# apiSyntaxText

The <apiSyntaxText> element provides the representation in the programming language for the declared interface for the API item.

#### Description

In the <apiDef> element, the <apiSyntaxText> element can supplement or replace the semantic declaration of the same interface. When a specialization provides a complete representation of the interface within a specialized <apiDef> element, the <apiSyntaxText> element can be omitted. The Java DITA API reference takes this approach.

#### Example

The following example shows a simple <apiSyntax> element for a Visual Basic method:

    <apiClassifier id="com.ibm.xtools.rational.xde">
        <apiName>IRXEAbstraction</apiName>
        <shortdesc>
          Represents a semantic mapping between elements that characterize the same concept.
        </shortdesc>
        <apiClassifierDetail >

          <apiSyntax>
             <apiSyntaxText>IRXEAbstraction</apiSyntaxText>
          </apiSyntax>

    </apiClassifier>

#### Contained by

apiSyntax

#### Contains

apiData, apiItemName, apiname, apiRelation, apiType, cmdname, draft-comment, fn, indexterm, indextermref, keyword, msgnum, option, parmname, required-cleanup, varname, wintitle

#### Content model

(text data or apiRelation or apiType or apiItemName or apiData or keyword or option or parmname or apiname or cmdname or msgnum or varname or wintitle or draft-comment or required-cleanup or fn or indextermref or indexterm) (any number)

#### Inheritance

topic/pre reference/pre

Parent topic: apiSyntax