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Texinfo
*******

  Texinfo is a documentation system that uses a single source file to
produce both on-line information and printed output.

  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.

  This is Edition 2.23 of the Texinfo documentation, 1 October 1996,
for Texinfo Version Three.

Copying: Your rights.
Overview: Texinfo in brief.
Texinfo Mode: How to use Texinfo mode.
Beginning a File: What is at the beginning of a Texinfo file?
Ending a File: What is at the end of a Texinfo file?
Structuring: How to create chapters, sections, subsections, appendices, and other parts.
Nodes: How to write nodes.
Menus: How to write menus.
Cross References: How to write cross references.
Marking Text: How to mark words and phrases as code, keyboard input, meta-syntactic variables, and the like.
Quotations and Examples: How to write quotations, examples, etc.
Lists and Tables: How to write lists and tables.
Indices: How to create indices.
Insertions: How to insert @-signs, braces, etc.
Glyphs: How to indicate results of evaluation, expansion of macros, errors, etc.
Breaks: How to force and prevent line and page breaks.
Definition Commands: How to describe functions and the like in a uniform manner.
Footnotes: How to write footnotes.
Conditionals: How to specify text for either TeX or Info.
Macros: Defining new Texinfo commands.
Format/Print Hardcopy: How to convert a Texinfo file to a file for printing and how to print that file.
Create an Info File: Convert a Texinfo file into an Info file.
Install an Info File: Make an Info file accessible to users.
Command List: All the Texinfo @-commands.
Tips: Hints on how to write a Texinfo document.
Sample Texinfo File: A sample Texinfo file to look at.
Sample Permissions: Tell readers they have the right to copy and distribute.
Include Files: How to incorporate other Texinfo files.
Headings: How to write page headings and footings.
Catching Mistakes: How to find formatting mistakes.
Refilling Paragraphs: All about paragraph refilling.
Command Syntax: A description of @-Command syntax.
Obtaining TeX: How to Obtain TeX.
New Features: Texinfo second edition features.
Command and Variable Index: A menu containing commands and variables.
Concept Index: A menu covering many topics. -- The Detailed Node Listing --
Overview of Texinfo
Using Texinfo: Create a conventional printed book or an Info file.
Info Files: What is an Info file?
Printed Books: Characteristics of a printed book or manual.
Formatting Commands: @-commands are used for formatting.
Conventions: General rules for writing a Texinfo file.
Comments: How to write comments and mark regions that the formatting commands will ignore.
Minimum: What a Texinfo file must have.
Six Parts: Usually, a Texinfo file has six parts.
Short Sample: A short sample Texinfo file.
Acknowledgements: Using Texinfo Mode
Texinfo Mode Overview: How Texinfo mode can help you.
Emacs Editing: Texinfo mode adds to GNU Emacs' general purpose editing features.
Inserting: How to insert frequently used @-commands.
Showing the Structure: How to show the structure of a file.
Updating Nodes and Menus: How to update or create new nodes and menus.
Info Formatting: How to format for Info.
Printing: How to format and print part or all of a file.
Texinfo Mode Summary: Summary of all the Texinfo mode commands.
Updating Nodes and Menus
Updating Commands: Five major updating commands.
Updating Requirements: How to structure a Texinfo file for using the updating command.
Other Updating Commands: How to indent descriptions, insert missing nodes lines, and update nodes in sequence.
Beginning a Texinfo File
Four Parts: Four parts begin a Texinfo file.
Sample Beginning: Here is a sample beginning for a Texinfo file.
Header: The very beginning of a Texinfo file.
Info Summary and Permissions: Summary and copying permissions for Info.
Titlepage & Copyright Page: Creating the title and copyright pages.
The Top Node: Creating the `Top' node and master menu.
Software Copying Permissions: Ensure that you and others continue to have the right to use and share software.
The Texinfo File Header
First Line: The first line of a Texinfo file.
Start of Header: Formatting a region requires this.
setfilename: Tell Info the name of the Info file.
settitle: Create a title for the printed work.
setchapternewpage: Start chapters on right-hand pages.
paragraphindent: An option to specify paragraph indentation.
End of Header: Formatting a region requires this.
The Title and Copyright Pages
titlepage: Create a title for the printed document.
titlefont center sp: The `@titlefont', `@center', and `@sp' commands.
title subtitle author: The `@title', `@subtitle', and `@author' commands.
Copyright & Permissions: How to write the copyright notice and include copying permissions.
end titlepage: Turn on page headings after the title and copyright pages.
headings on off: An option for turning headings on and off and double or single sided printing.
The `Top' Node and Master Menu
Title of Top Node: Sketch what the file is about.
Master Menu Parts: A master menu has three or more parts.
Ending a Texinfo File
Printing Indices & Menus: How to print an index in hardcopy and generate index menus in Info.
Contents: How to create a table of contents.
File End: How to mark the end of a file.
Chapter Structuring
Tree Structuring: A manual is like an upside down tree ...
Structuring Command Types: How to divide a manual into parts.
