# Notational Conventions

Information in this documentation applies to all supported operating systems and architectures unless otherwise specified. This documentation uses the following conventions:

Notational Conventions
THIS TYPE | Indicates language keywords.
this type | Indicates command-line or option arguments.
`This type` | Indicates a code example.
`This type` | Indicates what you type as input.
This type | Indicates menu names, menu items, button names, dialog window names, and other user-interface items.
File > Open | Menu names and menu items joined by a greater than (>) sign to indicate a sequence of actions. For example, Click File > Open indicates that in the File menu, you would click Open to perform this action.
{value | value} | Indicates a choice of items or values. You can usually only choose one of the values in the braces.
[item] | Indicates items that are optional.
item [, item ]... | Indicates that the item preceding the ellipsis (...) can be repeated.
Intel® C++ | This term refers to the name of the common compiler language supported by the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic.
compiler or the compiler | These terms are used when information is not limited to only one specific compiler, or when it is not necessary to indicate a specific compiler.
Windows* or Windows operating system | These terms refer to all supported Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Linux or Linux operating system | These terms refer to all supported Linux operating systems.
macOS* or macOS* operating system | These terms refer to all supported macOS* operating systems.
Microsoft Visual Studio* | An asterisk at the end of a word or name indicates it is a third-party product trademark.
compiler option | This term refers to Linux, macOS*, or Windows options, which are used by the compiler to compile applications. The following conventions are used as shortcuts when referencing compiler option names in text: Many options have names that are the same on Linux, macOS*, and Windows, except that the Windows form starts with an initial / and the Linux and macOS*form starts with an initial -. Within text, such option names are shown without the initial character. For example, check. Many options have names that are the same on Linux, macOS*, and Windows, except that the Windows form starts with an initial Q. Within text, such option names are shown as [Q]option-name. For example, if you see a reference to [Q]ipo, the Linux and macOS* form of the option is -ipo and the Windows form of the option is /Qipo. Several compiler options have similar names except that the Linux and macOS* forms start with an initial q and the Windows form starts with an initial Q. Within text, such option names are shown as [q or Q]option-name. For example, if you see a reference to [q or Q]opt-report, the Linux and macOS* form of the option is -qopt-report and the Windows form of the option is /Qopt-report. Other dissimilar compiler option names are shown in full.

Conventions Used in Compiler Options
/option or -option | A slash before an option name indicates the option is available on Windows. A dash before an option name indicates the option is available on Linux and macOS* systems. For example: Windows option: /help Linux and macOS*option: -help ### Note If an option is available on all supported operating systems, no slash or dash appears in the general description of the option. The slash and dash only appear where the option syntax is described.
/option:argument or -option=argument | Indicates that an option requires an argument (parameter). For example, you must specify an argument for the following options: Windows option: /tune:processor Linux and macOS* option: -mtune=processor
/option:keyword or -option=keyword | Indicates that an option requires one of the keyword values.
/option[:keyword ] or -option[=keyword ] | Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional keyword.
option[n] or option[:n] or option[=n] | Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional value. For example, in -unroll[=n], the n can be omitted or a valid value can be specified for n.
option[-] | Indicates that a trailing hyphen disables the option. For example, /Qglobal_hoist- disables the Windows option /Qglobal_hoist.
[no]option or [no-]option | Indicates that no or no- preceding an option disables the option. For example, in the Windows option /[no]traceback, /traceback enables the option, while /notraceback disables it. In the Linux and macOS* option -[no-]global_hoist, -global_hoist enables the option, while -no-global_hoist disables it. In some options, the no appears later in the option name. For example, -fno-common disables the -fcommon option.

Parent topic: Introducing the Intel® C++ Compiler Classic