Notational Conventions

Indicates command-line or option arguments.

Indicates a example code.

Indicates what you type as input.

Indicates menu names, menu items, button names, dialog window names, and other user-interface items.

Menu names and menu items joined by a greater than (>) sign indicate a sequence of actions. For example, "Click File > Open" indicates that in the File menu, click Open to perform this action.

Indicates a choice of items or values. You can usually only choose one of the values in the braces.

Indicates items that are optional.

Indicates that the item preceding the ellipsis (three dots) can be repeated.

These terms refer to all supported Microsoft* Windows* operating systems.

These terms refer to all supported Linux* operating systems.

These terms refer all supported OS X* operating systems.

An asterisk at the end of a word or name indicates it is a third-party product trademark.

This term refers to Windows* options, Linux* options, or OS X* options that can be used by the compiler to compile applications.

Many options have names that are the same on Linux*, OS X*, and Windows*, except for an initial Q at the start of the Windows name. Within text, such option names are shown as [Q]option-name.

For example, consider we are describing information about the -ip option (Linux* and OS X*) and the /Qip option (Windows*). Instead of listing both names separately, you will see [Q]ip.

Whenever you see the [Q]option-name convention used, it means that the Linux* and OS X* form (if applicable) of the option is -option-name and the Windows* form of the option is /Qoption-name.

Compiler option names that are more dissimilar are shown in full.

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 OS X* systems. For example:
Windows* option: /fast
Linux* and OS X* option: -fast
Note: If an option is available on Windows*, Linux*, and OS X* systems, no slash or dash appears in the general description of the option. The slash and dash will only appear where the option syntax is described.

Indicates that an option requires an argument (parameter). For example, you must specify an argument for the following options:
Windows* option: /Qdiag-error-limit:n
Linux* and OS X* option: -diag-error-limitn

Indicates that an option requires one of the keyword values.

Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional keyword.

Indicates that the option can be used alone or with an optional value; for example, in /Qfnalign[:n] and -falign-functions[=n], the n can be omitted or a valid value can be specified for n.

Indicates that a trailing hyphen disables the option; for example, /Qglobal_hoist- disables the Windows* option /Qglobal_hoist.

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 OS X* 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-alias disables the -falias option.