You could use <varname role="math">, and then your stylesheet could
distinguish the two usages.
Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sven Moritz Hallberg" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2004 12:55 AM
Subject: [docbook] Variables in DocBook with the XSL stylesheets
> Hi List,
>
> when writing something in DocBook today, I found myself using a
> variable in the mathematical sense, i.e. not a program variable. As in
> the sentence "Let n be a natural number.". Using <varname> around the
> 'n' typesets it in monospace while in such cases italic would be more
> appropriate. Is there an element other than <varname> for such "natural
> language variables" which I have overlooked or how would I deal with
> this? Changing the stylesheet for <varname> is not an option because I
> also have program variables that I want to keep in monospace.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Sven Moritz
>
>
>
