START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY * Texinfo: (texinfo). The GNU documentation format. * install-info: (texinfo)Invoking install-info. Update info/dir entries. * texi2dvi: (texinfo)Format with texi2dvi. Print Texinfo documents. * texindex: (texinfo)Format with tex/texindex. Sort Texinfo index files. * makeinfo: (texinfo)Invoking makeinfo. Translate Texinfo source. END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY ...Short Contents... ...Table of Contents... Texinfo ******* This manual is for GNU Texinfo (version 4.2, 28 March 2002), a documentation system that can produce both online information and a printed manual from a single source. Copyright (C) 1988, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being "A GNU Manual," and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License." (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: "You have freedom to copy and modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development." The first part of this master menu lists the major nodes in this Info document, including the @-command and concept indices. The rest of the menu lists all the lower level nodes in the document. Documentation is like sex: when it is good, it is very, very good; and when it is bad, it is better than nothing. --Dick Brandon Texinfo Copying Conditions ************************** The programs currently being distributed that relate to Texinfo include `makeinfo', `info', `texindex', and `texinfo.tex'. These programs are "free"; this means that everyone is free to use them and free to redistribute them on a free basis. The Texinfo-related programs are not in the public domain; they are copyrighted and there are restrictions on their distribution, but these restrictions are designed to permit everything that a good cooperating citizen would want to do. What is not allowed is to try to prevent others from further sharing any version of these programs that they might get from you. Specifically, we want to make sure that you have the right to give away copies of the programs that relate to Texinfo, that you receive source code or else can get it if you want it, that you can change these programs or use pieces of them in new free programs, and that you know you can do these things. To make sure that everyone has such rights, we have to forbid you to deprive anyone else of these rights. For example, if you distribute copies of the Texinfo related programs, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you must tell them their rights. Also, for our own protection, we must make certain that everyone finds out that there is no warranty for the programs that relate to Texinfo. If these programs are modified by someone else and passed on, we want their recipients to know that what they have is not what we distributed, so that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on our reputation. The precise conditions of the licenses for the programs currently being distributed that relate to Texinfo are found in the General Public Licenses that accompany them. This manual specifically is covered by the GNU Free Documentation License (*note GNU Free Documentation License::). Overview of Texinfo ******************* "Texinfo"(1) (*note Overview-Footnote-1::) is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both online information and printed output. This means that instead of writing two different documents, one for the online information and the other for a printed work, you need write only one document. Therefore, when the work is revised, you need revise only that one document. (1) The first syllable of "Texinfo" is pronounced like "speck", not "hex". This odd pronunciation is derived from, but is not the same as, the pronunciation of TeX. In the word TeX, the `X' is actually the Greek letter "chi" rather than the English letter "ex". Pronounce TeX as if the `X' were the last sound in the name `Bach'; but pronounce Texinfo as if the `x' were a `k'. Spell "Texinfo" with a capital "T" and the other letters in lower case. Reporting Bugs ============== We welcome bug reports and suggestions for any aspect of the Texinfo system, programs, documentation, installation, anything. Please email them to . You can get the latest version of Texinfo from `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/texinfo/' and its mirrors worldwide. For bug reports, please include enough information for the maintainers to reproduce the problem. Generally speaking, that means: * the version number of Texinfo and the program(s) or manual(s) involved. * hardware and operating system names and versions. * the contents of any input files necessary to reproduce the bug. * a description of the problem and samples of any erroneous output. * any unusual options you gave to `configure'. * anything else that you think would be helpful. When in doubt whether something is needed or not, include it. It's better to include too much than to leave out something important. Patches are most welcome; if possible, please make them with `diff -c' (*note Overview: (diffutils)Top.) and include `ChangeLog' entries (*note Change Log: (emacs)Change Log.). When sending patches, if possible please do not encode or split them in any way; it's much easier to deal with one plain text message, however large, than many small ones. GNU shar (ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/sharutils/) is a convenient way of packaging multiple and/or binary files for email. Using Texinfo ============= Using Texinfo, you can create a printed document with the normal features of a book, including chapters, sections, cross references, and indices. From the same Texinfo source file, you can create a menu-driven, online Info file with nodes, menus, cross references, and indices. You can also create from that same source file an HTML output file suitable for use with a web browser, or an XML file. `The GNU Emacs Manual' is a good example of a Texinfo file, as is this manual. To make a printed document, you process a Texinfo source file with the TeX typesetting program (but the Texinfo language is very different and much stricter than TeX's usual language, plain TeX). This creates a DVI file that you can typeset and print as a book or report (*note Hardcopy::). To output an Info file, process your Texinfo source with the `makeinfo' utility or Emacs's `texinfo-format-buffer' command. You can install the result in your Info tree (*note Installing an Info File::). To output an HTML file, run `makeinfo --html' on your Texinfo source. You can (for example) install the result on your web site. To output an XML file, run `makeinfo --xml' on your Texinfo source. To output DocBook (a particular form of XML), run `makeinfo --docbook'. If you want to convert from Docbook _to_ Texinfo, please see `http://docbook2X.sourceforge.net/'. If you are a programmer and would like to contribute to the GNU project by implementing additional output formats for Texinfo, that would be excellent. But please do not write a separate translator texi2foo for your favorite format foo! That is the hard way to do the job, and makes extra work in subsequent maintenance, since the Texinfo language is continually being enhanced and updated. Instead, the best approach is modify `makeinfo' to generate the new format, as it does now for Info, plain text, HTML, XML, and DocBook. TeX works with virtually all printers; Info works with virtually all computer terminals; the HTML output works with virtually all web browsers. Thus Texinfo can be used by almost any computer user. A Texinfo source file is a plain ASCII file containing text and "@-commands" (words preceded by an `@') that tell the typesetting and formatting programs what to do. You may edit a Texinfo file with any text editor; but it is especially convenient to use GNU Emacs since that editor has a special mode, called Texinfo mode, that provides various Texinfo-related features. (*Note Texinfo Mode::.) Before writing a Texinfo source file, you should learn about nodes, menus, cross references, and the rest, for example by reading this manual. You can use Texinfo to create both online help and printed manuals; moreover, Texinfo is freely redistributable. For these reasons, Texinfo is the official documentation format of the GNU project. More information is available at the GNU documentation web page (http://www.gnu.org/doc/). From time to time, proposals are made to generate traditional Unix man pages from Texinfo source. This is not likely to ever be supported, because man pages have a very strict conventional format. Merely enhancing `makeinfo' to output troff format would be insufficient. Generating a good man page therefore requires a completely different source than the typical Texinfo applications of writing a good user tutorial or a good reference manual. This makes generating man pages incompatible with the Texinfo design goal of not having to document the same information in different ways for different output formats. You might as well just write the man page directly. Man pages still have their place, and if you wish to support them, the program `help2man' may be useful; it generates a traditional man page from the `--help' output of a program. In fact, this is currently used to generate man pages for the Texinfo programs themselves. It is GNU software written by Brendan O'Dea, available from `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/help2man/'. Info files ========== An Info file is a Texinfo file formatted so that the Info documentation reading program can operate on it. (`makeinfo' and `texinfo-format-buffer' are two commands that convert a Texinfo file into an Info file.) Info files are divided into pieces called "nodes", each of which contains the discussion of one topic. Each node has a name, and contains both text for the user to read and pointers to other nodes, which are identified by their names. The Info program displays one node at a time, and provides commands with which the user can move to other related nodes. *note info: (info)Top, for more information about using Info. Each node of an Info file may have any number of child nodes that describe subtopics of the node's topic. The names of child nodes are listed in a "menu" within the parent node; this allows you to use certain Info commands to move to one of the child nodes. Generally, an Info file is organized like a book. If a node is at the logical level of a chapter, its child nodes are at the level of sections; likewise, the child nodes of sections are at the level of subsections. All the children of any one parent are linked together in a bidirectional chain of `Next' and `Previous' pointers. The `Next' pointer provides a link to the next section, and the `Previous' pointer provides a link to the previous section. This means that all the nodes that are at the level of sections within a chapter are linked together. Normally the order in this chain is the same as the order of the children in the parent's menu. Each child node records the parent node name as its `Up' pointer. The last child has no `Next' pointer, and the first child has the parent both as its `Previous' and as its `Up' pointer.(1) (*note Info Files-Footnote-1::) The book-like structuring of an Info file into nodes that correspond to chapters, sections, and the like is a matter of convention, not a requirement. The `Up', `Previous', and `Next' pointers of a node can point to any other nodes, and a menu can contain any other nodes. Thus, the node structure can be any directed graph. But it is usually more comprehensible to follow a structure that corresponds to the structure of chapters and sections in a printed book or report. In addition to menus and to `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers, Info provides pointers of another kind, called references, that can be sprinkled throughout the text. This is usually the best way to represent links that do not fit a hierarchical structure. Usually, you will design a document so that its nodes match the structure of chapters and sections in the printed output. But occasionally there are times when this is not right for the material being discussed. Therefore, Texinfo uses separate commands to specify the node structure for the Info file and the section structure for the printed output. Generally, you enter an Info file through a node that by convention is named `Top'. This node normally contains just a brief summary of the file's purpose, and a large menu through which the rest of the file is reached. From this node, you can either traverse the file systematically by going from node to node, or you can go to a specific node listed in the main menu, or you can search the index menus and then go directly to the node that has the information you want. Alternatively, with the standalone Info program, you can specify specific menu items on the command line (*note Top: (info)Top.). If you want to read through an Info file in sequence, as if it were a printed manual, you can hit repeatedly, or you get the whole file with the advanced Info command `g *'. (*note Advanced Info commands: (info)Expert.) The `dir' file in the `info' directory serves as the departure point for the whole Info system. From it, you can reach the `Top' nodes of each of the documents in a complete Info system. If you wish to refer to an Info file in a URI, you can use the (unofficial) syntax exemplified in the following. This works with Emacs/W3, for example: info:///usr/info/emacs#Dissociated%20Press info:emacs#Dissociated%20Press info://localhost/usr/info/emacs#Dissociated%20Press The `info' program itself does not follow URI's of any kind. (1) In some documents, the first child has no `Previous' pointer. Occasionally, the last child has the node name of the next following higher level node as its `Next' pointer. Printed Books ============= A Texinfo file can be formatted and typeset as a printed book or manual. To do this, you need TeX, a powerful, sophisticated typesetting program written by Donald Knuth.