Syntax Conventions

These are the syntax conventions used throughout the Vertica documentation.

Syntax Convention Description
Text without brackets or braces

Content that you type as shown, such as CREATE TABLE.

table name

Italics: Descriptive placeholder text that you replace with an appropriate identifier or expression.

{ param1, param2 }

Curly braces: Required parameters or arguments. For example:

LIGHT_STATUS { ON | OFF | DIMMED} indicates that the syntax requires you to specify one value (ON, OFF, or DIMMED).

{ this | that } Vertical bar: A separator for two or more

mutually exclusive items. Such items can be optional (in square brackets), or required (in curly braces). You must enter one of the given values: 
{ ASC | DESC }

With square brackets, you can choose one, or neither.

[param1]

Square brackets: Optional statement items. For example, CREATE TABLE [schema_name.]table_name indicates that schema_name. is optional.

column_def [,...]

Square brackets with comma and ellipses (,...): A parameter option that you can repeat. For example, column_def[,...] means you can specify one or more comma-separated column_def options.

start_json_display
.
.
.

end_display

Vertical ellipses: Indicate text intentionally omitted for readibility, such as in an example of multi-row result sets.
      Indentation

Indented text: Formatting to maximize readability for syntax sub-options. Indentation is never required, since SQL is a free-form language.