Texinfo

The GNU Documentation Format

for Texinfo version 4.0, 28 September 1999

Robert J. Chassell

Richard M. Stallman

Texinfo is a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both online 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 4.0 of the Texinfo manual, updated 28 September 1999.

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
Overview of Texinfo
- Reporting Bugs
- Using Texinfo
- Info files
- Printed Books
- @-commands
- General Syntactic Conventions
- Comments
- What a Texinfo File Must Have
- Six Parts of a Texinfo File
- A Short Sample Texinfo File
- Acknowledgements and History
Using Texinfo Mode
- The Usual GNU Emacs Editing Commands
- Inserting Frequently Used Commands
- Showing the Section Structure of a File
- Updating Nodes and Menus
  - Updating Requirements
  - Other Updating Commands
- Formatting for Info
- Formatting and Printing
- Texinfo Mode Summary
Beginning a Texinfo File
- Sample Texinfo File Beginning
- The Texinfo File Header
- Summary and Copying Permissions for Info
- The Title and Copyright Pages
- The `Top' Node and Master Menu
  - `Top' Node Title
  - Parts of a Master Menu
- Software Copying Permissions
Ending a Texinfo File
- Index Menus and Printing an Index
- Generating a Table of Contents
- @bye File Ending
Chapter Structuring
- Tree Structure of Sections
- Structuring Command Types
- @top
- @chapter
- @unnumbered and @appendix
- @majorheading, @chapheading
- @section
- @unnumberedsec, @appendixsec, @heading
- The @subsection Command
- The @subsection-like Commands
- The `subsub' Commands
- @raisesections and @lowersections
Nodes
- Two Paths
- Node and Menu Illustration
- The @node Command
- Creating Pointers with makeinfo
- @anchor: Defining Arbitrary Cross-reference Targets
Menus
- Writing a Menu
- The Parts of a Menu
- Less Cluttered Menu Entry
- A Menu Example
- Referring to Other Info Files
Cross References
- Different Cross Reference Commands
- Parts of a Cross Reference
- @xref
- Naming a `Top' Node
- @ref
- @pxref
- @inforef
- @uref{url[, text][, replacement]}
Marking Words and Phrases
- Indicating Definitions, Commands, etc.
- Emphasizing Text
Quotations and Examples
- Block Enclosing Commands
- @quotation
- @example
- @noindent
- @lisp
- @small... Block Commands
- @display and @smalldisplay
- @format and @smallformat
- @exdent: Undoing a Line's Indentation
- @flushleft and @flushright
- Drawing Cartouches Around Examples
Lists and Tables
- @itemize: Making an Itemized List
- @enumerate: Making a Numbered or Lettered List
- Making a Two-column Table
  - @ftable and @vtable
  - @itemx
- Multi-column Tables
  - Multitable Column Widths
  - Multitable Rows
Indices
- Making Index Entries
- Predefined Indices
- Defining the Entries of an Index
- Combining Indices
  - @syncodeindex
  - @synindex
- Defining New Indices
Special Insertions
- Inserting @ and Braces
  - Inserting `@' with @@
  - Inserting `{' and `}'with @{ and @}
- Inserting Space
- Inserting Accents
- Inserting Ellipsis and Bullets
  - @dots{} (...) and @enddots{} (....)
  - @bullet{} (*)
- Inserting TeX and the Copyright Symbol
  - @TeX{} (TeX)
  - @copyright{} (©)
- @pounds{} (£): Pounds Sterling
- @minus{} (-): Inserting a Minus Sign
- @math: Inserting Mathematical Expressions
- Glyphs for Examples
- Footnotes
  - Footnote Commands
  - Footnote Styles
- Inserting Images
Making and Preventing Breaks
- @*: Generate Line Breaks
- @- and @hyphenation: Helping TeX hyphenate
- @w{text}: Prevent Line Breaks
- @sp n: Insert Blank Lines
- @page: Start a New Page
- @group: Prevent Page Breaks
- @need mils: Prevent Page Breaks
Definition Commands
- The Template for a Definition
- Optional and Repeated Arguments
- Two or More `First' Lines
- The Definition Commands
- Conventions for Writing Definitions
- A Sample Function Definition
Conditionally Visible Text
- Conditional Commands
- Conditional Not Commands
- Raw Formatter Commands
- @set, @clear, and @value
Internationalization
- @documentlanguage cc: Set the Document Language
- @documentencoding enc: Set Input Encoding
Defining New Texinfo Commands
- Defining Macros
- Invoking Macros
- Macro Details
- `@alias new=existing'
- `definfoenclose': Customized Highlighting
Formatting and Printing Hardcopy
- Use TeX
- Format with tex and texindex
- Format with texi2dvi
- Shell Print Using lpr -d
- From an Emacs Shell
- Formatting and Printing in Texinfo Mode
- Using the Local Variables List
- TeX Formatting Requirements Summary
- Preparing for TeX
- Overfull "hboxes"
- Printing "Small" Books
- Printing on A4 Paper
- @pagesizes [width][, height]: Custom page sizes
- Cropmarks and Magnification
- PDF Output
Creating and Installing Info Files
- Creating an Info File
- Installing an Info File
@-Command List
Tips and Hints
A Sample Texinfo File
Sample Permissions
- `ifinfo' Copying Permissions
- Titlepage Copying Permissions
Include Files
- How to Use Include Files
- texinfo-multiple-files-update
- Include File Requirements
- Sample File with @include
- Evolution of Include Files
Page Headings
- Standard Heading Formats
- Specifying the Type of Heading
- How to Make Your Own Headings
Formatting Mistakes
- Catching Errors with Info Formatting
- Catching Errors with TeX Formatting
- Using texinfo-show-structure
- Using occur
- Finding Badly Referenced Nodes
Refilling Paragraphs
@-Command Syntax
How to Obtain TeX
Command and Variable Index
Concept Index

This document was generated on 23 August 2000 using the texi2html translator version 1.54.