<> symbols in documentation

[HeatherNewton]

COLLATE (start-position<,end-position> ) | (start-position<,,length> )

I find these syntax hard to understand . I dont get the < > symbols.

why start-position<

and why end-position>

why length>

what is going on

this applies to every command definition..not just collate

[PeterClemmensen]

It means that the arguements in <> are optional and not required. You can see this below the Syntax Definition in the Optional Arguments Section.

[HeatherNewton]

but the come is confusing, why<,end-position>, seems < > not referring to the same term

what is <,,xxx>

why the comma not outside the brackets < >

[SASKiwi]

---

@HeatherNewton wrote:

but the come is confusing, why<,end-position>, seems < > not referring to the same term

what is <,,xxx>

why the comma not outside the brackets < >

---

Because if you don't specify that parameter you also don't include the comma. Including the comma without the parameter results in a syntax error.

[Tom]

Do you not see the difference between these two forms?

collate(1,5)
collate(1,,5)

The first one has TWO arguments and the second one has THREE arguments, but the second argument is empty.

[Tom]

Why not read the documentation on how to read the documentation?  Here is one from the SAS GRAPH manual but I suspect this description is in all of the manuals.  https://go.documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.4/grstatgraph/p06hgx459w75qen1wpavfghx4ket.h...

Just expand it to multiple lines if you are having trouble understanding the compressed syntax.

COLLATE (start-position)

COLLATE (start-position,end-position )

COLLATE (start-position)

COLLATE (start-position,,length)

Not sure why they listed that one version with only one argument supplied twice. 

Might have been simpler to use something like:

COLLATE (start-position<,end-position> ) | (start-position,,length )