(1) (*note Printed Books-Footnote-1::) A Texinfo-based book is similar to any other typeset, printed work: it can have a title page, copyright page, table of contents, and preface, as well as chapters, numbered or unnumbered sections and subsections, page headers, cross references, footnotes, and indices. You can use Texinfo to write a book without ever having the intention of converting it into online information. You can use Texinfo for writing a printed novel, and even to write a printed memo, although this latter application is not recommended since electronic mail is so much easier. TeX is a general purpose typesetting program. Texinfo provides a file `texinfo.tex' that contains information (definitions or "macros") that TeX uses when it typesets a Texinfo file. (`texinfo.tex' tells TeX how to convert the Texinfo @-commands to TeX commands, which TeX can then process to create the typeset document.) `texinfo.tex' contains the specifications for printing a document. You can get the latest version of `texinfo.tex' from `ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/texinfo.tex'. In the United States, documents are most often printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages (216mm by 280mm); this is the default size. But you can also print for 7 inch by 9.25 inch pages (178mm by 235mm, the `@smallbook' size; or on A4 or A5 size paper (`@afourpaper', `@afivepaper'). (*Note Printing "Small" Books: smallbook. Also, see *Note Printing on A4 Paper: A4 Paper.) By changing the parameters in `texinfo.tex', you can change the size of the printed document. In addition, you can change the style in which the printed document is formatted; for example, you can change the sizes and fonts used, the amount of indentation for each paragraph, the degree to which words are hyphenated, and the like. By changing the specifications, you can make a book look dignified, old and serious, or light-hearted, young and cheery. TeX is freely distributable. It is written in a superset of Pascal called WEB and can be compiled either in Pascal or (by using a conversion program that comes with the TeX distribution) in C. (*Note TeX Mode: (emacs)TeX Mode, for information about TeX.) TeX is very powerful and has a great many features. Because a Texinfo file must be able to present information both on a character-only terminal in Info form and in a typeset book, the formatting commands that Texinfo supports are necessarily limited. To get a copy of TeX, see *Note How to Obtain TeX: Obtaining TeX. (1) You can also use the `texi2roff' (ftp://tug.org/texi2roff.tar.gz) program if you do not have TeX; since Texinfo is designed for use with TeX, `texi2roff' is not described here. `texi2roff' is not part of the standard GNU distribution and is not maintained or up-to-date with all the Texinfo features described in this manual. @-commands ========== In a Texinfo file, the commands that tell TeX how to typeset the printed manual and tell `makeinfo' and `texinfo-format-buffer' how to create an Info file are preceded by `@'; they are called "@-commands". For example, `@node' is the command to indicate a node and `@chapter' is the command to indicate the start of a chapter. *Please note:* All the @-commands, with the exception of the `@TeX{}' command, must be written entirely in lower case. The Texinfo @-commands are a strictly limited set of constructs. The strict limits make it possible for Texinfo files to be understood both by TeX and by the code that converts them into Info files. You can display Info files on any terminal that displays alphabetic and numeric characters. Similarly, you can print the output generated by TeX on a wide variety of printers. Depending on what they do or what arguments(1) (*note Formatting Commands-Footnote-1::) they take, you need to write @-commands on lines of their own or as part of sentences: * Write a command such as `@noindent' at the beginning of a line as the only text on the line. (`@noindent' prevents the beginning of the next line from being indented as the beginning of a paragraph.) * Write a command such as `@chapter' at the beginning of a line followed by the command's arguments, in this case the chapter title, on the rest of the line. (`@chapter' creates chapter titles.) * Write a command such as `@dots{}' wherever you wish but usually within a sentence. (`@dots{}' creates dots ...) * Write a command such as `@code{SAMPLE-CODE}' wherever you wish (but usually within a sentence) with its argument, SAMPLE-CODE in this example, between the braces. (`@code' marks text as being code.) * Write a command such as `@example' on a line of its own; write the body-text on following lines; and write the matching `@end' command, `@end example' in this case, at the on a line of its own after the body-text. (`@example' ... `@end example' indents and typesets body-text as an example.) It's usually ok to indent environment commands like this, but in complicated and hard-to-define circumstances the extra spaces cause extra space to appear in the output, so beware. As a general rule, a command requires braces if it mingles among other text; but it does not need braces if it starts a line of its own. The non-alphabetic commands, such as `@:', are exceptions to the rule; they do not need braces. As you gain experience with Texinfo, you will rapidly learn how to write the different commands: the different ways to write commands make it easier to write and read Texinfo files than if all commands followed exactly the same syntax. (For details about @-command syntax, see *Note @-Command Syntax: Command Syntax.) (1) The word "argument" comes from the way it is used in mathematics and does not refer to a dispute between two people; it refers to the information presented to the command. According to the `Oxford English Dictionary', the word derives from the Latin for "to make clear, prove"; thus it came to mean `the evidence offered as proof', which is to say, `the information offered', which led to its mathematical meaning. In its other thread of derivation, the word came to mean `to assert in a manner against which others may make counter assertions', which led to the meaning of `argument' as a dispute. General Syntactic Conventions ============================= This section describes the general conventions used in all Texinfo documents. * All printable ASCII characters except `@', `{' and `}' can appear in a Texinfo file and stand for themselves. `@' is the escape character which introduces commands, while `{' and `}' are used to surround arguments to certain commands. To put one of these special characters into the document, put an `@' character in front of it, like this: `@@', `@{', and `@}'. * It is customary in TeX to use doubled single-quote characters to begin and end quotations: ``...''. This convention should be followed in Texinfo files. TeX converts two single quotes to left- and right-hand doubled quotation marks, and Info converts doubled single-quote characters to ASCII double-quotes: ``...'' becomes "...". * Use three hyphens in a row, `---', for a dash--like this. In TeX, a single or double hyphen produces a printed dash that is shorter than the usual typeset dash. Info reduces three hyphens to two for display on the screen. * To prevent a paragraph from being indented in the printed manual, put the command `@noindent' on a line by itself before the paragraph. * If you mark off a region of the Texinfo file with the `@iftex' and `@end iftex' commands, that region will appear only in the printed copy; in that region, you can use certain commands borrowed from plain TeX that you cannot use in Info. Conversely, text surrounded by `@ifnottex' and `@end ifnottex' will appear in all output formats _except_ TeX. Each of the other output formats (`html', `info', `plaintext') have an analogous pair of commands. *Note Conditionals::. *Caution:* Do not use tab characters in a Texinfo file (except in verbatim modes)! TeX uses variable-width fonts, which means that it is impractical at best to define a tab to work in all circumstances. Consequently, TeX treats tabs like single spaces, and that is not what they look like. Furthermore, `makeinfo' does nothing special with tabs, and thus a tab character in your input file may appear differently in the output, for example, in indented text. To avoid this problem, Texinfo mode causes GNU Emacs to insert multiple spaces when you press the key. Also, you can run `untabify' in Emacs to convert tabs in a region to multiple spaces. Comments ======== You can write comments in a Texinfo file that will not appear in either the Info file or the printed manual by using the `@comment' command (which may be abbreviated to `@c'). Such comments are for the person who revises the Texinfo file. All the text on a line that follows either `@comment' or `@c' is a comment; the rest of the line does not appear in either the Info file or the printed manual. Often, you can write the `@comment' or `@c' in the middle of a line, and only the text that follows after the `@comment' or `@c' command does not appear; but some commands, such as `@settitle' and `@setfilename', work on a whole line. You cannot use `@comment' or `@c' in a line beginning with such a command. You can write long stretches of text that will not appear in either the Info file or the printed manual by using the `@ignore' and `@end ignore' commands. Write each of these commands on a line of its own, starting each command at the beginning of the line. Text between these two commands does not appear in the processed output. You can use `@ignore' and `@end ignore' for writing comments. Text enclosed by `@ignore' or by failing `@ifset' or `@ifclear' conditions is ignored in the sense that it will not contribute to the formatted output. However, TeX and makeinfo must still parse the ignored text, in order to understand when to _stop_ ignoring text from the source file; that means that you may still get error messages if you have invalid Texinfo commands within ignored text. What a Texinfo File Must Have ============================= By convention, the namea of a Texinfo file ends with (in order of preference) one of the extensions `.texinfo', `.texi', `.txi', or `.tex'. The longer extensions are preferred since they describe more clearly to a human reader the nature of the file. The shorter extensions are for operating systems that cannot handle long file names. In order to be made into a printed manual and an Info file, a Texinfo file *must* begin with lines like this: \input texinfo @setfilename INFO-FILE-NAME @settitle NAME-OF-MANUAL The contents of the file follow this beginning, and then you *must* end a Texinfo file with a line like this: @bye Here's an explanation: * The `\input texinfo' line tells TeX to use the `texinfo.tex' file, which tells TeX how to translate the Texinfo @-commands into TeX typesetting commands. (Note the use of the backslash, `\'; this is correct for TeX.) * The `@setfilename' line provides a name for the Info file and tells TeX to open auxiliary files. *All text before `@setfilename' is ignored!* * The `@settitle' line specifies a title for the page headers (or footers) of the printed manual, and the default document description for the `' in HTML format. Strictly speaking, `@settitle' is optional--if you don't mind your document being titled `Untitled'. * The `@bye' line at the end of the file on a line of its own tells the formatters that the file is ended and to stop formatting. Typically, you will not use quite such a spare format, but will include mode setting and start-of-header and end-of-header lines at the beginning of a Texinfo file, like this: \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @c %**start of header @setfilename INFO-FILE-NAME @settitle NAME-OF-MANUAL @c %**end of header In the first line, `-*-texinfo-*-' causes Emacs to switch into Texinfo mode when you edit the file. The `@c' lines which surround the `@setfilename' and `@settitle' lines are optional, but you need them in order to run TeX or Info on just part of the file. (*Note Start of Header::.) Furthermore, you will usually provide a Texinfo file with a title page, indices, and the like, all of which are explained in this manual. But the minimum, which can be useful for short documents, is just the three lines at the beginning and the one line at the end. Six Parts of a Texinfo File =========================== Generally, a Texinfo file contains more than the minimal beginning and end described in the previous section--it usually contains the six parts listed below. These are described fully in the following sections. 1. Header The "Header" names the file, tells TeX which definitions file to use, and other such housekeeping tasks. 2. Summary and Copyright The "Summary and Copyright" segment describes the document and contains the copyright notice and copying permissions. This is done with the `@copying' command. 3. Title and Copyright The "Title and Copyright" segment contains the title and copyright pages for the printed manual. The segment must be enclosed between `@titlepage' and `@end titlepage' commands. The title and copyright page appear only in the printed manual. 4. `Top' Node and Master Menu The `Top' node starts off the online output; it does not appear in the printed manual. We recommend including the copying permissions here as well as the segments above. And it contains at least a top-level menu listing the chapters, and possibly a "Master Menu" listing all the nodes in the entire document. 5. Body The "Body" of the document is typically structured like a traditional book or encyclopedia, but it may be free form. 6. End The "End" segment contains commands for printing indices and generating the table of contents, and the `@bye' command on a line of its own. A Short Sample Texinfo File =========================== Here is a very short but complete Texinfo file, in the six conventional parts enumerated in the previous section, so you can see how Texinfo source appears in practice. The first three parts of the file, from `\input texinfo' through to `@end titlepage', look more intimidating than they are: most of the material is standard boilerplate; when writing a manual, you simply change the names as appropriate. *Note Beginning a File::, for full documentation on the commands listed here. *Note GNU Sample Texts::, for the full texts to be used in GNU manuals. In the following, the sample text is _indented_; comments on it are not. The complete file, without interspersed comments, is shown in *Note Short Sample Texinfo File::. Part 1: Header -------------- The header does not appear in either the Info file or the printed output. It sets various parameters, including the name of the Info file and the title used in the header. \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @c %**start of header @setfilename sample.info @settitle Sample Manual 1.0 @c %**end of header Part 2: Summary Description and Copyright ----------------------------------------- A real manual includes more text here, according to the license under which it is distributed. *Note GNU Sample Texts::. @copying This is a short example of a complete Texinfo file, version 1.0. Copyright @copyright{} 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @end copying Part 3: Titlepage, Contents, Copyright -------------------------------------- The titlepage segment does not appear in the online output, only in the printed manual. We use the `@insertcopying' command to include the permission text from the previous section, instead of writing it out again; it is output on the back of the title page. The `@contents' command generates a table of contents. @titlepage @title Sample Title @c The following two commands start the copyright page. @page @vskip 0pt plus 1filll @insertcopying @end titlepage @c Output the table of contents at the beginning. @contents Part 4: `Top' Node and Master Menu ---------------------------------- The `Top' node contains the master menu for the Info file. Since a printed manual uses a table of contents rather than a menu, the master menu appears only in online output. We also include the copying text again for the benefit of online readers. And since the copying text begins with a brief description of the manual, no other text is needed. @ifnottex @node Top @end ifnottex @insertcopying @menu * First Chapter:: The first chapter is the only chapter in this sample. * Index:: Complete index. @end menu Part 5: The Body of the Document -------------------------------- The body segment contains all the text of the document, but not the indices or table of contents. This example illustrates a node and a chapter containing an enumerated list. @node First Chapter @chapter First Chapter @cindex chapter, first This is the first chapter. @cindex index