1 This is ../info/info.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.0 from
4 INFO-DIR-SECTION Texinfo documentation system
6 * Info: (info). Documentation browsing system.
9 This file describes how to use Info, the on-line, menu-driven GNU
12 Copyright (C) 1989, 92, 96, 97, 98, 99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
14 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
15 manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
16 preserved on all copies.
18 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
19 this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that
20 the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
21 permission notice identical to this one.
23 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
24 manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
25 versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a
26 translation approved by the Free Software Foundation.
29 File: info.info, Node: Top, Next: Getting Started, Up: (dir)
34 Info is a program for reading documentation, which you might be using
37 To learn how to use Info, type the command `h' while using the Info
38 program. It brings you to a programmed instruction sequence.
42 * Getting Started:: Getting started using an Info reader.
43 * Advanced Info:: Advanced commands within Info.
44 * Creating an Info File:: How to make your own Info file.
47 File: info.info, Node: Getting Started, Next: Advanced Info, Prev: Top, Up: Top
52 This first part of the Info manual describes how to get around inside
53 of Info. The second part of the manual describes various advanced Info
54 commands, and how to write an Info as distinct from a Texinfo file.
55 The third part is about how to generate Info files from Texinfo files.
59 * Help-Small-Screen:: Starting Info on a Small Screen
60 * Help:: How to use Info
61 * Help-P:: Returning to the Previous node
62 * Help-^L:: The Space, Rubout, B and ^L commands.
64 * Help-Adv:: Some advanced Info commands
65 * Help-Q:: Quitting Info
68 File: info.info, Node: Help-Small-Screen, Next: Help, Up: Getting Started
70 Starting Info on a Small Screen
71 ===============================
73 Since your terminal has an unusually small number of lines on its
74 screen, it is necessary to give you special advice at the beginning.
76 If you see the text `--All----' at near the bottom right corner of
77 the screen, it means the entire text you are looking at fits on the
78 screen. If you see `--Top----' instead, it means that there is more
79 text below that does not fit. To move forward through the text and see
80 another screen full, press the Space bar, <SPC>. To move back up,
81 press the key labeled `Backspace' or <Delete>.
83 Here are 40 lines of junk, so you can try Spaces and Deletes and see
84 what they do. At the end are instructions of what you should do next.
126 If you have managed to get here, go back to the beginning with Delete,
127 and come back here again, then you understand Space and Delete. So now
128 type an `n' --just one character; don't type the quotes and don't type
129 the Return key afterward-- to get to the normal start of the course.
132 File: info.info, Node: Help, Next: Help-P, Prev: Help-Small-Screen, Up: Getting Started
137 You are talking to the program Info, for reading documentation.
139 Right now you are looking at one "Node" of Information. A node
140 contains text describing a specific topic at a specific level of
141 detail. This node's topic is "how to use Info".
143 The top line of a node is its "header". This node's header (look at
144 it now) says that it is the node named `Help' in the file `info'. It
145 says that the `Next' node after this one is the node called `Help-P'.
146 An advanced Info command lets you go to any node whose name you know.
148 Besides a `Next', a node can have a `Previous' or an `Up'. This
149 node has a `Previous' but no `Up', as you can see.
151 Now it is time to move on to the `Next' node, named `Help-P'.
153 >> Type `n' to move there. Type just one character; do not type
154 the quotes and do not type a <RET> afterward.
156 `>>' in the margin means it is really time to try a command.
159 File: info.info, Node: Help-P, Next: Help-^L, Prev: Help, Up: Getting Started
161 Returning to the Previous node
162 ==============================
164 This node is called `Help-P'. The `Previous' node, as you see, is
165 `Help', which is the one you just came from using the `n' command.
166 Another `n' command now would take you to the next node, `Help-^L'.
168 >> But do not do that yet. First, try the `p' command, which takes
169 you to the `Previous' node. When you get there, you can do an `n'
170 again to return here.
172 This all probably seems insultingly simple so far, but _do not_ be
173 led into skimming. Things will get more complicated soon. Also, do
174 not try a new command until you are told it is time to. Otherwise, you
175 may make Info skip past an important warning that was coming up.
