The text in question consists of a block of information whose complex layout must be preserved and cannot be represented by any other data model elements (“blocktext”, “ordlist”, “relationlist”, etc.). The numerous verbatim types allow for more precisely defining the type of content concerned and thereby varying the treatment accordingly. It might be found inside an “equation” element if this equation cannot be represented by a simple “blocktext” element, or inside any other element whose content cannot be represented by a “blocktext” element or other complex layout elements. Otherwise, the verbatim will be used inside a paragraph, preceded and/or followed by “blocktext” elements or any other element.

Verbatim wording in the form of a quote (excerpt from a literary work by someone other than the author of the article) must be put into a “blockquote” element. The source of the verbatim wording, if present, goes into a “source” element constituting a child of the “blockquote” element. Otherwise, the source of the verbatim will go in a “source” element, under the “verbatim” element.

Even if verbatim wording is allowed outside a paragraph, its use in this context is not recommended except with articles for which no numbering is desired since numbering is not appropriate to the content. Examples: stage play, set of poems.

An unordered list without any sign should be used in place of layout-type verbatim wording when one or more lines of separate text are indented from the main text, with no special horizontal or vertical spacing, and these lines do not constitute an excerpt from a literary work (poem, play, etc.) or program.

example 1

<blockquote>
    <verbatim verbtype="poem">
        <block halign="center">
            <line>Un bruit de soie plus lisse que le vent</line>
            <line>Passage de la lumière sur un paysage d'eau.</line>
        </block>
        <block>
            <line>L'éclat de midi efface ta forme devant moi</line>
            <line>Tu trembles et luis comme un miroir</line>
            <line>Tu m'offres le soleil à boire</line>
            <vspace dim="2em"/>
            <line><hspace dim="8ex"/>À même ton visage absent.</line>
        </block>
        <block>
            <line>Trop de lumière empêche de voir;</line>
            <line><hspace dim="18ex"/>l'un et l'autre torche blanche,</line>
            <line><hspace dim="36ex"/>grand vide de midi</line>
            <line>Se cherche à travers le feu et l'eau</line>
            <line><hspace dim="30ex"/>fumée.</line>
        </block>
    </verbatim>
    <source>…</source>
</blockquote>

example 2

<verbatim verbtype="program">
    <block>
        <line>if (!$commande) {</line>
        <line><hspace dim="4ex"/>&init;</line>
        <line>}</line>
        <line>elsif ($commande eq "l1") {</line>
        <line><hspace dim="4ex"/>&lire;</line>
        <line>}</line>
        <line>elsif ($commande eq "e1") {</line>
        <line><hspace dim="4ex"/>&editer;</line>
        <line>}</line>
        <line>elsif ($commande eq "m1") {</line>
        <line><hspace dim="4ex"/>&modifier;</line>
        <line>}</line>
        <line>else {</line>
        <line><hspace dim="4ex"/>&erreur("Paramètres invalides");</line>
        <line>}</line>
    </block>
</verbatim>