entry, another Here is a numbered list. @enumerate @item This is the first item. @item This is the second item. @end enumerate Part 6: The End of the Document ------------------------------- The end segment contains commands for generating an index in a node and unnumbered chapter of its own, and the `@bye' command that marks the end of the document. @node Index @unnumbered Index @printindex cp @bye Some Results ------------ Here is what the contents of the first chapter of the sample look like: This is the first chapter. Here is a numbered list. 1. This is the first item. 2. This is the second item. History ======= Richard M. Stallman invented the Texinfo format, wrote the initial processors, and created Edition 1.0 of this manual. Robert J. Chassell greatly revised and extended the manual, starting with Edition 1.1. Brian Fox was responsible for the standalone Texinfo distribution until version 3.8, and wrote the standalone `makeinfo' and `info' programs. Karl Berry has continued maintenance since Texinfo 3.8 (manual edition 2.22). Our thanks go out to all who helped improve this work, particularly the indefatigable Eli Zaretskii and Andreas Schwab, who have provided patches beyond counting. Franc,ois Pinard and David D. Zuhn, tirelessly recorded and reported mistakes and obscurities. Zack Weinberg did the impossible by implementing the macro syntax in `texinfo.tex'. Special thanks go to Melissa Weisshaus for her frequent reviews of nearly similar editions. Dozens of others have contributed patches and suggestions, they are gratefully acknowledged in the `ChangeLog' file. Our mistakes are our own. A bit of history: in the 1970's at CMU, Brian Reid developed a program and format named Scribe to mark up documents for printing. It used the `@' character to introduce commands, as Texinfo does. Much more consequentially, it strived to describe document contents rather than formatting, an idea wholeheartedly adopted by Texinfo. Meanwhile, people at MIT developed another, not too dissimilar format called Bolio. This then was converted to using TeX as its typesetting language: BoTeX. The earliest BoTeX version seems to have been 0.02 on October 31, 1984. BoTeX could only be used as a markup language for documents to be printed, not for online documents. Richard Stallman (RMS) worked on both Bolio and BoTeX. He also developed a nifty on-line help format called Info, and then combined BoTeX and Info to create Texinfo, a mark up language for text that is intended to be read both online and as printed hard copy. Using Texinfo Mode ****************** You may edit a Texinfo file with any text editor you choose. A Texinfo file is no different from any other ASCII file. However, GNU Emacs comes with a special mode, called Texinfo mode, that provides Emacs commands and tools to help ease your work. This chapter describes features of GNU Emacs' Texinfo mode but not any features of the Texinfo formatting language. So if you are reading this manual straight through from the beginning, you may want to skim through this chapter briefly and come back to it after reading succeeding chapters which describe the Texinfo formatting language in detail. Texinfo Mode Overview ===================== Texinfo mode provides special features for working with Texinfo files. You can: * Insert frequently used @-commands. * Automatically create `@node' lines. * Show the structure of a Texinfo source file. * Automatically create or update the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers of a node. * Automatically create or update menus. * Automatically create a master menu. * Format a part or all of a file for Info. * Typeset and print part or all of a file. Perhaps the two most helpful features are those for inserting frequently used @-commands and for creating node pointers and menus. The Usual GNU Emacs Editing Commands ==================================== In most cases, the usual Text mode commands work the same in Texinfo mode as they do in Text mode. Texinfo mode adds new editing commands and tools to GNU Emacs' general purpose editing features. The major difference concerns filling. In Texinfo mode, the paragraph separation variable and syntax table are redefined so that Texinfo commands that should be on lines of their own are not inadvertently included in paragraphs. Thus, the `M-q' (`fill-paragraph') command will refill a paragraph but not mix an indexing command on a line adjacent to it into the paragraph. In addition, Texinfo mode sets the `page-delimiter' variable to the value of `texinfo-chapter-level-regexp'; by default, this is a regular expression matching the commands for chapters and their equivalents, such as appendices. With this value for the page delimiter, you can jump from chapter title to chapter title with the `C-x ]' (`forward-page') and `C-x [' (`backward-page') commands and narrow to a chapter with the `C-x p' (`narrow-to-page') command. (*Note Pages: (emacs)Pages, for details about the page commands.) You may name a Texinfo file however you wish, but the convention is to end a Texinfo file name with one of the extensions `.texinfo', `.texi', `.txi', or `.tex'. A longer extension is preferred, since it is explicit, but a shorter extension may be necessary for operating systems that limit the length of file names. GNU Emacs automatically enters Texinfo mode when you visit a file with a `.texinfo', `.texi' or `.txi' extension. Also, Emacs switches to Texinfo mode when you visit a file that has `-*-texinfo-*-' in its first line. If ever you are in another mode and wish to switch to Texinfo mode, type `M-x texinfo-mode'. Like all other Emacs features, you can customize or enhance Texinfo mode as you wish. In particular, the keybindings are very easy to change. The keybindings described here are the default or standard ones. Inserting Frequently Used Commands ================================== Texinfo mode provides commands to insert various frequently used @-commands into the buffer. You can use these commands to save keystrokes. The insert commands are invoked by typing `C-c' twice and then the first letter of the @-command: `C-c C-c c' `M-x texinfo-insert-@code' Insert `@code{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c d' `M-x texinfo-insert-@dfn' Insert `@dfn{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c e' `M-x texinfo-insert-@end' Insert `@end' and attempt to insert the correct following word, such as `example' or `table'. (This command does not handle nested lists correctly, but inserts the word appropriate to the immediately preceding list.) `C-c C-c i' `M-x texinfo-insert-@item' Insert `@item' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next line. `C-c C-c k' `M-x texinfo-insert-@kbd' Insert `@kbd{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c n' `M-x texinfo-insert-@node' Insert `@node' and a comment line listing the sequence for the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' nodes. Leave point after the `@node'. `C-c C-c o' `M-x texinfo-insert-@noindent' Insert `@noindent' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next line. `C-c C-c s' `M-x texinfo-insert-@samp' Insert `@samp{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c t' `M-x texinfo-insert-@table' Insert `@table' followed by a and leave the cursor after the . `C-c C-c v' `M-x texinfo-insert-@var' Insert `@var{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c x' `M-x texinfo-insert-@example' Insert `@example' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next line. `C-c C-c {' `M-x texinfo-insert-braces' Insert `{}' and put the cursor between the braces. `C-c C-c }' `C-c C-c ]' `M-x up-list' Move from between a pair of braces forward past the closing brace. Typing `C-c C-c ]' is easier than typing `C-c C-c }', which is, however, more mnemonic; hence the two keybindings. (Also, you can move out from between braces by typing `C-f'.) To put a command such as `@code{...}' around an _existing_ word, position the cursor in front of the word and type `C-u 1 C-c C-c c'. This makes it easy to edit existing plain text. The value of the prefix argument tells Emacs how many words following point to include between braces--`1' for one word, `2' for two words, and so on. Use a negative argument to enclose the previous word or words. If you do not specify a prefix argument, Emacs inserts the @-command string and positions the cursor between the braces. This feature works only for those @-commands that operate on a word or words within one line, such as `@kbd' and `@var'. This set of insert commands was created after analyzing the frequency with which different @-commands are used in the `GNU Emacs Manual' and the `GDB Manual'. If you wish to add your own insert commands, you can bind a keyboard macro to a key, use abbreviations, or extend the code in `texinfo.el'. `C-c C-c C-d' (`texinfo-start-menu-description') is an insert command that works differently from the other insert commands. It inserts a node's section or chapter title in the space for the description in a menu entry line. (A menu entry has three parts, the entry name, the node name, and the description. Only the node name is required, but a description helps explain what the node is about. *Note The Parts of a Menu: Menu Parts.) To use `texinfo-start-menu-description', position point in a menu entry line and type `C-c C-c C-d'. The command looks for and copies the title that goes with the node name, and inserts the title as a description; it positions point at beginning of the inserted text so you can edit it. The function does not insert the title if the menu entry line already contains a description. This command is only an aid to writing descriptions; it does not do the whole job. You must edit the inserted text since a title tends to use the same words as a node name but a useful description uses different words. Showing the Section Structure of a File ======================================= You can show the section structure of a Texinfo file by using the `C-c C-s' command (`texinfo-show-structure'). This command shows the section structure of a Texinfo file by listing the lines that begin with the @-commands for `@chapter', `@section', and the like. It constructs what amounts to a table of contents. These lines are displayed in another buffer called the `*Occur*' buffer. In that buffer, you can position the cursor over one of the lines and use the `C-c C-c' command (`occur-mode-goto-occurrence'), to jump to the corresponding spot in the Texinfo file. `C-c C-s' `M-x texinfo-show-structure' Show the `@chapter', `@section', and such lines of a Texinfo file. `C-c C-c' `M-x occur-mode-goto-occurrence' Go to the line in the Texinfo file corresponding to the line under the cursor in the `*Occur*' buffer. If you call `texinfo-show-structure' with a prefix argument by typing `C-u C-c C-s', it will list not only those lines with the @-commands for `@chapter', `@section', and the like, but also the `@node' lines. You can use `texinfo-show-structure' with a prefix argument to check whether the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers of an `@node' line are correct. Often, when you are working on a manual, you will be interested only in the structure of the current chapter. In this case, you can mark off the region of the buffer that you are interested in by using the `C-x n n' (`narrow-to-region') command and `texinfo-show-structure' will work on only that region. To see the whole buffer again, use `C-x n w' (`widen'). (*Note Narrowing: (emacs)Narrowing, for more information about the narrowing commands.) In addition to providing the `texinfo-show-structure' command, Texinfo mode sets the value of the page delimiter variable to match the chapter-level @-commands. This enables you to use the `C-x ]' (`forward-page') and `C-x [' (`backward-page') commands to move forward and backward by chapter, and to use the `C-x p' (`narrow-to-page') command to narrow to a chapter. *Note Pages: (emacs)Pages, for more information about the page commands. Updating Nodes and Menus ======================== Texinfo mode provides commands for automatically creating or updating menus and node pointers. The commands are called "update" commands because their most frequent use is for updating a Texinfo file after you have worked on it; but you can use them to insert the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers into an `@node' line that has none and to create menus in a file that has none. If you do not use the updating commands, you need to write menus and node pointers by hand, which is a tedious task. The Updating Commands --------------------- You can use the updating commands to: * insert or update the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers of a node, * insert or update the menu for a section, and * create a master menu for a Texinfo source file. You can also use the commands to update all the nodes and menus in a region or in a whole Texinfo file. The updating commands work only with conventional Texinfo files, which are structured hierarchically like books. In such files, a structuring command line must follow closely after each `@node' line, except for the `Top' `@node' line. (A "structuring command line" is a line beginning with `@chapter', `@section', or other similar command.) You can write the structuring command line on the line that follows immediately after an `@node' line or else on the line that follows after a single `@comment' line or a single `@ifinfo' line. You cannot interpose more than one line between the `@node' line and the structuring command line; and you may interpose only an `@comment' line or an `@ifinfo' line. Commands which work on a whole buffer require that the `Top' node be followed by a node with an `@chapter' or equivalent-level command. The menu updating commands will not create a main or master menu for a Texinfo file that has only `@chapter'-level nodes! The menu updating commands only create menus _within_ nodes for lower level nodes. To create a menu of chapters, you must provide a `Top' node. The menu updating commands remove menu entries that refer to other Info files since they do not refer to nodes within the current buffer. This is a deficiency. Rather than use menu entries, you can use cross references to refer to other Info files. None of the updating commands affect cross references. Texinfo mode has five updating commands that are used most often: two are for updating the node pointers or menu of a single node (or a region); two are for updating every node pointer and menu in a file; and one, the `texinfo-master-menu' command, is for creating a master menu for a complete file, and optionally, for updating every node and menu in the whole Texinfo file. The `texinfo-master-menu' command is the primary command: `C-c C-u m' `M-x texinfo-master-menu' Create or update a master menu that includes all the other menus (incorporating the descriptions from pre-existing menus, if any). With an argument (prefix argument, `C-u,' if interactive), first create or update all the nodes and all the regular menus in the buffer before constructing the master menu. (*Note The Top Node and Master Menu: The Top Node, for more about a master menu.) For `texinfo-master-menu' to work, the Texinfo file must have a `Top' node and at least one subsequent node. After extensively editing a Texinfo file, you can type the following: C-u M-x texinfo-master-menu or C-u C-c