177 >> Now do an `n' to get to the node `Help-^L' and learn more.
180 File: info.info, Node: Help-^L, Next: Help-M, Prev: Help-P, Up: Getting Started
182 The Space, Delete, B and ^L commands.
183 =====================================
185 This node's header tells you that you are now at node `Help-^L', and
186 that `p' would get you back to `Help-P'. The node's title is
187 underlined; it says what the node is about (most nodes have titles).
189 This is a big node and it does not all fit on your display screen.
190 You can tell that there is more that is not visible because you can see
191 the string `--Top-----' rather than `--All----' near the bottom right
192 corner of the screen.
194 The Space, Delete and `B' commands exist to allow you to "move
195 around" in a node that does not all fit on the screen at once. Space
196 moves forward, to show what was below the bottom of the screen. Delete
197 moves backward, to show what was above the top of the screen (there is
198 not anything above the top until you have typed some spaces).
200 >> Now try typing a Space (afterward, type a Delete to return here).
202 When you type the space, the two lines that were at the bottom of
203 the screen appear at the top, followed by more lines. Delete takes the
204 two lines from the top and moves them to the bottom, _usually_, but if
205 there are not a full screen's worth of lines above them they may not
206 make it all the way to the bottom.
208 If you type Space when there is no more to see, it rings the bell
209 and otherwise does nothing. The same goes for Delete when the header
210 of the node is visible.
212 If your screen is ever garbaged, you can tell Info to print it out
213 again by typing `C-l' (`Control-L', that is--hold down "Control" and
218 To move back to the beginning of the node you are on, you can type a
219 lot of Deletes. You can also type simply `b' for beginning. >> Try
220 that now. (We have put in enough verbiage to push this past the first
221 screenful, but screens are so big nowadays that perhaps it isn't
222 enough. You may need to shrink your Emacs or Info window.) Then come
225 If your screen is very tall, all of this node might fit at once. In
226 that case, "b" won't do anything. Sorry; what can we do?
228 You have just learned a considerable number of commands. If you
229 want to use one but have trouble remembering which, you should type a
230 <?> which prints out a brief list of commands. When you are finished
231 looking at the list, make it go away by pressing <SPC> repeatedly.
233 >> Type a <?> now. Press <SPC> to see consecutive screenfuls of >>
234 the list until finished.
236 From now on, you will encounter large nodes without warning, and
237 will be expected to know how to use Space and Delete to move around in
238 them without being told. Since not all terminals have the same size
239 screen, it would be impossible to warn you anyway.
241 >> Now type `n' to see the description of the `m' command.
244 File: info.info, Node: Help-M, Next: Help-Adv, Prev: Help-^L, Up: Getting Started
249 Menus and the `m' command
251 With only the `n' and `p' commands for moving between nodes, nodes
252 are restricted to a linear sequence. Menus allow a branching
253 structure. A menu is a list of other nodes you can move to. It is
254 actually just part of the text of the node formatted specially so that
255 Info can interpret it. The beginning of a menu is always identified by
256 a line which starts with `* Menu:'. A node contains a menu if and only
257 if it has a line in it which starts that way. The only menu you can
258 use at any moment is the one in the node you are in. To use a menu in
259 any other node, you must move to that node first.
261 After the start of the menu, each line that starts with a `*'
262 identifies one subtopic. The line usually contains a brief name for
263 the subtopic (followed by a `:'), the name of the node that talks about
264 that subtopic, and optionally some further description of the subtopic.
265 Lines in the menu that do not start with a `*' have no special
266 meaning--they are only for the human reader's benefit and do not define
267 additional subtopics. Here is an example:
269 * Foo: FOO's Node This tells about FOO
271 The subtopic name is Foo, and the node describing it is `FOO's Node'.
272 The rest of the line is just for the reader's Information. [[ But this
273 line is not a real menu item, simply because there is no line above it
274 which starts with `* Menu:'.]]
276 When you use a menu to go to another node (in a way that will be
277 described soon), what you specify is the subtopic name, the first thing
278 in the menu line. Info uses it to find the menu line, extracts the
279 node name from it, and goes to that node. The reason that there is
280 both a subtopic name and a node name is that the node name must be
281 meaningful to the computer and may therefore have to be ugly looking.
