newbie question

[Todd C. Miller]

In message <Pine.LNX.4.21.0008101527220.9454-100000 at dell.enoriver.com>
	so spake rpjday (rpjday):
> ##
> # Host alias specification
> ##
> Host_Alias	SPARC = bigtime, eclipse, moet, anchor:\
> 		SGI = grolsch, dandelion, black:\
> 		ALPHA = widget, thalamus, foobar:\
> 		HPPA = boa, nag, python
> Host_Alias	CUNETS = 128.138.0.0/255.255.0.0
> Host_Alias	CSNETS = 128.138.243.0, 128.138.204.0/24, 128.138.242.0
> Host_Alias	SERVERS = master, mail, www, ns
> Host_Alias	CDROM = orion, perseus, hercules
> 
> 
>   what's with the line continuation in the first few lines and
> the ":"??  is this just another way of writing these as separate
> Host_Alias lines?  the docs don't seem to explain this.

Yes.  The ':' lets you group Host_Alias lines without saying
"Host_Alias" each time.

 - todd