C-u m This updates all the nodes and menus completely and all at once. The other major updating commands do smaller jobs and are designed for the person who updates nodes and menus as he or she writes a Texinfo file. The commands are: `C-c C-u C-n' `M-x texinfo-update-node' Insert the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers for the node that point is within (i.e., for the `@node' line preceding point). If the `@node' line has pre-existing `Next', `Previous', or `Up' pointers in it, the old pointers are removed and new ones inserted. With an argument (prefix argument, `C-u', if interactive), this command updates all `@node' lines in the region (which is the text between point and mark). `C-c C-u C-m' `M-x texinfo-make-menu' Create or update the menu in the node that point is within. With an argument (`C-u' as prefix argument, if interactive), the command makes or updates menus for the nodes which are either within or a part of the region. Whenever `texinfo-make-menu' updates an existing menu, the descriptions from that menu are incorporated into the new menu. This is done by copying descriptions from the existing menu to the entries in the new menu that have the same node names. If the node names are different, the descriptions are not copied to the new menu. `C-c C-u C-e' `M-x texinfo-every-node-update' Insert or update the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers for every node in the buffer. `C-c C-u C-a' `M-x texinfo-all-menus-update' Create or update all the menus in the buffer. With an argument (`C-u' as prefix argument, if interactive), first insert or update all the node pointers before working on the menus. If a master menu exists, the `texinfo-all-menus-update' command updates it; but the command does not create a new master menu if none already exists. (Use the `texinfo-master-menu' command for that.) When working on a document that does not merit a master menu, you can type the following: C-u C-c C-u C-a or C-u M-x texinfo-all-menus-update This updates all the nodes and menus. The `texinfo-column-for-description' variable specifies the column to which menu descriptions are indented. By default, the value is 32 although it is often useful to reduce it to as low as 24. You can set the variable with the `M-x edit-options' command (*note Editing Variable Values: (emacs)Edit Options.) or with the `M-x set-variable' command (*note Examining and Setting Variables: (emacs)Examining.). Also, the `texinfo-indent-menu-description' command may be used to indent existing menu descriptions to a specified column. Finally, if you wish, you can use the `texinfo-insert-node-lines' command to insert missing `@node' lines into a file. (*Note Other Updating Commands::, for more information.) Updating Requirements --------------------- To use the updating commands, you must organize the Texinfo file hierarchically with chapters, sections, subsections, and the like. When you construct the hierarchy of the manual, do not `jump down' more than one level at a time: you can follow the `Top' node with a chapter, but not with a section; you can follow a chapter with a section, but not with a subsection. However, you may `jump up' any number of levels at one time--for example, from a subsection to a chapter. Each `@node' line, with the exception of the line for the `Top' node, must be followed by a line with a structuring command such as `@chapter', `@section', or `@unnumberedsubsec'. Each `@node' line/structuring-command line combination must look either like this: @node Comments, Minimum, Conventions, Overview @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Comments or like this (without the `@comment' line): @node Comments, Minimum, Conventions, Overview @section Comments or like this (without the explicit node pointers): @node Comments @section Comments In this example, `Comments' is the name of both the node and the section. The next node is called `Minimum' and the previous node is called `Conventions'. The `Comments' section is within the `Overview' node, which is specified by the `Up' pointer. (Instead of an `@comment' line, you may also write an `@ifinfo' line.) If a file has a `Top' node, it must be called `top' or `Top' and be the first node in the file. The menu updating commands create a menu of sections within a chapter, a menu of subsections within a section, and so on. This means that you must have a `Top' node if you want a menu of chapters. Incidentally, the `makeinfo' command will create an Info file for a hierarchically organized Texinfo file that lacks `Next', `Previous' and `Up' pointers. Thus, if you can be sure that your Texinfo file will be formatted with `makeinfo', you have no need for the update node commands. (*Note Creating an Info File::, for more information about `makeinfo'.) However, both `makeinfo' and the `texinfo-format-...' commands require that you insert menus in the file. Other Updating Commands ----------------------- In addition to the five major updating commands, Texinfo mode possesses several less frequently used updating commands: `M-x texinfo-insert-node-lines' Insert `@node' lines before the `@chapter', `@section', and other sectioning commands wherever they are missing throughout a region in a Texinfo file. With an argument (`C-u' as prefix argument, if interactive), the `texinfo-insert-node-lines' command not only inserts `@node' lines but also inserts the chapter or section titles as the names of the corresponding nodes. In addition, it inserts the titles as node names in pre-existing `@node' lines that lack names. Since node names should be more concise than section or chapter titles, you must manually edit node names so inserted. For example, the following marks a whole buffer as a region and inserts `@node' lines and titles throughout: C-x h C-u M-x texinfo-insert-node-lines This command inserts titles as node names in `@node' lines; the `texinfo-start-menu-description' command (*note Inserting Frequently Used Commands: Inserting.) inserts titles as descriptions in menu entries, a different action. However, in both cases, you need to edit the inserted text. `M-x texinfo-multiple-files-update' Update nodes and menus in a document built from several separate files. With `C-u' as a prefix argument, create and insert a master menu in the outer file. With a numeric prefix argument, such as `C-u 2', first update all the menus and all the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers of all the included files before creating and inserting a master menu in the outer file. The `texinfo-multiple-files-update' command is described in the appendix on `@include' files. *Note texinfo-multiple-files-update::. `M-x texinfo-indent-menu-description' Indent every description in the menu following point to the specified column. You can use this command to give yourself more space for descriptions. With an argument (`C-u' as prefix argument, if interactive), the `texinfo-indent-menu-description' command indents every description in every menu in the region. However, this command does not indent the second and subsequent lines of a multi-line description. `M-x texinfo-sequential-node-update' Insert the names of the nodes immediately following and preceding the current node as the `Next' or `Previous' pointers regardless of those nodes' hierarchical level. This means that the `Next' node of a subsection may well be the next chapter. Sequentially ordered nodes are useful for novels and other documents that you read through sequentially. (However, in Info, the `g *' command lets you look through the file sequentially, so sequentially ordered nodes are not strictly necessary.) With an argument (prefix argument, if interactive), the `texinfo-sequential-node-update' command sequentially updates all the nodes in the region. Formatting for Info =================== Texinfo mode provides several commands for formatting part or all of a Texinfo file for Info. Often, when you are writing a document, you want to format only part of a file--that is, a region. You can use either the `texinfo-format-region' or the `makeinfo-region' command to format a region: `C-c C-e C-r' `M-x texinfo-format-region' `C-c C-m C-r' `M-x makeinfo-region' Format the current region for Info. You can use either the `texinfo-format-buffer' or the `makeinfo-buffer' command to format a whole buffer: `C-c C-e C-b' `M-x texinfo-format-buffer' `C-c C-m C-b' `M-x makeinfo-buffer' Format the current buffer for Info. For example, after writing a Texinfo file, you can type the following: C-u C-c C-u m or C-u M-x texinfo-master-menu This updates all the nodes and menus. Then type the following to create an Info file: C-c C-m C-b or M-x makeinfo-buffer For TeX or the Info formatting commands to work, the file _must_ include a line that has `@setfilename' in its header. *Note Creating an Info File::, for details about Info formatting. Formatting and Printing ======================= Typesetting and printing a Texinfo file is a multi-step process in which you first create a file for printing (called a DVI file), and then print the file. Optionally, you may also create indices. To do this, you must run the `texindex' command after first running the `tex' typesetting command; and then you must run the `tex' command again. Or else run the `texi2dvi' command which automatically creates indices as needed (*note Format with texi2dvi::). Often, when you are writing a document, you want to typeset and print only part of a file to see what it will look like. You can use the `texinfo-tex-region' and related commands for this purpose. Use the `texinfo-tex-buffer' command to format all of a buffer. `C-c C-t C-b' `M-x texinfo-tex-buffer' Run `texi2dvi' on the buffer. In addition to running TeX on the buffer, this command automatically creates or updates indices as needed. `C-c C-t C-r' `M-x texinfo-tex-region' Run TeX on the region. `C-c C-t C-i' `M-x texinfo-texindex' Run `texindex' to sort the indices of a Texinfo file formatted with `texinfo-tex-region'. The `texinfo-tex-region' command does not run `texindex' automatically; it only runs the `tex' typesetting command. You must run the `texinfo-tex-region' command a second time after sorting the raw index files with the `texindex' command. (Usually, you do not format an index when you format a region, only when you format a buffer. Now that the `texi2dvi' command exists, there is little or no need for this command.) `C-c C-t C-p' `M-x texinfo-tex-print' Print the file (or the part of the file) previously formatted with `texinfo-tex-buffer' or `texinfo-tex-region'. For `texinfo-tex-region' or `texinfo-tex-buffer' to work, the file _must_ start with a `\input texinfo' line and must include an `@settitle' line. The file must end with `@bye' on a line by itself. (When you use `texinfo-tex-region', you must surround the `@settitle' line with start-of-header and end-of-header lines.) *Note Hardcopy::, for a description of the other TeX related commands, such as `tex-show-print-queue'. Texinfo Mode Summary ==================== In Texinfo mode, each set of commands has default keybindings that begin with the same keys. All the commands that are custom-created for Texinfo mode begin with `C-c'. The keys are somewhat mnemonic. Insert Commands --------------- The insert commands are invoked by typing `C-c' twice and then the first letter of the @-command to be inserted. (It might make more sense mnemonically to use `C-c C-i', for `custom insert', but `C-c C-c' is quick to type.) C-c C-c c Insert `@code'. C-c C-c d Insert `@dfn'. C-c C-c e Insert `@end'. C-c C-c i Insert `@item'. C-c C-c n Insert `@node'. C-c C-c s Insert `@samp'. C-c C-c v Insert `@var'. C-c C-c { Insert braces. C-c C-c ] C-c C-c } Move out of enclosing braces. C-c C-c C-d Insert a node's section title in the space for the description in a menu entry line. Show Structure -------------- The `texinfo-show-structure' command is often used within a narrowed region. C-c C-s List all the headings. The Master Update Command ------------------------- The `texinfo-master-menu' command creates a master menu; and can be used to update every node and menu in a file as well. C-c C-u m M-x texinfo-master-menu Create or update a master menu. C-u C-c C-u m With `C-u' as a prefix argument, first create or update all nodes and regular menus, and then create a master menu. Update Pointers --------------- The update pointer commands are invoked by typing `C-c C-u' and then either `C-n' for `texinfo-update-node' or `C-e' for `texinfo-every-node-update'. C-c C-u C-n Update a node. C-c C-u C-e Update every node in the buffer. Update Menus ------------ Invoke the update menu commands by typing `C-c C-u' and then either `C-m' for `texinfo-make-menu' or `C-a' for `texinfo-all-menus-update'. To update both nodes and menus at the same time, precede `C-c C-u C-a' with `C-u'. C-c C-u C-m Make or update a menu. C-c C-u C-a Make or update all menus in a buffer. C-u C-c C-u C-a With `C-u' as a prefix argument, first create or update all nodes and then create or update all menus. Format for Info --------------- The Info formatting commands that are written in Emacs Lisp are invoked by typing `C-c C-e' and then either `C-r' for a region or `C-b' for the whole buffer. The Info formatting commands that are written in C and based on the `makeinfo' program are invoked by typing `C-c C-m' and then either `C-r' for a region or `C-b' for the whole buffer. Use the `texinfo-format...' commands: C-c C-e C-r Format the region. C-c C-e C-b Format the buffer. Use `makeinfo': C-c C-m C-r Format the region. C-c C-m C-b Format the buffer. C-c C-m C-l Recenter the `makeinfo' output buffer. C-c C-m C-k Kill the `makeinfo' formatting job. Typeset and Print ----------------- The TeX typesetting and printing commands are invoked by typing `C-c C-t' and then another control command: `C-r' for `texinfo-tex-region', `C-b' for `texinfo-tex-buffer', and so on. C-c C-t C-r Run TeX on the region. C-c C-t C-b Run `texi2dvi' on the buffer. C-c C-t C-i Run `texindex'. C-c C-t C-p Print the DVI file. C-c C-t C-q Show the print queue. C-c C-t C-d Delete a job from the print queue. C-c C-t C-k Kill the current TeX formatting job. C-c C-t C-x Quit a currently stopped TeX formatting job. C-c C-t C-l Recenter the output buffer. Other Updating Commands ----------------------- The remaining updating commands do not have standard keybindings because they are rarely used. M-x texinfo-insert-node-lines Insert missing `@node' lines in region. With `C-u' as a prefix argument, use section titles as node names. M-x texinfo-multiple-files-update Update a multi-file document. With `C-u 2' as a prefix argument, create or update all nodes and menus in all included files first. M-x texinfo-indent-menu-description Indent descriptions. M-x texinfo-sequential-node-update Insert node pointers in strict sequence. Beginning a Texinfo File ************************ Certain pieces of information must be provided at the beginning of a Texinfo file, such as the name for the output file(s), the title of the document, and the Top node. This chapter expands on the minimal complete Texinfo source file previously given (*note Six Parts::). Sample Texinfo File Beginning ============================= The following sample shows what is needed. The elements given here are explained in more detail in the following sections. Other commands are often included at the beginning of Texinfo