, <alternatives>, <app>, <app-group>, <bio>, <body>, <boxed-text>, <chem-struct>, <chem-struct-wrap>, <disp-formula>, <disp-quote>, <fig>, <floats-group>, <glossary>, <license-p>, <named-content>, <notes>, <p>, <ref-list>, <sec>, <see>, <see-also>, <styled-content>, <supplementary-material>, <table-wrap>, <td>, <term>, <th>, <trans-abstract>

Example 1

Used to show a snippet of a computer message:
...
<preformat preformat-type="dialog" xml:space="preserve"
position="anchor">
C:\users\lap make
  'make' is not recognized as:
    - an internal or external command
    - an operable program
    - a batch file
</preformat>
...

Example 2

Used to preserve unusual whitespace in a poem:
...
<preformat preformat-type="poem">
it&rsquo;s
spring
and

     the
          goat-footed

balloonMan  whistles
far
and
wee
</preformat>
...

Example 3

Used to preserve the formatting of a transcription:
...
<preformat preformat-type="transcription">
00 A: so, my [opinion is that]    
00 B:        [you're not letting [me       
00 C:                            [but 
   A: first of all   ] 
   B: finish] speaking] 
   C: really     ] 
00 A:                that is not true at all
</preformat> 
...

Journal Archiving and Interchange Tag Library NISO JATS Version 1.2 (ANSI/NISO Z39.96-2019)

Version of May 2019

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