Node:Other Info Files, Previous:Menu Example, Up:Menus

Referring to Other Info Files

You can create a menu entry that enables a reader in Info to go to a node in another Info file by writing the file name in parentheses just before the node name. In this case, you should use the three-part menu entry format, which saves the reader from having to type the file name.

The format looks like this:

@menu
* first-entry-name:(filename)nodename.     description
* second-entry-name:(filename)second-node. description
@end menu

For example, to refer directly to the Outlining and Rebinding nodes in the Emacs Manual, you would write a menu like this:

@menu
* Outlining: (emacs)Outline Mode. The major mode for
                                  editing outlines.
* Rebinding: (emacs)Rebinding.    How to redefine the
                                  meaning of a key.
@end menu

If you do not list the node name, but only name the file, then Info presumes that you are referring to the `Top' node.

The dir file that contains the main menu for Info has menu entries that list only file names. These take you directly to the `Top' nodes of each Info document. (See Installing an Info File.)

For example:

* Info: (info).         Documentation browsing system.
* Emacs: (emacs).       The extensible, self-documenting
                        text editor.

(The dir top level directory for the Info system is an Info file, not a Texinfo file, but a menu entry looks the same in both types of file.)

The GNU Emacs Texinfo mode menu updating commands only work with nodes within the current buffer, so you cannot use them to create menus that refer to other files. You must write such menus by hand.