282 The subtopic name can be chosen just to be convenient for the user to
283 specify. Often the node name is convenient for the user to specify and
284 so both it and the subtopic name are the same. There is an
285 abbreviation for this:
287 * Foo:: This tells about FOO
289 This means that the subtopic name and node name are the same; they are
292 >> Now use Spaces to find the menu in this node, then come back to
293 the front with a `b' and some Spaces. As you see, a menu is
294 actually visible in its node. If you cannot find a menu in a node
295 by looking at it, then the node does not have a menu and the `m'
296 command is not available.
298 The command to go to one of the subnodes is `m'--but _do not do it
299 yet!_ Before you use `m', you must understand the difference between
300 commands and arguments. So far, you have learned several commands that
301 do not need arguments. When you type one, Info processes it and is
302 instantly ready for another command. The `m' command is different: it
303 is incomplete without the "name of the subtopic". Once you have typed
304 `m', Info tries to read the subtopic name.
306 Now look for the line containing many dashes near the bottom of the
307 screen. There is one more line beneath that one, but usually it is
308 blank. If it is empty, Info is ready for a command, such as `n' or `b'
309 or Space or `m'. If that line contains text ending in a colon, it
310 means Info is trying to read the "argument" to a command. At such
311 times, commands do not work, because Info tries to use them as the
312 argument. You must either type the argument and finish the command you
313 started, or type `Control-g' to cancel the command. When you have done
314 one of those things, the line becomes blank again.
316 The command to go to a subnode via a menu is `m'. After you type
317 the `m', the line at the bottom of the screen says `Menu item: '. You
318 must then type the name of the subtopic you want, and end it with a
321 You can abbreviate the subtopic name. If the abbreviation is not
322 unique, the first matching subtopic is chosen. Some menus put the
323 shortest possible abbreviation for each subtopic name in capital
324 letters, so you can see how much you need to type. It does not matter
325 whether you use upper case or lower case when you type the subtopic.
326 You should not put any spaces at the end, or inside of the item name,
327 except for one space where a space appears in the item in the menu.
329 You can also use the "completion" feature to help enter the subtopic
330 name. If you type the Tab key after entering part of a name, it will
331 magically fill in more of the name--as much as follows uniquely from
332 what you have entered.
334 If you move the cursor to one of the menu subtopic lines, then you do
335 not need to type the argument: you just type a Return, and it stands for
336 the subtopic of the line you are on.
338 Here is a menu to give you a chance to practice. This menu gives you
339 three ways of going to one place, Help-FOO:
343 * Foo: Help-FOO. A node you can visit for fun.
344 * Bar: Help-FOO. Strange! two ways to get to the same place.
345 * Help-FOO:: And yet another!
347 >> Now type just an `m' and see what happens:
349 Now you are "inside" an `m' command. Commands cannot be used now;
350 the next thing you will type must be the name of a subtopic.
352 You can change your mind about doing the `m' by typing Control-g.
354 >> Try that now; notice the bottom line clear.
356 >> Then type another `m'.
358 >> Now type `BAR' item name. Do not type Return yet.
360 While you are typing the item name, you can use the Delete key to
361 cancel one character at a time if you make a mistake.
363 >> Type one to cancel the `R'. You could type another `R' to
364 replace it. You do not have to, since `BA' is a valid abbreviation.
366 >> Now you are ready to go. Type a <RET>.
368 After visiting Help-FOO, you should return here.
370 >> Type `n' to see more commands.
372 Here is another way to get to Help-FOO, a menu. You can ignore this
373 if you want, or else try it (but then please come back to here).
380 File: info.info, Node: Help-FOO, Up: Help-M
385 Congratulations! This is the node `Help-FOO'. Unlike the other
386 nodes you have seen, this one has an `Up': `Help-M', the node you just
387 came from via the `m' command. This is the usual convention--the nodes
388 you reach from a menu have `Up' nodes that lead back to the menu.
389 Menus move Down in the tree, and `Up' moves Up. `Previous', on the
390 other hand, is usually used to "stay on the same level but go backwards"
392 You can go back to the node `Help-M' by typing the command `u' for
393 "Up". That puts you at the _front_ of the node--to get back to where
394 you were reading you have to type some <SPC>s.