files, but the ones here are the most critical. *Note GNU Sample Texts::, for the full texts to be used in GNU manuals. \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @c %**start of header @setfilename INFONAME.info @settitle NAME-OF-MANUAL VERSION @c %**end of header @copying This manual is for PROGRAM, version VERSION. Copyright @copyright{} YEARS COPYRIGHT-OWNER. @quotation Permission is granted to ... @end quotation @end copying @titlepage @title NAME-OF-MANUAL-WHEN-PRINTED @subtitle SUBTITLE-IF-ANY @subtitle SECOND-SUBTITLE @author AUTHOR @c The following two commands @c start the copyright page. @page @vskip 0pt plus 1filll @insertcopying Published by ... @end titlepage @c So the toc is printed in the right place. @contents @ifnottex @node Top @top TITLE @insertcopying @end ifnottex @menu * First Chapter:: Getting started ... * Second Chapter:: ... ... * Copying:: Your rights and freedoms. @end menu @node First Chapter @chapter First Chapter @cindex first chapter @cindex chapter, first ... Texinfo File Header =================== Texinfo files start with at least three lines that provide Info and TeX with necessary information. These are the `\input texinfo' line, the `@settitle' line, and the `@setfilename' line. Also, if you want to format just part of the Texinfo file, you must write the `@settitle' and `@setfilename' lines between start-of-header and end-of-header lines. The start- and end-of-header lines are optional, but they do no harm, so you might as well always include them. Any command that affects document formatting as a whole makes sense to include in the header. `@synindex' (*note synindex::), for instance, is another command often included in the header. *Note GNU Sample Texts::, for complete sample texts. Thus, the beginning of a Texinfo file generally looks like this: \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @c %**start of header @setfilename sample.info @settitle Sample Manual 1.0 @c %**end of header The First Line of a Texinfo File -------------------------------- Every Texinfo file that is to be the top-level input to TeX must begin with a line that looks like this: \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- This line serves two functions: 1. When the file is processed by TeX, the `\input texinfo' command tells TeX to load the macros needed for processing a Texinfo file. These are in a file called `texinfo.tex', which should have been installed on your system along with either the TeX or Texinfo software. TeX uses the backslash, `\', to mark the beginning of a command, exactly as Texinfo uses `@'. The `texinfo.tex' file causes the switch from `\' to `@'; before the switch occurs, TeX requires `\', which is why it appears at the beginning of the file. 2. When the file is edited in GNU Emacs, the `-*-texinfo-*-' mode specification tells Emacs to use Texinfo mode. Start of Header --------------- A start-of-header line is a Texinfo comment that looks like this: @c %**start of header Write the start-of-header line on the second line of a Texinfo file. Follow the start-of-header line with `@setfilename' and `@settitle' lines and, optionally, with other commands that globally affect the document formatting, such as `@synindex' or `@footnotestyle'; and then by an end-of-header line (*note End of Header::). The start- and end-of-header lines allow you to format only part of a Texinfo file for Info or printing. *Note texinfo-format commands::. The odd string of characters, `%**', is to ensure that no other comment is accidentally taken for a start-of-header line. You can change it if you wish by setting the `tex-start-of-header' and/or `tex-end-of-header' Emacs variables. *Note Texinfo Mode Printing::. `@setfilename': Set the output file name ---------------------------------------- In order to serve as the primary input file for either `makeinfo' or TeX, a Texinfo file must contain a line that looks like this: @setfilename INFO-FILE-NAME Write the `@setfilename' command at the beginning of a line and follow it on the same line by the Info file name. Do not write anything else on the line; anything on the line after the command is considered part of the file name, including what would otherwise be a comment. The Info formatting commands ignore everything written before the `@setfilename' line, which is why the very first line of the file (the `\input' line) does not show up in the output. The `@setfilename' line specifies the name of the output file to be generated. This name must be different from the name of the Texinfo file. There are two conventions for choosing the name: you can either remove the extension (such as `.texi') entirely from the input file name, or, preferably, replace it with the `.info' extension. Although an explicit `.info' extension is preferable, some operating systems cannot handle long file names. You can run into a problem even when the file name you specify is itself short enough. This occurs because the Info formatters split a long Info file into short indirect subfiles, and name them by appending `-1', `-2', ..., `-10', `-11', and so on, to the original file name. (*Note Tag and Split Files::.) The subfile name `texinfo.info-10', for example, is too long for old systems with a 14-character limit on filenames; so the Info file name for this document is `texinfo' rather than `texinfo.info'. When `makeinfo' is running on operating systems such as MS-DOS which impose severe limits on file names, it may remove some characters from the original file name to leave enough space for the subfile suffix, thus producing files named `texin-10', `gcc.i12', etc. When producing HTML output, `makeinfo' will replace any extension with `html', or add `.html' if the given name has no extension. The `@setfilename' line produces no output when you typeset a manual with TeX, but it is nevertheless essential: it opens the index, cross-reference, and other auxiliary files used by Texinfo, and also reads `texinfo.cnf' if that file is present on your system (*note Preparing for TeX: Preparing for TeX.). `@settitle': Set the document title ----------------------------------- In order to be made into a printed manual, a Texinfo file must contain a line that looks like this: @settitle TITLE Write the `@settitle' command at the beginning of a line and follow it on the same line by the title. This tells TeX the title to use in a header or footer. Do not write anything else on the line; anything on the line after the command is considered part of the title, including what would otherwise be a comment. The `@settitle' command should precede everything that generates actual output in TeX. In the HTML file produced by `makeinfo', TITLE also serves as the document `' and the default document description in the `<head>' part; see *Note documentdescription::, for how to change that. The title in the `@settitle' command does not affect the title as it appears on the title page. Thus, the two do not need not match exactly. A practice we recommend is to include the version or edition number of the manual in the `@settitle' title; on the title page, the version number generally appears as a `@subtitle' so it would be omitted from the `@title'. (*Note titlepage::.) Conventionally, when TeX formats a Texinfo file for double-sided output, the title is printed in the left-hand (even-numbered) page headings and the current chapter title is printed in the right-hand (odd-numbered) page headings. (TeX learns the title of each chapter from each `@chapter' command.) By default, no page footer is printed. Even if you are printing in a single-sided style, TeX looks for an `@settitle' command line, in case you include the manual title in the heading. TeX prints page headings only for that text that comes after the `@end titlepage' command in the Texinfo file, or that comes after an `@headings' command that turns on headings. (*Note The `@headings' Command: headings on off, for more information.) You may, if you wish, create your own, customized headings and footings. *Note Headings::, for a detailed discussion of this. End of Header ------------- Follow the header lines with an end-of-header line, which is a Texinfo comment that looks like this: @c %**end of header *Note Start of Header::. Document Permissions ==================== The copyright notice and copying permissions for a document need to appear in several places in the various Texinfo output formats. Therefore, Texinfo provides a command (`@copying') to declare this text once, and another command (`@insertcopying') to insert the text at appropriate points. `@copying': Declare copying permissions --------------------------------------- The `@copying' command should be given very early in the document; right after the header material (*note Texinfo File Header::) is the recommended location. It conventionally consists of a sentence or two about what the program is, the legal copyright line, and the copying permissions. Here is a skeletal example: @copying This manual is for PROGRAM (version VERSION), which ... Copyright @copyright{} YEARS COPYRIGHT-OWNER. @quotation Permission is granted to ... @end quotation @end copying The `@quotation' has no legal significance; it's there to improve readability in some contexts. *Note GNU Sample Texts::, for the full text to be used in GNU manuals. *Note GNU Free Documentation License::, for the license itself under which GNU and other free manuals are distributed. The text of `@copying' is output as a comment at the beginning of Info, HTML, and XML output files. It is _not_ output implicitly in plain text or TeX; it's up to you to use `@insertcopying' to emit the copying information. See the next section for details. In output formats that support it (print and HTML), the `@copyright{}' command generates a `c' inside a circle. In Info and plain text, it generates `(C)'. The copyright notice itself has the following legally defined sequence: Copyright (C) YEARS COPYRIGHT-OWNER. The word `Copyright' must always be written in English, even if the manual is otherwise in another language. This is due to international law. The list of years should include all years in which a version was completed (even if it was released in a subsequent year). Ranges are not allowed, each year must be written out individually, separated by commas. The copyright owner (or owners) is whoever holds legal copyright on the work. In the case of works assigned to the FSF, the owner is `Free Software Foundation, Inc.'. *Note Copyright Notices: (maintain)Copyright Notices, for additional information. `@insertcopying': Include permissions text ------------------------------------------ The `@insertcopying' command is simply written on a line by itself, like this: @insertcopying It inserts the text previously defined by `@copying'. Legally, it must be used on the copyright page in the printed manual (*note Copyright::). Although it's not a legal requirement, we also strongly recommend using `@insertcopying' in the Top node of your manual (*note The Top Node::). Here's why: The `@copying' command itself causes the permissions text to appear in an Info file _before_ the first node. The text is also copied into the beginning of each split Info output file, as is legally necessary. This location implies a human reading the manual using Info does _not_ see this text (except when using the advanced Info command `g *'). Therefore, an explicit `@insertcopying' in the Top node makes it apparent to readers that the manual is free. Similarly, the `@copying' text is automatically included at the beginning of each HTML output file, as an HTML comment. Again, this text is not visible (unless the reader views the HTML source). And therefore again, the `@insertcopying' in the Top node is valuable because it makes the copying permissions visible and thus promotes freedom. The permissions text defined by `@copying' also appears automatically at the beginning of the XML output file. Title and Copyright Pages ========================= In hard copy output, the manual's name and author are usually printed on a title page. Copyright information is usually printed on the back of the title page. The title and copyright pages appear in the printed manual, but not in the Info file. Because of this, it is possible to use several slightly obscure TeX typesetting commands that cannot be used in an Info file. In addition, this part of the beginning of a Texinfo file contains the text of the copying permissions that appears in the printed manual. You may wish to include titlepage-like information for plain text output. Simply place any such leading material between `@ifplaintext' and `@end ifplaintext'; `makeinfo' includes this when writing plain text (`--no-headers'), along with an `@insertcopying'. `@titlepage' ------------ Start the material for the title page and following copyright page with `@titlepage' on a line by itself and end it with `@end titlepage' on a line by itself. The `@end titlepage' command starts a new page and turns on page numbering. (*Note Page Headings: Headings, for details about how to generate page headings.) All the material that you want to appear on unnumbered pages should be put between the `@titlepage' and `@end titlepage' commands. You can force the table of contents to appear there with the `@setcontentsaftertitlepage' command (*note Contents::). By using the `@page' command you can force a page break within the region delineated by the `@titlepage' and `@end titlepage' commands and thereby create more than one unnumbered page. This is how the copyright page is produced. (The `@titlepage' command might perhaps have been better named the `@titleandadditionalpages' command, but that would have been rather long!) When you write a manual about a computer program, you should write the version of the program to which the manual applies on the title page. If the manual changes more frequently than the program or is independent of it, you should also include an edition number(1) (*note titlepage-Footnote-1::) for the manual. This helps readers keep track of which manual is for which version of the program. (The `Top' node should also contain this information; see *Note The Top Node::.) Texinfo provides two main methods for creating a title page. One method uses the `@titlefont', `@sp', and `@center' commands to generate a title page in which the words on the page are centered. The second method uses the `@title', `@subtitle', and `@author' commands to create a title page with black rules under the title and author lines and the subtitle text set flush to the right hand side of the page. With this method, you do not specify any of the actual formatting of the title page. You specify the text you want, and Texinfo does the formatting. You may use either method, or you may combine them; see the examples in the sections below. For extremely simple applications, and for the bastard title page in traditional book front matter, Texinfo also provides a command `@shorttitlepage' which takes the rest of the line as the title. The argument is typeset on a page by itself and followed by a blank page. (1) We have found that it is helpful to refer to versions of independent manuals as `editions' and versions of programs as `versions'; otherwise, we find we are liable to confuse each other in conversation by referring to both the documentation and the software with the same words. `@titlefont', `@center', and `@sp' ---------------------------------- You can use the `@titlefont', `@sp', and `@center' commands to create a title page for a printed document. (This is the first of the two methods for creating a title page in Texinfo.) Use the `@titlefont' command to select a large font suitable for the title itself. You can use `@titlefont' more than once if you have an especially long title. For example: @titlefont{Texinfo} Use the `@center' command at the beginning of a line to center the remaining text on that line. Thus, @center @titlefont{Texinfo} centers the title, which in this example is "Texinfo" printed in the title font. Use the `@sp' command to insert vertical space. For example: @sp 2 This inserts two blank lines on the printed page. (*Note `@sp': sp, for more information about the `@sp' command.) A template for this method looks like this: @titlepage @sp 10 @center @titlefont{NAME-OF-MANUAL-WHEN-PRINTED} @sp 2 @center SUBTITLE-IF-ANY @sp 2 @center AUTHOR ... @end titlepage The spacing of the example fits an 8.5 by 11 inch manual. `@title', `@subtitle', and `@author' ------------------------------------ You can use the `@title', `@subtitle', and `@author' commands to create a title page in which the vertical and horizontal spacing is done for you automatically. This contrasts with the method described in the previous section, in which the `@sp' command is needed to adjust vertical spacing. Write the `@title', `@subtitle', or `@author' commands at the beginning of a line followed by the title, subtitle, or author. The `@title' command produces a line in which the title is set flush to the left-hand side of the page in a larger than normal font. The title is underlined with a black rule. Only a single line is allowed; the `@*' command may not be used to break the title into two lines. To handle very long titles, you may find it profitable to use both `@title' and `@titlefont'; see the final example in this section. The `@subtitle' command sets subtitles in a normal-sized font flush to the right-hand side of the page. The `@author' command sets the names of the author or authors in a middle-sized font flush to the left-hand side of the page on a line near the bottom of the title page. The names are underlined with a black rule that is thinner than the rule that underlines the title. (The black rule only occurs if the `@author' command line is followed by an `@page' command line.) There are two ways to use the `@author' command: you can write the name or names on the remaining part of the line that starts with an `@author' command: @author by Jane Smith and John Doe or you can write the names one above each other by using two (or more) `@author' commands: @author Jane Smith @author John Doe (Only the bottom name is underlined with a black rule.) A template for this method looks like this: @titlepage @title NAME-OF-MANUAL-WHEN-PRINTED @subtitle SUBTITLE-IF-ANY @subtitle SECOND-SUBTITLE @author AUTHOR @page ... @end titlepage You may also combine the `@titlefont' method described in the previous section and `@title' method described in this one. This may be useful if you have a very long title. Here is a real-life example: @titlepage @titlefont{GNU Software} @sp 1 @title for MS-Windows and MS-DOS @subtitle Edition @value{e} for Release @value{cde} @author by Daniel Hagerty, Melissa Weisshaus @author and Eli Zaretskii (The use of `@value' here is explained in *Note value Example::. Copyright Page -------------- By international treaty, the copyright notice for a book must be either on the title page or on the back of the title page. When the copyright notice is on the back of the title page, that page is customarily not numbered. Therefore, in Texinfo, the information on the copyright page should be within `@titlepage' and `@end titlepage' commands. Use the `@page' command to cause a page break. To push the copyright notice and the other text on the copyright page towards the bottom of the page, use the following incantantion after `@page': @vskip 0pt plus 1filll This is a TeX command that is not supported by the Info formatting commands. The `@vskip' command inserts whitespace. The `0pt plus 1filll' means to put in zero points of mandatory whitespace, and as much optional whitespace as needed to push the following text to the bottom of the page. Note the use of three `l's in the word `filll'; this is correct. To insert the copyright text itself, write `@insertcopying' next (*note Document Permissions::): @insertcopying Follow the copying text by the publisher, ISBN numbers, cover art credits, and other such information. Here is an example putting all this together: @titlepage ... @page @vskip 0pt plus 1filll @insertcopying Published by ... Cover art by ... @end titlepage Heading Generation ------------------ The `@end titlepage' command must be written on a line by itself. It not only marks the end of the title and copyright pages, but also causes TeX to start generating page headings and page numbers. To repeat what is said elsewhere, Texinfo has two standard page heading formats, one for documents which are printed on one side of each sheet of paper (single-sided printing), and the other for documents which are printed on both sides of each sheet (double-sided printing). You can specify these formats in different ways: * The conventional way is to write an `@setchapternewpage' command before the title page commands, and then have the `@end titlepage' command start generating page headings in the manner desired. (*Note setchapternewpage::.) * Alternatively, you can use the `@headings' command to prevent page headings from being generated or to start them for either single or double-sided printing. (Write an `@headings' command immediately after the `@end titlepage' command. *Note The `@headings' Command: headings on off, for more information.) * Or, you may specify your own page heading and footing format. *Note Page Headings: Headings, for detailed information about page headings and footings. Most documents are formatted with the standard single-sided or double-sided format, using `@setchapternewpage odd' for double-sided printing and no `@setchapternewpage' command for single-sided printing. The `@headings' Command ----------------------- The `@headings' command is rarely used. It specifies what kind of page headings and footings to print on each page. Usually, this is controlled by the `@setchapternewpage' command. You need the `@headings' command only if the `@setchapternewpage' command does not do what you want, or if you want to turn off pre-defined page headings prior to defining your own. Write an `@headings' command immediately after the `@end titlepage' command. You can use `@headings' as follows: `@headings off' Turn off printing of page headings. `@headings single' Turn on page headings appropriate for single-sided printing. `@headings double' `@headings on' Turn on page headings appropriate for double-sided printing. The two commands, `@headings on' and `@headings double', are synonymous. `@headings singleafter' `@headings doubleafter' Turn on `single' or `double' headings, respectively, after the current page is output. `@headings on' Turn on page headings: `single' if `@setchapternewpage on', `double' otherwise. For example, suppose you write `@setchapternewpage off' before the `@titlepage' command to tell TeX to start a new chapter on the same page as the end of the last chapter. This command also causes TeX to typeset page headers for single-sided printing. To cause TeX to typeset for double sided printing, write `@headings double' after the `@end titlepage' command. You can stop TeX from generating any page headings at all by writing `@headings off' on a line of its own immediately after the line containing the `@end titlepage' command, like this: @end titlepage @headings off The `@headings off' command overrides the `@end titlepage' command, which would otherwise cause TeX to print page headings. You can also specify your own style of page heading and footing. *Note Page Headings: Headings, for more information. The `Top' Node and Master Menu ============================== The `Top' node is the node in which a reader enters an Info manual. As such, it should begin with the `@insertcopying' command (*note Document Permissions::) to provide a brief description of the manual (including the version number) and copying permissions, and end with a master menu for the whole manual. Of course you should include any other general information you feel a reader would find helpful. It is also conventional to write an `@top' sectioning command line containing the title of the document immediately after the `@node Top' line (*note The `@top' Sectioning Command: makeinfo top command.). The contents of the `Top' node should appear only in the online output; none of it should appear in printed output, so enclose it between `@ifnottex' and `@end ifnottex' commands. (TeX does not print either an `@node' line or a menu; they appear only in Info; strictly speaking, you are not required to enclose these parts between `@ifnottex' and `@end ifnottext', but it is simplest to do so. *Note Conditionally Visible Text: Conditionals.) Top Node Example ---------------- Here is an example of a Top node. @ifnottex @node Top @top Sample Title @insertcopying Additional general information. @menu * First Chapter:: * Second Chapter:: ... * Index:: @end menu Parts of a Master Menu ---------------------- A "master menu" is a detailed main menu listing all the nodes in a file. A master menu is enclosed in `@menu' and `@end menu' commands and does not appear in the printed document. Generally, a master menu is divided into parts. * The first part contains the major nodes in the Texinfo file: the nodes for the chapters, chapter-like sections, and the appendices. * The second part contains nodes for the indices. * The third and subsequent parts contain a listing of the other, lower level nodes, often ordered by chapter. This way, rather than go through an intermediary menu, an inquirer can go directly to a particular node when searching for specific information. These menu items are not required; add them if you think they are a convenience. If you do use them, put `@detailmenu' before the first one, and `@end detailmenu' after the last; otherwise, `makeinfo' will get confused. Each section in the menu can be introduced by a descriptive line. So long as the line does not begin with an asterisk, it will not be treated as a menu entry. (*Note Writing a Menu::, for more information.) For example, the master menu for this manual looks like the following (but has many more entries): @menu * Copying Conditions:: Your rights. * Overview:: Texinfo in brief. ... * Command and Variable Index:: * Concept Index:: @detailmenu --- The Detailed Node Listing --- Overview of Texinfo * Reporting Bugs:: ... ... Beginning a Texinfo File * Sample Beginning:: ... ... @end detailmenu @end menu Global Document Commands ======================== Besides the basic commands mentioned in the previous sections, here are additional commands which affect the document as a whole. They are generally all given before the Top node, if they are given at all. `@documentdescription': Summary text ------------------------------------ When producing HTML output for a document, `makeinfo' writes a `<meta>' element in the `<head>' to give some idea of the content of the document. By default, this "description" is the title of the document, taken from the `@settitle' command (*note settitle::). To change this, use the `@documentdescription' environment, as in: @documentdescription descriptive text. @end documentdescription This will produce the following output in the `<head>' of the HTML: <meta name=description content="descriptive text."> `@documentdescription' must be specified before the first node of the document. `@setchapternewpage': --------------------- In an officially bound book, text is usually printed on both sides of the paper, chapters start on right-hand pages, and right-hand pages have odd numbers. But in short reports, text often is printed only on one side of the paper. Also in short reports, chapters sometimes do not start on new pages, but are printed on the same page as the end of the preceding chapter, after a small amount of vertical whitespace. You can use the `@setchapternewpage' command with various arguments to specify how TeX should start chapters and whether it should format headers for printing on one or both sides of the paper (single-sided or double-sided printing). Write the `@setchapternewpage' command at the beginning of a line followed by its argument. For example, you would write the following to cause each chapter to start on a fresh odd-numbered page: @setchapternewpage odd You can specify one of three alternatives with the `@setchapternewpage' command: `@setchapternewpage off' Cause TeX to typeset a new chapter on the same page as the last chapter, after skipping some vertical whitespace. Also, cause TeX to format page headers for single-sided printing. `@setchapternewpage on' Cause TeX to start new chapters on new pages and to format page headers for single-sided printing. This is the form most often used for short reports or personal printing. This is the default. `@setchapternewpage odd' Cause TeX to start new chapters on new, odd-numbered pages (right-handed pages) and to typeset for double-sided printing. This is the form most often used for books and manuals. Texinfo does not have an `@setchapternewpage even' command, because there is no printing tradition of starting chapters or books on an even-numbered page. If you don't like the default headers that `@setchapternewpage' sets, you can explicit control them with the `@headings' command. *Note The `@headings' Command: headings on off. At the beginning of a manual or book, pages are not numbered--for example, the title and copyright pages of a book are not numbered. By convention, table of contents and frontmatter pages are numbered with roman numerals and not in sequence with the rest of the document. Since an Info file does not have pages, the `@setchapternewpage' command has no effect on it. We recommend not including any `@setchapternewpage' command in your manual sources at all, since the desired output is not intrinsic to the document. For a particular hard copy run, if you don't want the default option (no blank pages, same headers on all pages) use the `--texinfo' option to `texi2dvi' to specify the output you want. Paragraph Indenting ------------------- The Texinfo processors may insert whitespace at the beginning of the first line of each paragraph, thereby indenting that paragraph. You can use the `@paragraphindent' command to specify this indentation. Write an `@paragraphindent' command at the beginning of a line followed by either `asis' or a number: @paragraphindent INDENT The indentation is according to the value of INDENT: `asis' Do not change the existing indentation (not implemented in TeX). `none' 0 Omit all indentation. N Indent by N space characters in Info output, by N ems in TeX. The default value of INDENT is 3. `@paragraphindent' is ignored for HTML output. It is best to write the `@paragraphindent' command before the end-of-header line at the beginning of a Texinfo file, so the region formatting commands indent paragraphs as specified. *Note Start of Header::. A peculiarity of the `texinfo-format-buffer' and `texinfo-format-region' commands is that they do not indent (nor fill) paragraphs that contain `@w' or `@*' commands. *Note Refilling Paragraphs::, for further information. `@exampleindent': Environment Indenting --------------------------------------- The Texinfo processors indent each line of `@example' and similar environments. You can use the `@exampleindent' command to specify this indentation. Write an `@exampleindent' command at the beginning of a line followed by either `asis' or a number: @exampleindent INDENT The indentation is according to the value of INDENT: `asis' Do not change the existing indentation (not implemented in TeX). 