Documentation Conventions

The following conventions are used in SQL Server Books Online to distinguish elements of text.

Conventions

Convention

Used for

Uppercase

Transact-SQL keywords.

Bold

Database names, table names, column names, stored procedures, command-prompt utilities, data types, menus, commands, dialog box options, programming elements, and text that must be typed exactly as shown.

Italic

User-supplied variables, relationships, parameters, placeholders, and new terms in SQL Server.

Monospace

Code samples, examples, display text, and error messages.

Untranslated English text (localized SQL Server versions only)

References to the data that is contained in sample databases, or other data that is used in examples.