<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.
Attributes
Content Model
<!ELEMENT preformat %preformat-model; >
Expanded Content Model
(#PCDATA | alt-text | long-desc | email | ext-link | uri | attrib | permissions | bold | fixed-case | italic | monospace | overline | roman | sans-serif | sc | strike | underline | ruby | abbrev | index-term | index-term-range-end | milestone-end | milestone-start | named-content | styled-content | sub | sup)*
Description
Any combination of:
- Text, numbers, or special characters
- Accessibility Elements
- Linking Elements
- Ownership Elements
- Emphasis Elements
- Other Inline Elements
- Baseline Change Elements
This element may be contained in:
<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>
Example 1
Used to show a snippet of a computer message:
...
<preformat preformat-type="dialog">
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’s
spring
and
the
goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
</preformat>
...