makeinfo top: The `@top' command, part of the `Top' node.
chapter
unnumbered & appendix
majorheading & chapheading
section
unnumberedsec appendixsec heading
subsection
unnumberedsubsec appendixsubsec subheading
subsubsection: Commands for the lowest level sections.
Raise/lower sections: How to change commands' hierarchical level.
Nodes
Two Paths: Different commands to structure Info output and printed output.
Node Menu Illustration: A diagram, and sample nodes and menus.
node: How to write a node, in detail.
makeinfo Pointer Creation: How to create node pointers with `makeinfo'.
The `@node' Command
Node Names: How to choose node and pointer names.
Writing a Node: How to write an `@node' line.
Node Line Tips: Keep names short.
Node Line Requirements: Keep names unique, without @-commands.
First Node: How to write a `Top' node.
makeinfo top command: How to use the `@top' command.
Top Node Summary: Write a brief description for readers.
Menus
Menu Location: Put a menu in a short node.
Writing a Menu: What is a menu?
Menu Parts: A menu entry has three parts.
Less Cluttered Menu Entry: Two part menu entry.
Menu Example: Two and three part menu entries.
Other Info Files: How to refer to a different Info file.
Cross References
References: What cross references are for.
Cross Reference Commands: A summary of the different commands.
Cross Reference Parts: A cross reference has several parts.
xref: Begin a reference with `See' ...
Top Node Naming: How to refer to the beginning of another file.
ref: A reference for the last part of a sentence.
pxref: How to write a parenthetical cross reference.
inforef: How to refer to an Info-only file.
`@xref'
Reference Syntax: What a reference looks like and requires.
One Argument: `@xref' with one argument.
Two Arguments: `@xref' with two arguments.
Three Arguments: `@xref' with three arguments.
Four and Five Arguments: `@xref' with four and five arguments.
Marking Words and Phrases
Indicating: How to indicate definitions, files, etc.
Emphasis: How to emphasize text.
Indicating Definitions, Commands, etc.
Useful Highlighting: Highlighting provides useful information.
code: How to indicate code.
kbd: How to show keyboard input.
key: How to specify keys.
samp: How to show a literal sequence of characters.
var: How to indicate a metasyntactic variable.
file: How to indicate the name of a file.
dfn: How to specify a definition.
cite: How to refer to a book that is not in Info.
url: How to indicate a world wide web reference.
email: How to indicate an electronic mail address.
Emphasizing Text
emph & strong: How to emphasize text in Texinfo.
Smallcaps: How to use the small caps font.
Fonts: Various font commands for printed output.
Customized Highlighting: How to define highlighting commands.
Quotations and Examples
Block Enclosing Commands: Use different constructs for different purposes.
quotation: How to write a quotation.
example: How to write an example in a fixed-width font.
noindent: How to prevent paragraph indentation.
Lisp Example: How to illustrate Lisp code.
smallexample & smalllisp: Forms for the `@smallbook' option.
display: How to write an example in the current font.
format: How to write an example that does not narrow the margins.
exdent: How to undo the indentation of a line.
flushleft & flushright: How to push text flushleft or flushright.
cartouche: How to draw cartouches around examples.
Making Lists and Tables
Introducing Lists: Texinfo formats lists for you.
itemize: How to construct a simple list.
enumerate: How to construct a numbered list.
Two-column Tables: How to construct a two-column table.
Multi-column Tables: How to construct generalized tables.
Making a Two-column Table
table: How to construct a two-column table.
ftable vtable: How to construct a two-column table with automatic indexing.
itemx: How to put more entries in the first column.
Multi-column Tables
Multitable Column Widths: Defining multitable column widths.
Multitable Rows: Defining multitable rows, with examples.
Creating Indices
Index Entries: Choose different words for index entries.
Predefined Indices: Use different indices for different kinds of entry.
Indexing Commands: How to make an index entry.
Combining Indices: How to combine indices.
New Indices: How to define your own indices.
Combining Indices
syncodeindex: How to merge two indices, using `@code' font for the merged-from index.
synindex: How to merge two indices, using the default font of the merged-to index.
Special Insertions
Braces Atsigns: How to insert braces, `@'.
Inserting Space: How to insert the right amount of space within a sentence.
Inserting Accents: How to insert accents and special characters.
Dots Bullets: How to insert dots and bullets.
TeX and copyright: How to insert the TeX logo and the copyright symbol.
pounds: How to insert the pounds currency symbol.
minus: How to insert a minus sign.
math: How to format a mathematical expression.
Inserting @ and Braces
Inserting An Atsign: How to insert `@'.
Inserting Braces: How to insert `{' and `}'.
Inserting Space
Not Ending a Sentence: Sometimes a . doesn't end a sentence.
Ending a Sentence: Sometimes it does.
Multiple Spaces: Inserting multiple spaces.
dmn: How to format a dimension.
Inserting Ellipsis, Dots, and Bullets
dots: How to insert dots ...
bullet: How to insert a bullet.
Inserting TeX and the Copyright Symbol
tex: How to insert the TeX logo.
copyright symbol: How to use `@copyright'{}.
Glyphs for Examples