396 >> Now type `u' to move back up to `Help-M'.
399 File: info.info, Node: Help-Adv, Next: Help-Q, Prev: Help-M, Up: Getting Started
401 Some advanced Info commands
402 ===========================
404 The course is almost over, so please stick with it to the end.
406 If you have been moving around to different nodes and wish to
407 retrace your steps, the `l' command (`l' for "last") will do that, one
408 node-step at a time. As you move from node to node, Info records the
409 nodes where you have been in a special history list. The `l' command
410 revisits nodes in the history list; each successive `l' command moves
411 one step back through the history.
413 If you have been following directions, ad `l' command now will get
414 you back to `Help-M'. Another `l' command would undo the `u' and get
415 you back to `Help-FOO'. Another `l' would undo the `m' and get you
418 >> Try typing three `l''s, pausing in between to see what each
421 Then follow directions again and you will end up back here.
423 Note the difference between `l' and `p': `l' moves to where _you_
424 last were, whereas `p' always moves to the node which the header says
425 is the `Previous' node (from this node, to `Help-M').
427 The `d' command gets you instantly to the Directory node. This
428 node, which is the first one you saw when you entered Info, has a menu
429 which leads (directly, or indirectly through other menus), to all the
432 >> Try doing a `d', then do an `l' to return here (yes, _do_
435 Sometimes, in Info documentation, you will see a cross reference.
436 Cross references look like this: *Note Cross: Help-Cross. That is a
437 real, live cross reference which is named `Cross' and points at the
438 node named `Help-Cross'.
440 If you wish to follow a cross reference, you must use the `f'
441 command. The `f' must be followed by the cross reference name (in this
442 case, `Cross'). While you enter the name, you can use the Delete key
443 to edit your input. If you change your mind about following any
444 reference, you can use `Control-g' to cancel the command.
446 Completion is available in the `f' command; you can complete among
447 all the cross reference names in the current node by typing a Tab.
449 >> Type `f', followed by `Cross', and a <RET>.
451 To get a list of all the cross references in the current node, you
452 can type `?' after an `f'. The `f' continues to await a cross
453 reference name even after printing the list, so if you don't actually
454 want to follow a reference, you should type a `Control-g' to cancel the
457 >> Type "f?" to get a list of the cross references in this node.
458 Then type a `Control-g' and see how the `f' gives up.
460 >> Now type `n' to see the last node of the course.
463 File: info.info, Node: Help-Cross, Up: Help-Adv
465 The node reached by the cross reference in Info
466 -----------------------------------------------
468 This is the node reached by the cross reference named `Cross'.
470 While this node is specifically intended to be reached by a cross
471 reference, most cross references lead to nodes that "belong" someplace
472 else far away in the structure of Info. So you cannot expect the
473 footnote to have a `Next', `Previous' or `Up' pointing back to where
474 you came from. In general, the `l' (el) command is the only way to get
477 >> Type `l' to return to the node where the cross reference was.
480 File: info.info, Node: Help-Q, Prev: Help-Adv, Up: Getting Started
485 To get out of Info, back to what you were doing before, type `q' for
488 This is the end of the course on using Info. There are some other
489 commands that are meant for experienced users; they are useful, and you
490 can find them by looking in the directory node for documentation on
491 Info. Finding them will be a good exercise in using Info in the usual
494 >> Type `d' to go to the Info directory node; then type `mInfo'
495 and Return, to get to the node about Info and see what other help is
499 File: info.info, Node: Advanced Info, Next: Creating an Info File, Prev: Getting Started, Up: Top
504 This chapter describes various advanced Info commands, and how to
505 write an Info as distinct from a Texinfo file. (However, in most
506 cases, writing a Texinfo file is better, since you can use it _both_ to
507 generate an Info file and to make a printed manual. *Note Overview of
508 Texinfo: (texinfo)Top.)
512 * Expert:: Advanced Info commands: g, s, e, and 1 - 5.
513 * Add:: Describes how to add new nodes to the hierarchy.
514 Also tells what nodes look like.
515 * Menus:: How to add to or create menus in Info nodes.
