According to the AWAS system, the style usage is semantic. That is, the styles are used to label particular structural and content elements of a document. The purpose of the styles not merely to apply formatting to a document, but to define the semantic structure of the document.
For example, in the AWBook.dotx template, the define char, crossref char, and emphasis char character styles all have identical, italic formatting. The styles are used for different purposes, as in the following illustrations.
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The define char style is used for a term that is being defined, for example:
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A camel is a horse with a hump.
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The crossref char style is used to label a cross reference:
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For more information, see Introduction to Camels by J. Q. Dromedary.
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The emphasis char style highlights a words for emphasis:
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Do not put your finger in a camel's mouth.
All three examples contain italicized words, but the reasons for the italics differ. In the first example, camel is a word that is being defined. In the second, the italicized words are a reference to a book. In the third, the words are italicized for emphasis. Because the semantic usage differs, the italicized words are formatted in three distinct character styles.
The semantic usage lets you customize the appearance of the styles selectively. For example, you can change emphasis char from italics to bold, without affecting define char or crossref char.