You want to know what list types are available in DocBook.
DocBook provides three basic lists that are used most often:
itemizedlist, for unordered lists (like
ul in HTML)
orderedlist for numbered lists (like
ol in HTML)
variablelist, for lists containing terms and their
definition (like dl in HTML)
Additionally, for specific purposes, DocBook provides special lists (not explained in this topic):
bibliolist is a wrapper for bibliographic
content. A bibliolist is usually inserted in
section-like elements where a bibliography is not
allowed.
calloutlist, a usually numbered list that
points to lines in a listing
glosslist is a wrapper for glossary content.
A glosslist is usually inserted in section-like
elements where a glossary is not allowed.
segmentedlist is a list that can be used for items that
have a one-to-one correspondence to their title. A
segmentedlist can be formatted in a number of ways
(tabular or as a list block).
simplelist is an unordered list for single
words or small phrases.
The previous lists are used to maintain semantic distinction.
The list types orderedlist and itemizedlist
are structurally identical (except for their enclosing element) as you will
see in the following subsections.
The variablelist is slightly different and contains
the term element for its term.
itemizedlistAn itemizedlist is an unordered list and can be
written as shown in the following example:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>The first entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>The second entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>The third entry</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>The itemizedlist list in DocBook uses by default
a bullet character (• solid circle). If you nest an
itemizedlist, it will start with a bullet (• solid
circle), then use a circle (○ open circle) and finally a square
(■ solid square). If you nest your list deeper, the sequence is
repeated. The hierarchy looks like this:
| Level | Shown as |
|---|---|
| 1. | • • • |
| 2. | ○ ○ ○ |
| 3. | ■ ■ ■ |
The default bullet character can be overwritten with the mark attribute:
<itemizedlist mark="circle">
It is even possible to deviate from its default symbol in a
listitem by using the overwrite attribute:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>The first entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem overwrite="square">
<para>The second entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>The third entry</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>orderedlistAn orderedlist can be written as shown in the
following example:
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>The first entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>The second entry</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>The third entry</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>The orderedlist in DocBook numbers as Arabic
numbers by default. If you nest an orderedlist, it
will be automatically numbered as shown in the following
sequence:
| Level | Shows as |
|---|---|
| 1. | 1, 2, 3 |
| 2. | a, b, c |
| 3. | i, ii, iii |
| 4. | A, B, C |
| 5. | I, II, III |
The numbering style in an orderedlist can be
changed with the numeration
attribute. Allowed values are arabic, loweralpha, lowerroman, upperalpha, or upperroman.
variablelistAn variablelist, despite its confusing name,
holds all sort of terms and their definitions. It is not limited
to variables only. The following example shows how to use a
variablelist.
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Hamburg</term>
<listitem>
<para>Town in the northern part of Germany</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Nueremberg</term>
<listitem>
<para>Town in the south-eastern part of Germany</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>A varlistentry can contain more than one term.
How the terms are displayed usually depends on the output
formats. Each term can either be printed on a
separate line or all terms on the same line separated by commas.
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