# apiSyntaxItem

The <apiSyntaxItem> element provides the programming language representation of the declared interface for the API item.

#### Description

In the <apiDef> element, the <apiSyntaxItem> 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 <apiSyntaxItem> element is omitted. The Java DITA API reference takes this approach.

#### Example

The following example shows an <apiSyntaxItem> element for a Visual Basic function:

    <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

apiDefNote, apiItemName

#### Content model

( (apiItemName) (any number) then (apiDefNote) (optional))

#### Inheritance

topic/p reference/p

Parent topic: apiSyntax