Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed

[Dave Angel]

Bob Martin <bob.martin at excite.com> Wrote in message:
> in 730867 20141107 093651 cl at isbd.net wrote:
>>Darren Chen <ccylily1314 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 在 2014年11月5日星期三UTC+8下午8时17分11秒，Larry.... at gmail.com写道：
>>> > On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:13 AM, Ivan Evstegneev <webmailgroups at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > > Firtst of all thanks for reply.
>>> > >
>>> > >>>brackets [] means that the argument is optional.
>>> > >
>>> > > That's what I'm talking about (asking actually), where do you know it from?
>>> >
>>> > I know it because I've been a programmer for 39 years.
>>>
>>> that's awesome！！
>>
>>Well I started in 1971 or thereabouts.
> 
> 1959 for me ;-)
> 

Approximately 1968 for me. I wrote programs in 1967, but didn't
 get to run them till 1968.
-- 
DaveA