Glyphs Summary
result: How to show the result of expression.
expansion: How to indicate an expansion.
Print Glyph: How to indicate printed output.
Error Glyph: How to indicate an error message.
Equivalence: How to indicate equivalence.
Point Glyph: How to indicate the location of point.
Making and Preventing Breaks
Break Commands: Cause and prevent splits.
Line Breaks: How to force a single line to use two lines.
- and hyphenation: How to tell TeX about hyphenation points.
w: How to prevent unwanted line breaks.
sp: How to insert blank lines.
page: How to force the start of a new page.
group: How to prevent unwanted page breaks.
need: Another way to prevent unwanted page breaks.
Definition Commands
Def Cmd Template: How to structure a description using a definition command.
Optional Arguments: How to handle optional and repeated arguments.
deffnx: How to group two or more `first' lines.
Def Cmds in Detail: All the definition commands.
Def Cmd Conventions: Conventions for writing definitions.
Sample Function Definition: The Definition Commands
Functions Commands: Commands for functions and similar entities.
Variables Commands: Commands for variables and similar entities.
Typed Functions: Commands for functions in typed languages.
Typed Variables: Commands for variables in typed languages.
Abstract Objects: Commands for object-oriented programming.
Data Types: The definition command for data types.
Footnotes
Footnote Commands: How to write a footnote in Texinfo.
Footnote Styles: Controlling how footnotes appear in Info.
Conditionally Visible Text
Conditional Commands: How to specify text for HTML, Info, or TeX.
Using Ordinary TeX Commands: You can use any and all TeX commands.
set clear value: How to designate which text to format (for both Info and TeX); and how to set a flag to a string that you can insert.
`@set', `@clear', and `@value'
ifset ifclear: Format a region if a flag is set.
value: Replace a flag with a string.
value Example: An easy way to update edition information.
Macros: Defining New Texinfo Commands
Defining Macros: Both defining and undefining new commands.
Invoking Macros: Using a macro, once you've defined it.
Format and Print Hardcopy
Use TeX: Use TeX to format for hardcopy.
Format with tex/texindex: How to format in a shell.
Format with texi2dvi: A simpler way to use the shell.
Print with lpr: How to print.
Within Emacs: How to format and print from an Emacs shell.
Texinfo Mode Printing: How to format and print in Texinfo mode.
Compile-Command: How to print using Emacs's compile command.
Requirements Summary: TeX formatting requirements summary.
Preparing for TeX: What you need to do to use TeX.
Overfull hboxes: What are and what to do with overfull hboxes.
smallbook: How to print small format books and manuals.
A4 Paper: How to print on European A4 paper.
Cropmarks and Magnification: How to print marks to indicate the size of pages and how to print scaled up output.
Creating an Info File
makeinfo advantages: `makeinfo' provides better error checking.
Invoking makeinfo: How to run `makeinfo' from a shell.
makeinfo options: Specify fill-column and other options.
Pointer Validation: How to check that pointers point somewhere.
makeinfo in Emacs: How to run `makeinfo' from Emacs.
texinfo-format commands: Two Info formatting commands written in Emacs Lisp are an alternative to `makeinfo'.
Batch Formatting: How to format for Info in Emacs Batch mode.
Tag and Split Files: How tagged and split files help Info to run better.
Installing an Info File
Directory file: The top level menu for all Info files.
New Info File: Listing a new info file.
Other Info Directories: How to specify Info files that are located in other directories.
Installing Dir Entries: How to specify what menu entry to add to the Info directory.
Invoking install-info: `install-info' options.
Sample Permissions
Inserting Permissions: How to put permissions in your document.
ifinfo Permissions: Sample `ifinfo' copying permissions.
Titlepage Permissions: Sample Titlepage copying permissions.
Include Files
Using Include Files: How to use the `@include' command.
texinfo-multiple-files-update: How to create and update nodes and menus when using included files.
Include File Requirements: What `texinfo-multiple-files-update' expects.
Sample Include File: A sample outer file with included files within it; and a sample included file.
Include Files Evolution: How use of the `@include' command has changed over time.
Page Headings
Headings Introduced: Conventions for using page headings.
Heading Format: Standard page heading formats.
Heading Choice: How to specify the type of page heading.
Custom Headings: How to create your own headings and footings.
Formatting Mistakes
makeinfo preferred: `makeinfo' finds errors.
Debugging with Info: How to catch errors with Info formatting.
Debugging with TeX: How to catch errors with TeX formatting.
Using texinfo-show-structure: How to use `texinfo-show-structure'.
Using occur: How to list all lines containing a pattern.
Running Info-Validate: How to find badly referenced nodes.
Finding Badly Referenced Nodes
Using Info-validate: How to run `Info-validate'.
Unsplit: How to create an unsplit file.
Tagifying: How to tagify a file.
Splitting: How to split a file manually.
Second Edition Features
New Texinfo Mode Commands: The updating commands are especially useful.
New Commands: Many newly described @-commands.

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