0 Omit all indentation. N Indent environments by N space characters in Info output, by N ems in TeX. The default value of INDENT is 5. `@exampleindent' is ignored for HTML output. It is best to write the `@exampleindent' command before the end-of-header line at the beginning of a Texinfo file, so the region formatting commands indent paragraphs as specified. *Note Start of Header::. Software Copying Permissions ============================ If the Texinfo file has a section containing the "General Public License" and the distribution information and a warranty disclaimer for the software that is documented, we recommend placing this right after the `Top' node. The General Public License is very important to Project GNU software. It ensures that you and others will continue to have a right to use and share the software. The copying and distribution information and the disclaimer are followed by an introduction or else by the first chapter of the manual. Although an introduction is not a required part of a Texinfo file, it is very helpful. Ideally, it should state clearly and concisely what the file is about and who would be interested in reading it. In general, an introduction would follow the licensing and distribution information, although sometimes people put it earlier in the document. Ending a Texinfo File ********************* The end of a Texinfo file should include commands to create indices and (perhaps) to generate both the full and summary tables of contents. Finally, it must include the `@bye' command that marks the last line to be processed. For example: @node Index @unnumbered Index @printindex cp @shortcontents @contents @bye Printing Indices and Menus ========================== To print an index means to include it as part of a manual or Info file. This does not happen automatically just because you use `@cindex' or other index-entry generating commands in the Texinfo file; those just cause the raw data for the index to be accumulated. To generate an index, you must include the `@printindex' command at the place in the document where you want the index to appear. Also, as part of the process of creating a printed manual, you must run a program called `texindex' (*note Hardcopy::) to sort the raw data to produce a sorted index file. The sorted index file is what is actually used to print the index. Texinfo offers six separate types of predefined index, each with a two-letter abbreviation, as illustrated in the following table. However, you may merge indices (*note Combining Indices::) or define your own indices (*note New Indices::). Here are the predefined indices, their abbreviations, and the corresponding index entry commands: `cp' concept index (`@cindex') `fn' function index (`@findex') `vr' variable index (`@index') `ky' key index (`@kindex') `pg' program index (`@pindex') `tp' data type index (`@tindex') The `@printindex' command takes a two-letter index abbreviation, reads the corresponding sorted index file and formats it appropriately into an index. The `@printindex' command does not generate a chapter heading for the index. Consequently, you should precede the `@printindex' command with a suitable section or chapter command (usually `@appendix' or `@unnumbered') to supply the chapter heading and put the index into the table of contents. Precede the `@unnumbered' command with an `@node' line. For example: @node Variable Index @unnumbered Variable Index @printindex vr @node Concept Index @unnumbered Concept Index @printindex cp We recommend placing the concept index last, since that makes it easiest to find. We also recommend having a single index whenever possible, since then readers have only one place to look (*note Combining Indices::). Generating a Table of Contents ============================== The `@chapter', `@section', and other structuring commands supply the information to make up a table of contents, but they do not cause an actual table to appear in the manual. To do this, you must use the `@contents' and/or `@summarycontents' command(s). `@contents' Generate a table of contents in a printed manual, including all chapters, sections, subsections, etc., as well as appendices and unnumbered chapters. Headings generated by the `@heading' series of commands do not appear in the table of contents. `@shortcontents' `@summarycontents' (`@summarycontents' is a synonym for `@shortcontents'.) Generate a short or summary table of contents that lists only the chapters, appendices, and unnumbered chapters. Sections, subsections and subsubsections are omitted. Only a long manual needs a short table of contents in addition to the full table of contents. Both contents commands should be written on a line by themselves. The contents commands automatically generate a chapter-like heading at the top of the first table of contents page, so don't include any sectioning command such as `@unnumbered' before them. Since an Info file uses menus instead of tables of contents, the Info formatting commands ignore the contents commands. But the contents are included in plain text output (generated by `makeinfo --no-headers'), unless `makeinfo' is writing its output to standard output. When `makeinfo' writes a short table of contents while producing html output, the links in the short table of contents point to corresponding entries in the full table of contents rather than the text of the document. The links in the full table of contents point to the main text of the document. The contents commands can be placed either at the very end of the file, after any indices (see the previous section) and just before the `@bye' (see the next section), or near the beginning of the file, after the `@end titlepage' (*note titlepage::). The advantage to the former is that then the contents output is always up to date, because it reflects the processing just done. The advantage to the latter is that the contents are printed in the proper place, thus you do not need to rearrange the DVI file with `dviselect' or shuffle paper. As an author, you can put the contents commands wherever you prefer. But if you are a user simply printing a manual, you may wish to print the contents after the title page even if the author put the contents commands at the end of the document (as is the case in most existing Texinfo documents, at this writing). You can do this by specifying `@setcontentsaftertitlepage' and/or `@setshortcontentsaftertitlepage'. The first prints only the main contents after the `@end titlepage'; the second prints both the short contents and the main contents. In either case, any subsequent `@contents' or `@shortcontents' is ignored (unless no `@end titlepage' is ever encountered). You need to include the `@set...contentsaftertitlepage' commands early in the document (just after `@setfilename', for example). We recommend using `texi2dvi' (*note Format with texi2dvi::) to specify this without altering the source file at all. For example: texi2dvi --texinfo=@setcontentsaftertitlepage foo.texi `@bye' File Ending ================== An `@bye' command terminates TeX or Info formatting. None of the formatting commands reading anything following `@bye'. The `@bye' command should be on a line by itself. If you wish, you may follow the `@bye' line with notes. These notes will not be formatted and will not appear in either Info or a printed manual; it is as if text after `@bye' were within `@ignore' ... `@end ignore'. Also, you may follow the `@bye' line with a local variables list for Emacs. *Note Using Local Variables and the Compile Command: Compile-Command, for more information. Chapter Structuring ******************* The "chapter structuring" commands divide a document into a hierarchy of chapters, sections, subsections, and subsubsections. These commands generate large headings; they also provide information for the table of contents of a printed manual (*note Generating a Table of Contents: Contents.). The chapter structuring commands do not create an Info node structure, so normally you should put an `@node' command immediately before each chapter structuring command (*note Nodes::). The only time you are likely to use the chapter structuring commands without using the node structuring commands is if you are writing a document that contains no cross references and will never be transformed into Info format. It is unlikely that you will ever write a Texinfo file that is intended only as an Info file and not as a printable document. If you do, you might still use chapter structuring commands to create a heading at the top of each node--but you don't need to. Tree Structure of Sections ========================== A Texinfo file is usually structured like a book with chapters, sections, subsections, and the like. This structure can be visualized as a tree (or rather as an upside-down tree) with the root at the top and the levels corresponding to chapters, sections, subsection, and subsubsections. Here is a diagram that shows a Texinfo file with three chapters, each of which has two sections. Top | ------------------------------------- | | | Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 | | | -------- -------- -------- | | | | | | Section Section Section Section Section Section 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 In a Texinfo file that has this structure, the beginning of Chapter 2 looks like this: @node Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 1, top @chapter Chapter 2 The chapter structuring commands are described in the sections that follow; the `@node' and `@menu' commands are described in following chapters. (*Note Nodes::, and see *Note Menus::.) Structuring Command Types ========================= The chapter structuring commands fall into four groups or series, each of which contains structuring commands corresponding to the hierarchical levels of chapters, sections, subsections, and subsubsections. The four groups are the `@chapter' series, the `@unnumbered' series, the `@appendix' series, and the `@heading' series. Each command produces titles that have a different appearance on the printed page or Info file; only some of the commands produce titles that are listed in the table of contents of a printed book or manual. * The `@chapter' and `@appendix' series of commands produce numbered or lettered entries both in the body of a printed work and in its table of contents. * The `@unnumbered' series of commands produce unnumbered entries both in the body of a printed work and in its table of contents. The `@top' command, which has a special use, is a member of this series (*note `@top': makeinfo top.). * The `@heading' series of commands produce unnumbered headings that do not appear in a table of contents. The heading commands never start a new page. * The `@majorheading' command produces results similar to using the `@chapheading' command but generates a larger vertical whitespace before the heading. * When an `@setchapternewpage' command says to do so, the `@chapter', `@unnumbered', and `@appendix' commands start new pages in the printed manual; the `@heading' commands do not. Here are the four groups of chapter structuring commands: No new page Numbered Unnumbered Lettered/numbered Unnumbered In contents In contents In contents Omitted from contents `@top' `@majorheading' `@chapter' `@unnumbered' `@appendix' `@chapheading' `@section' `@unnumberedsec' `@appendixsec' `@heading' `@subsection' `@unnumberedsubsec' `@appendixsubsec' `@subheading' `@subsubsection'`@unnumberedsubsubsec' `@appendixsubsubsec' `@subsubheading' `@top' ====== The `@top' command is a special sectioning command that you use only after an `@node Top' line at the beginning of a Texinfo file. The `@top' command tells the `makeinfo' formatter which node is the `Top' node, so it can use it as the root of the node tree if your manual uses implicit pointers. It has the same typesetting effect as `@unnumbered' (*note `@unnumbered' and `@appendix': unnumbered & appendix.). For detailed information, see *Note The `@top' Command: makeinfo top command. The `@top' node and its menu (if any) is conventionally wrapped in an `@ifnottex' conditional so that it will appear only in Info and HTML output, not TeX. `@chapter' ========== `@chapter' identifies a chapter in the document. Write the command at the beginning of a line and follow it on the same line by the title of the chapter. For example, this chapter in this manual is entitled "Chapter Structuring"; the `@chapter' line looks like this: @chapter Chapter Structuring In TeX, the `@chapter' command creates a chapter in the document, specifying the chapter title. The chapter is numbered automatically. In Info, the `@chapter' command causes the title to appear on a line by itself, with a line of asterisks inserted underneath. Thus, in Info, the above example produces the following output: Chapter Structuring ******************* Texinfo also provides a command `@centerchap', which is analogous to `@unnumbered', but centers its argument in the printed output. This kind of stylistic choice is not usually offered by Texinfo. `@unnumbered' and `@appendix' ============================= Use the `@unnumbered' command to create a chapter that appears in a printed manual without chapter numbers of any kind. Use the `@appendix' command to create an appendix in a printed manual that is labelled by letter instead of by number. For Info file output, the `@unnumbered' and `@appendix' commands are equivalent to `@chapter': the title is printed on a line by itself with a line of asterisks underneath. (*Note `@chapter': chapter.) To create an appendix or an unnumbered chapter, write an `@appendix' or `@unnumbered' command at the beginning of a line and follow it on the same line by the title, as you would if you were creating a chapter. `@majorheading', `@chapheading' =============================== The `@majorheading' and `@chapheading' commands put chapter-like headings in the body of a document. However, neither command causes TeX to produce a numbered heading or an entry in the table of contents; and neither command causes TeX to start a new page in a printed manual. In TeX, an `@majorheading' command generates a larger vertical whitespace before the heading than an `@chapheading' command but is otherwise the same. In Info, the `@majorheading' and `@chapheading' commands are equivalent to `@chapter': the title is printed on a line by itself with a line of asterisks underneath. (*Note `@chapter': chapter.) `@section' ========== In a printed manual, an `@section' command identifies a numbered section within a chapter. The section title appears in the table of contents. In Info, an `@section' command provides a title for a segment of text, underlined with `='. This section is headed with an `@section' command and looks like this in the Texinfo