516 * Cross-refs:: How to add cross-references to Info nodes.
517 * Tags:: How to make tag tables for Info files.
518 * Checking:: Checking an Info File
519 * Emacs Info Variables:: Variables modifying the behavior of Emacs Info.
522 File: info.info, Node: Expert, Next: Add, Up: Advanced Info
524 Advanced Info Commands
525 ======================
527 `g', `s', `1', - `9', and `e'
529 If you know a node's name, you can go there by typing `g', the name,
530 and <RET>. Thus, `gTop<RET>' would go to the node called `Top' in this
531 file (its directory node). `gExpert<RET>' would come back here.
533 Unlike `m', `g' does not allow the use of abbreviations.
535 To go to a node in another file, you can include the filename in the
536 node name by putting it at the front, in parentheses. Thus,
537 `g(dir)Top<RET>' would go to the Info Directory node, which is node
538 `Top' in the file `dir'.
540 The node name `*' specifies the whole file. So you can look at all
541 of the current file by typing `g*<RET>' or all of any other file with
544 The `s' command allows you to search a whole file for a string. It
545 switches to the next node if and when that is necessary. You type `s'
546 followed by the string to search for, terminated by <RET>. To search
547 for the same string again, just `s' followed by <RET> will do. The
548 file's nodes are scanned in the order they are in in the file, which
549 has no necessary relationship to the order that they may be in in the
550 tree structure of menus and `next' pointers. But normally the two
551 orders are not very different. In any case, you can always do a `b' to
552 find out what node you have reached, if the header is not visible (this
553 can happen, because `s' puts your cursor at the occurrence of the
554 string, not at the beginning of the node).
556 If you grudge the system each character of type-in it requires, you
557 might like to use the commands `1', `2', `3', `4', ... `9'. They are
558 short for the `m' command together with an argument. `1' goes through
559 the first item in the current node's menu; `2' goes through the second
562 If your display supports multiple fonts, and you are using Emacs'
563 Info mode to read Info files, the `*' for the fifth menu item is
564 underlined, and so is the `*' for the ninth item; these underlines make
565 it easy to see at a glance which number to use for an item.
567 On ordinary terminals, you won't have underlining. If you need to
568 actually count items, it is better to use `m' instead, and specify the
571 The Info command `e' changes from Info mode to an ordinary Emacs
572 editing mode, so that you can edit the text of the current node. Type
573 `C-c C-c' to switch back to Info. The `e' command is allowed only if
574 the variable `Info-enable-edit' is non-`nil'.
577 File: info.info, Node: Add, Next: Menus, Prev: Expert, Up: Advanced Info
579 Adding a new node to Info
580 =========================
582 To add a new topic to the list in the Info directory, you must:
583 1. Create some nodes, in some file, to document that topic.
585 2. Put that topic in the menu in the directory. *Note Menu: Menus.
587 Usually, the way to create the nodes is with Texinfo (*note Overview
588 of Texinfo: (texinfo)Top.); this has the advantage that you can also
589 make a printed manual from them. However, if you want to edit an Info
592 The new node can live in an existing documentation file, or in a new
593 one. It must have a <^_> character before it (invisible to the user;
594 this node has one but you cannot see it), and it ends with either a
595 <^_>, a <^L>, or the end of file. Note: If you put in a <^L> to end a
596 new node, be sure that there is a <^_> after it to start the next one,
597 since <^L> cannot _start_ a node. Also, a nicer way to make a node
598 boundary be a page boundary as well is to put a <^L> _right after_ the
601 The <^_> starting a node must be followed by a newline or a <^L>
602 newline, after which comes the node's header line. The header line
603 must give the node's name (by which Info finds it), and state the names
604 of the `Next', `Previous', and `Up' nodes (if there are any). As you
605 can see, this node's `Up' node is the node `Top', which points at all
606 the documentation for Info. The `Next' node is `Menus'.
608 The keywords "Node", "Previous", "Up", and "Next", may appear in any
609 order, anywhere in the header line, but the recommended order is the
610 one in this sentence. Each keyword must be followed by a colon, spaces
611 and tabs, and then the appropriate name. The name may be terminated
612 with a tab, a comma, or a newline. A space does not end it; node names
613 may contain spaces. The case of letters in the names is insignificant.
