Text Formatting ⇒ Double dash?

[hub]

Hello!

I am writing a short manual for a program in latex, and would like to use the double dash (--) in the text, but latex convert that to a "En dash"...
I use it in a list:

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\begin{description}
\item[-h, --help:] Display the help message.
\end{description}

This will produce a thick short dash before the h, but a longer thinner dash (em dash) before help.

What i want is a double dash, like the first one.
How do I do that?

[hub]

I found the

Code: Select all

\--

to be the command for hyphen, so I use

Code: Select all

-\--

.
I guess that its ok to do that?

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi,

you could write:

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-{}-

Stefan

[phi]

In this context (source code or user input) you should use a nonproportional font.

[hub]

In this context (source code or user input) you should use a nonproportional font.

Ok... How do I do that?

[phi]

What always works is

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\begin{description}
\item[\texttt{-h, --help:}] Display the help message.
\end{description}

but depending on your document class you might have the opportunity to change this globally if you want.

[hub]

What always works is

Code: Select all

\begin{description}
\item[\texttt{-h, --help:}] Display the help message.
\end{description}

but depending on your document class you might have the opportunity to change this globally if you want.

You mean

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\begin{description}
\item[\texttt{-h, -{}-help:}] Display the help message.
\end{description}

?

Otherwise I get a "en dash" before help...

[phi]

Otherwise I get a "en dash" before help...

No, at least not with the standard fonts.

[hub]

Otherwise I get a "en dash" before help...

No, at least not with the standard fonts.

Ok, then its my document class then...
Im using a local class called LiU Thesis, and there are som preloaded packages in that.

Thanks for the answers!

[phi]

Normally a non-proportional font should not contain ligatures. Which non-proportional font does your class load?