file: @section @code{@@section} To create a section, write the `@section' command at the beginning of a line and follow it on the same line by the section title. Thus, @section This is a section produces This is a section ================= in Info. `@unnumberedsec', `@appendixsec', `@heading' ============================================ The `@unnumberedsec', `@appendixsec', and `@heading' commands are, respectively, the unnumbered, appendix-like, and heading-like equivalents of the `@section' command. (*Note `@section': section.) `@unnumberedsec' The `@unnumberedsec' command may be used within an unnumbered chapter or within a regular chapter or appendix to provide an unnumbered section. `@appendixsec' `@appendixsection' `@appendixsection' is a longer spelling of the `@appendixsec' command; the two are synonymous. Conventionally, the `@appendixsec' or `@appendixsection' command is used only within appendices. `@heading' You may use the `@heading' command anywhere you wish for a section-style heading that will not appear in the table of contents. The `@subsection' Command ========================= Subsections are to sections as sections are to chapters. (*Note `@section': section.) In Info, subsection titles are underlined with `-'. For example, @subsection This is a subsection produces This is a subsection -------------------- In a printed manual, subsections are listed in the table of contents and are numbered three levels deep. The `@subsection'-like Commands =============================== The `@unnumberedsubsec', `@appendixsubsec', and `@subheading' commands are, respectively, the unnumbered, appendix-like, and heading-like equivalents of the `@subsection' command. (*Note `@subsection': subsection.) In Info, the `@subsection'-like commands generate a title underlined with hyphens. In a printed manual, an `@subheading' command produces a heading like that of a subsection except that it is not numbered and does not appear in the table of contents. Similarly, an `@unnumberedsubsec' command produces an unnumbered heading like that of a subsection and an `@appendixsubsec' command produces a subsection-like heading labelled with a letter and numbers; both of these commands produce headings that appear in the table of contents. The `subsub' Commands ===================== The fourth and lowest level sectioning commands in Texinfo are the `subsub' commands. They are: `@subsubsection' Subsubsections are to subsections as subsections are to sections. (*Note `@subsection': subsection.) In a printed manual, subsubsection titles appear in the table of contents and are numbered four levels deep. `@unnumberedsubsubsec' Unnumbered subsubsection titles appear in the table of contents of a printed manual, but lack numbers. Otherwise, unnumbered subsubsections are the same as subsubsections. In Info, unnumbered subsubsections look exactly like ordinary subsubsections. `@appendixsubsubsec' Conventionally, appendix commands are used only for appendices and are lettered and numbered appropriately in a printed manual. They also appear in the table of contents. In Info, appendix subsubsections look exactly like ordinary subsubsections. `@subsubheading' The `@subsubheading' command may be used anywhere that you need a small heading that will not appear in the table of contents. In Info, subsubheadings look exactly like ordinary subsubsection headings. In Info, `subsub' titles are underlined with periods. For example, @subsubsection This is a subsubsection produces This is a subsubsection ....................... `@raisesections' and `@lowersections' ===================================== The `@raisesections' and `@lowersections' commands raise and lower the hierarchical level of chapters, sections, subsections and the like. The `@raisesections' command changes sections to chapters, subsections to sections, and so on. The `@lowersections' command changes chapters to sections, sections to subsections, and so on. An `@lowersections' command is useful if you wish to include text that is written as an outer or standalone Texinfo file in another Texinfo file as an inner, included file. If you write the command at the beginning of the file, all your `@chapter' commands are formatted as if they were `@section' commands, all your `@section' command are formatted as if they were `@subsection' commands, and so on. `@raisesections' raises a command one level in the chapter structuring hierarchy: Change To @subsection @section, @section @chapter, @heading @chapheading, etc. `@lowersections' lowers a command one level in the chapter structuring hierarchy: Change To @chapter @section, @subsection @subsubsection, @heading @subheading, etc. An `@raisesections' or `@lowersections' command changes only those structuring commands that follow the command in the Texinfo file. Write an `@raisesections' or `@lowersections' command on a line of its own. An `@lowersections' command cancels an `@raisesections' command, and vice versa. Typically, the commands are used like this: @lowersections @include somefile.texi @raisesections Without the `@raisesections', all the subsequent sections in your document will be lowered. Repeated use of the commands continue to raise or lower the hierarchical level a step at a time. An attempt to raise above `chapters' reproduces chapter commands; an attempt to lower below `subsubsections' reproduces subsubsection commands. Nodes ***** "Nodes" are the primary segments of a Texinfo file. They do not themselves impose a hierarchical or any other kind of structure on a file. Nodes contain "node pointers" that name other nodes, and can contain "menus" which are lists of nodes. In Info, the movement commands can carry you to a pointed-to node or to a node listed in a menu. Node pointers and menus provide structure for Info files just as chapters, sections, subsections, and the like, provide structure for printed books. Two Paths ========= The node and menu commands and the chapter structuring commands are technically independent of each other: * In Info, node and menu commands provide structure. The chapter structuring commands generate headings with different kinds of underlining--asterisks for chapters, hyphens for sections, and so on; they do nothing else. * In TeX, the chapter structuring commands generate chapter and section numbers and tables of contents. The node and menu commands provide information for cross references; they do nothing else. You can use node pointers and menus to structure an Info file any way you want; and you can write a Texinfo file so that its Info output has a different structure than its printed output. However, virtually all Texinfo files are written such that the structure for the Info output corresponds to the structure for the printed output. It is neither convenient nor understandable to the reader to do otherwise. Generally, printed output is structured in a tree-like hierarchy in which the chapters are the major limbs from which the sections branch out. Similarly, node pointers and menus are organized to create a matching structure in the Info output. Node and Menu Illustration ========================== Here is a copy of the diagram shown earlier that illustrates a Texinfo file with three chapters, each of which contains two sections. The "root" is at the top of the diagram and the "leaves" are at the bottom. This is how such a diagram is drawn conventionally; it illustrates an upside-down tree. For this reason, the root node is called the `Top' node, and `Up' node pointers carry you closer to the root. Top | ------------------------------------- | | | Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 | | | -------- -------- -------- | | | | | | Section Section Section Section Section Section 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 The fully-written command to start Chapter 2 would be this: @node Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 1, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up This `@node' line says that the name of this node is "Chapter 2", the name of the `Next' node is "Chapter 3", the name of the `Previous' node is "Chapter 1", and the name of the `Up' node is "Top". You can omit writing out these node names if your document is hierarchically organized (*note makeinfo Pointer Creation::), but the pointer relationships still obtain. *Please Note:* `Next' refers to the next node at the same hierarchical level in the manual, not necessarily to the next node within the Texinfo file. In the Texinfo file, the subsequent node may be at a lower level--a section-level node most often follows a chapter-level node, for example. `Next' and `Previous' refer to nodes at the _same_ hierarchical level. (The `Top' node contains the exception to this rule. Since the `Top' node is the only node at that level, `Next' refers to the first following node, which is almost always a chapter or chapter-level node.) To go to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 using Info, you need a menu inside Chapter 2. (*Note Menus::.) You would write the menu just before the beginning of Section 2.1, like this: @menu * Sect. 2.1:: Description of this section. * Sect. 2.2:: @end menu Write the node for Sect. 2.1 like this: @node Sect. 2.1, Sect. 2.2, Chapter 2, Chapter 2 @comment node-name, next, previous, up In Info format, the `Next' and `Previous' pointers of a node usually lead to other nodes at the same level--from chapter to chapter or from section to section (sometimes, as shown, the `Previous' pointer points up); an `Up' pointer usually leads to a node at the level above (closer to the `Top' node); and a `Menu' leads to nodes at a level below (closer to `leaves'). (A cross reference can point to a node at any level; see *Note Cross References::.) Usually, an `@node' command and a chapter structuring command are used in sequence, along with indexing commands. (You may follow the `@node' line with a comment line that reminds you which pointer is which.) Here is the beginning of the chapter in this manual called "Ending a Texinfo File". This shows an `@node' line followed by a comment line, an `@chapter' line, and then by indexing lines. @node Ending a File, Structuring, Beginning a File, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Ending a Texinfo File @cindex Ending a Texinfo file @cindex Texinfo file ending @cindex File ending The `@node' Command =================== A "node" is a segment of text that begins at an `@node' command and continues until the next `@node' command. The definition of node is different from that for chapter or section. A chapter may contain sections and a section may contain subsections; but a node cannot contain subnodes; the text of a node continues only until the next `@node' command in the file. A node usually contains only one chapter structuring command, the one that follows the `@node' line. On the other hand, in printed output nodes are used only for cross references, so a chapter or section may contain any number of nodes. Indeed, a chapter usually contains several nodes, one for each section, subsection, and subsubsection. To create a node, write an `@node' command at the beginning of a line, and follow it with up to four arguments, separated by commas, on the rest of the same line. The first argument is required; it is the name of this node. The subsequent arguments are the names of the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers, in that order, and may be omitted if your Texinfo document is hierarchically organized (*note makeinfo Pointer Creation::). You may insert spaces before each name if you wish; the spaces are ignored. You must write the name of the node and the names of the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers all on the same line. Otherwise, the formatters fail. (*note info: (info)Top, for more information about nodes in Info.) Usually, you write one of the chapter-structuring command lines immediately after an `@node' line--for example, an `@section' or `@subsection' line. (*Note Structuring Command Types::.) *Please note:* The GNU Emacs Texinfo mode updating commands work only with Texinfo files in which `@node' lines are followed by chapter structuring lines. *Note Updating Requirements::. TeX uses `@node' lines to identify the names to use for cross references. For this reason, you must write `@node' lines in a Texinfo file that you intend to format for printing, even if you do not intend to format it for Info. (Cross references, such as the one at the end of this sentence, are made with `@xref' and related commands; see *Note Cross References::.) Choosing Node and Pointer Names ------------------------------- The name of a node identifies the node. The pointers enable you to reach other nodes and consist of the names of those nodes. Normally, a node's `Up' pointer contains the name of the node whose menu mentions that node. The node's `Next' pointer contains the name of the node that follows that node in that menu and its `Previous' pointer contains the name of the node that precedes it in that menu. When a node's `Previous' node is the same as its `Up' node, both node pointers name the same node. Usually, the first node of a Texinfo file is the `Top' node, and its `Up' and `Previous' pointers point to the `dir' file, which contains the main menu for all of Info. The `Top' node itself contains the main or master menu for the manual. Also, it is helpful to include a brief description of the manual in the `Top' node. *Note First Node::, for information on how to write the first node of a Texinfo file. Even when you explicitly specify all pointers, that does not mean you can write the nodes in the Texinfo source file in an arbitrary order! Because TeX processes the file sequentially, irrespective of node pointers, you must write the nodes in the order you wish them to appear in the printed output. How to Write an `@node' Line ---------------------------- The easiest way to write an `@node' line is to write `@node' at the beginning of a line and then the name of the node, like this: @node NODE-NAME If you are using GNU Emacs, you can use the update node commands provided by Texinfo mode to insert the names of the pointers; or you can leave the pointers out of the Texinfo file and let `makeinfo' insert node pointers into the Info file it creates. (*Note Texinfo Mode::, and *Note makeinfo Pointer Creation::.) Alternatively, you can insert the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers yourself. If you do this, you may find it helpful to use the Texinfo mode keyboard command `C-c C-c n'. This command inserts `@node' and a comment line listing the names of the pointers in their proper order. The comment line helps you keep track of which arguments are for which pointers. This comment line is especially useful if you are not familiar with Texinfo. The template for a fully-written-out node line with `Next', `Previous', and `Up' pointers looks like this: @node NODE-NAME, NEXT, PREVIOUS, UP If you wish, you can ignore `@node' lines altogether in your first draft and then use the `texinfo-insert-node-lines' command to create `@node' lines for you. However, we do not recommend this practice. It is better to name the node itself at the same time that you write a segment so you can easily make cross references. A large number of cross references are an especially important feature of a good Info file. After you have inserted an `@node' line, you sh