615 A node name has two forms. A node in the current file is named by
616 what appears after the `Node: ' in that node's first line. For
617 example, this node's name is `Add'. A node in another file is named by
618 `(FILENAME)NODE-WITHIN-FILE', as in `(info)Add' for this node. If the
619 file name starts with "./", then it is relative to the current
620 directory; otherwise, it is relative starting from the standard Info
621 file directory of your site. The name `(FILENAME)Top' can be
622 abbreviated to just `(FILENAME)'. By convention, the name `Top' is
623 used for the "highest" node in any single file--the node whose `Up'
624 points out of the file. The Directory node is `(dir)'. The `Top' node
625 of a document file listed in the Directory should have an `Up: (dir)'
628 The node name `*' is special: it refers to the entire file. Thus,
629 `g*' shows you the whole current file. The use of the node `*' is to
630 make it possible to make old-fashioned, unstructured files into nodes
633 The `Node:' name, in which a node states its own name, must not
634 contain a filename, since Info when searching for a node does not expect
635 one to be there. The `Next', `Previous' and `Up' names may contain
636 them. In this node, since the `Up' node is in the same file, it was
637 not necessary to use one.
639 Note that the nodes in this file have a file name in the header
640 line. The file names are ignored by Info, but they serve as comments
641 to help identify the node for the user.
644 File: info.info, Node: Menus, Next: Cross-refs, Prev: Add, Up: Advanced Info
649 Any node in the Info hierarchy may have a "menu"--a list of subnodes.
650 The `m' command searches the current node's menu for the topic which it
651 reads from the terminal.
653 A menu begins with a line starting with `* Menu:'. The rest of the
654 line is a comment. After the starting line, every line that begins
655 with a `* ' lists a single topic. The name of the topic-the argument
656 that the user must give to the `m' command to select this topic--comes
657 right after the star and space, and is followed by a colon, spaces and
658 tabs, and the name of the node which discusses that topic. The node
659 name, like node names following `Next', `Previous' and `Up', may be
660 terminated with a tab, comma, or newline; it may also be terminated
663 If the node name and topic name are the same, then rather than
664 giving the name twice, the abbreviation `* NAME::' may be used (and
665 should be used, whenever possible, as it reduces the visual clutter in
668 It is considerate to choose the topic names so that they differ from
669 each other very near the beginning--this allows the user to type short
670 abbreviations. In a long menu, it is a good idea to capitalize the
671 beginning of each item name which is the minimum acceptable
672 abbreviation for it (a long menu is more than 5 or so entries).
674 The nodes listed in a node's menu are called its "subnodes", and it
675 is their "superior". They should each have an `Up:' pointing at the
676 superior. It is often useful to arrange all or most of the subnodes in
677 a sequence of `Next' and `Previous' pointers so that someone who wants
678 to see them all need not keep revisiting the Menu.
680 The Info Directory is simply the menu of the node `(dir)Top'--that
681 is, node `Top' in file `.../info/dir'. You can put new entries in that
682 menu just like any other menu. The Info Directory is _not_ the same as
683 the file directory called `info'. It happens that many of Info's files
684 live on that file directory, but they do not have to; and files on that
685 directory are not automatically listed in the Info Directory node.
687 Also, although the Info node graph is claimed to be a "hierarchy",
688 in fact it can be _any_ directed graph. Shared structures and pointer
689 cycles are perfectly possible, and can be used if they are appropriate
690 to the meaning to be expressed. There is no need for all the nodes in
691 a file to form a connected structure. In fact, this file has two
692 connected components. You are in one of them, which is under the node
693 `Top'; the other contains the node `Help' which the `h' command goes
694 to. In fact, since there is no garbage collector, nothing terrible
695 happens if a substructure is not pointed to, but such a substructure is
696 rather useless since nobody can ever find out that it exists.
699 File: info.info, Node: Cross-refs, Next: Tags, Prev: Menus, Up: Advanced Info
701 Creating Cross References
702 =========================
704 A cross reference can be placed anywhere in the text, unlike a menu
705 item which must go at the front of a line. A cross reference looks
706 like a menu item except that it has `*note' instead of `*'. It
707 _cannot_ be terminated by a `)', because `)''s are so often part of
708 node names. If you wish to enclose a cross reference in parentheses,
709 terminate it with a period first. Here are two examples of cross
712 *Note details: commands. (See *note 3: Full Proof.)
714 They are just examples. The places they "lead to" do not really
718 File: info.info, Node: Tags, Next: Checking, Prev: Cross-refs, Up: Advanced Info
720 Tag Tables for Info Files
721 =========================
723 You can speed up the access to nodes of a large Info file by giving
724 it a tag table. Unlike the tag table for a program, the tag table for
725 an Info file lives inside the file itself and is used automatically
726 whenever Info reads in the file.
728 To make a tag table, go to a node in the file using Emacs Info mode
729 and type `M-x Info-tagify'. Then you must use `C-x C-s' to save the
732 Once the Info file has a tag table, you must make certain it is up
733 to date. If, as a result of deletion of text, any node moves back more
734 than a thousand characters in the file from the position recorded in
735 the tag table, Info will no longer be able to find that node. To
736 update the tag table, use the `Info-tagify' command again.
738 An Info file tag table appears at the end of the file and looks like
743 File: info, Node: Cross-refs^?21419
744 File: info, Node: Tags^?22145
748 Note that it contains one line per node, and this line contains the
749 beginning of the node's header (ending just after the node name), a
750 Delete character, and the character position in the file of the
751 beginning of the node.
754 File: info.info, Node: Checking, Next: Emacs Info Variables, Prev: Tags, Up: Advanced Info
756 Checking an Info File
757 =====================
759 When creating an Info file, it is easy to forget the name of a node
760 when you are making a pointer to it from another node. If you put in
761 the wrong name for a node, this is not detected until someone tries to
762 go through the pointer using Info. Verification of the Info file is an
763 automatic process which checks all pointers to nodes and reports any
764 pointers which are invalid. Every `Next', `Previous', and `Up' is
765 checked, as is every menu item and every cross reference. In addition,
766 any `Next' which does not have a `Previous' pointing back is reported.
767 Only pointers within the file are checked, because checking pointers to
768 other files would be terribly slow. But those are usually few.
770 To check an Info file, do `M-x Info-validate' while looking at any
771 node of the file with Emacs Info mode.
774 File: info.info, Node: Emacs Info Variables, Prev: Checking, Up: Advanced Info
776 Emacs Info-mode Variables
777 =========================
779 The following variables may modify the behavior of Info-mode in
780 Emacs; you may wish to set one or several of these variables
781 interactively, or in your `~/.emacs' init file. *Note Examining and
782 Setting Variables: (xemacs)Examining.
785 Set to `nil', disables the `e' (`Info-edit') command. A non-`nil'
786 value enables it. *Note Edit: Add.
788 `Info-enable-active-nodes'
789 When set to a non-`nil' value, allows Info to execute Lisp code
790 associated with nodes. The Lisp code is executed when the node is
793 `Info-directory-list'
794 The list of directories to search for Info files. Each element is
795 a string (directory name) or `nil' (try default directory).
798 The standard directory for Info documentation files. Only used
799 when the function `Info-directory' is called.
802 File: info.info, Node: Creating an Info File, Prev: Advanced Info, Up: Top
804 Creating an Info File
805 *********************
807 *Note Overview of Texinfo: (texinfo)Top, to learn how to write a
810 *Note Creating an Info File: (texinfo)Creating an Info File, to
811 learn how to create an Info file from a Texinfo file.
813 *Note Installing an Info File: (texinfo)Installing an Info File, to
814 learn how to install an Info file after you have created one.
820 Node: Getting Started
\7f1612
821 Node: Help-Small-Screen
\7f2360
826 Node: Help-FOO
\7f14859
827 Node: Help-Adv
\7f15597
828 Node: Help-Cross
\7f18272
830 Node: Advanced Info
\7f19545
834 Node: Cross-refs
\7f29271
836 Node: Checking
\7f31275
837 Node: Emacs Info Variables
\7f32228
838 Node: Creating an Info File
\7f33217