| 1 | \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- |
| 2 | @comment %**start of header |
| 3 | @setfilename ../info/info |
| 4 | @settitle Info 1.0 |
| 5 | @comment %**end of header |
| 6 | |
| 7 | @direntry |
| 8 | * Info: (info). Documentation browsing system. |
| 9 | @end direntry |
| 10 | |
| 11 | @iftex |
| 12 | @finalout |
| 13 | @end iftex |
| 14 | |
| 15 | @ifinfo |
| 16 | This file describes how to use Info, |
| 17 | the on-line, menu-driven GNU documentation system. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Copyright (C) 1989, 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of |
| 22 | this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice |
| 23 | are preserved on all copies. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | @ignore |
| 26 | Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the |
| 27 | results, provided the printed document carries copying permission |
| 28 | notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph |
| 29 | (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). |
| 30 | |
| 31 | @end ignore |
| 32 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this |
| 33 | manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire |
| 34 | resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission |
| 35 | notice identical to this one. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual |
| 38 | into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, |
| 39 | except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved |
| 40 | by the Free Software Foundation. |
| 41 | @end ifinfo |
| 42 | |
| 43 | @setchapternewpage odd |
| 44 | @titlepage |
| 45 | @sp 11 |
| 46 | @center @titlefont{Info} |
| 47 | @sp 2 |
| 48 | @center The |
| 49 | @sp 2 |
| 50 | @center On-line, Menu-driven |
| 51 | @sp 2 |
| 52 | @center GNU Documentation System |
| 53 | |
| 54 | @page |
| 55 | @vskip 0pt plus 1filll |
| 56 | Copyright @copyright{} 1989, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
| 57 | @sp 2 |
| 58 | |
| 59 | Published by the Free Software Foundation @* |
| 60 | 59 Temple Place, Suite 330 @* |
| 61 | Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA @* |
| 62 | |
| 63 | Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of |
| 64 | this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice |
| 65 | are preserved on all copies. |
| 66 | |
| 67 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this |
| 68 | manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire |
| 69 | resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission |
| 70 | notice identical to this one. |
| 71 | |
| 72 | Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual |
| 73 | into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, |
| 74 | except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved |
| 75 | by the Free Software Foundation. |
| 76 | @end titlepage |
| 77 | |
| 78 | @paragraphindent 3 |
| 79 | @ifinfo |
| 80 | @node Top, Getting Started, (dir), (dir) |
| 81 | @top Info: An Introduction |
| 82 | |
| 83 | Info is a program for reading documentation, which you are using now. |
| 84 | |
| 85 | To learn how to use Info, type the command @kbd{h}. It brings you |
| 86 | to a programmed instruction sequence. If at any time you are ready to |
| 87 | stop using Info, type @samp{q}. |
| 88 | |
| 89 | @c Need to make sure that `Info-help' goes to the right node, |
| 90 | @c which is the first node of the first chapter. (It should.) |
| 91 | @c (Info-find-node "info" |
| 92 | @c (if (< (window-height) 23) |
| 93 | @c "Help-Small-Screen" |
| 94 | @c "Help"))) |
| 95 | |
| 96 | To learn advanced Info commands, type @kbd{n} twice. This brings you to |
| 97 | @cite{Info for Experts}, skipping over the `Getting Started' chapter. |
| 98 | @end ifinfo |
| 99 | |
| 100 | @menu |
| 101 | * Getting Started:: Getting started using an Info reader. |
| 102 | * Advanced Info:: Advanced commands within Info. |
| 103 | * Create an Info File:: How to make your own Info file. |
| 104 | @end menu |
| 105 | |
| 106 | @node Getting Started, Advanced Info, Top, Top |
| 107 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 108 | @chapter Getting Started |
| 109 | |
| 110 | This first part of the Info manual describes how to get around inside |
| 111 | of Info. The second part of the manual describes various advanced |
| 112 | Info commands, and how to write an Info as distinct from a Texinfo |
| 113 | file. The third part is about how to generate Info files from |
| 114 | Texinfo files. |
| 115 | |
| 116 | @iftex |
| 117 | This manual is primarily designed for use on a computer, so that you can |
| 118 | try Info commands while reading about them. Reading it on paper is less |
| 119 | effective, since you must take it on faith that the commands described |
| 120 | really do what the manual says. By all means go through this manual now |
| 121 | that you have it; but please try going through the on-line version as |
| 122 | well. |
| 123 | |
| 124 | There are two ways of looking at the online version of this manual: |
| 125 | |
| 126 | @enumerate |
| 127 | @item |
| 128 | Type @code{info} at your shell's command line. This approach uses a |
| 129 | stand-alone program designed just to read Info files. |
| 130 | |
| 131 | @item |
| 132 | Type @code{emacs} at the command line; then type @kbd{C-h i} (Control |
| 133 | @kbd{h}, followed by @kbd{i}). This approach uses the Info mode of the |
| 134 | Emacs program, an editor with many other capabilities. |
| 135 | @end enumerate |
| 136 | |
| 137 | In either case, then type @kbd{mInfo} (just the letters), followed by |
| 138 | @key{RET}---the ``Return'' or ``Enter'' key. At this point, you should |
| 139 | be ready to follow the instructions in this manual as you read them on |
| 140 | the screen. |
| 141 | @c FIXME! (pesch@cygnus.com, 14 dec 1992) |
| 142 | @c Is it worth worrying about what-if the beginner goes to somebody |
| 143 | @c else's Emacs session, which already has an Info running in the middle |
| 144 | @c of something---in which case these simple instructions won't work? |
| 145 | @end iftex |
| 146 | |
| 147 | @menu |
| 148 | * Help-Small-Screen:: Starting Info on a Small Screen |
| 149 | * Help:: How to use Info |
| 150 | * Help-P:: Returning to the Previous node |
| 151 | * Help-^L:: The Space, Rubout, B and ^L commands. |
| 152 | * Help-M:: Menus |
| 153 | * Help-Adv:: Some advanced Info commands |
| 154 | * Help-Q:: Quitting Info |
| 155 | * Using Stand-alone Info:: How to use the stand-alone Info reader. |
| 156 | @end menu |
| 157 | |
| 158 | @node Help-Small-Screen, Help, , Getting Started |
| 159 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 160 | @section Starting Info on a Small Screen |
| 161 | |
| 162 | @iftex |
| 163 | (In Info, you only see this section if your terminal has a small |
| 164 | number of lines; most readers pass by it without seeing it.) |
| 165 | @end iftex |
| 166 | |
| 167 | Since your terminal has an unusually small number of lines on its |
| 168 | screen, it is necessary to give you special advice at the beginning. |
| 169 | |
| 170 | If you see the text @samp{--All----} at near the bottom right corner |
| 171 | of the screen, it means the entire text you are looking at fits on the |
| 172 | screen. If you see @samp{--Top----} instead, it means that there is |
| 173 | more text below that does not fit. To move forward through the text |
| 174 | and see another screen full, press the Space bar, @key{SPC}. To move |
| 175 | back up, press the key labeled @samp{Delete} or @key{DEL}. |
| 176 | |
| 177 | @ifinfo |
| 178 | Here are 40 lines of junk, so you can try Spaces and Deletes and |
| 179 | see what they do. At the end are instructions of what you should do |
| 180 | next. |
| 181 | @format |
| 182 | This is line 17 |
| 183 | This is line 18 |
| 184 | This is line 19 |
| 185 | This is line 20 |
| 186 | This is line 21 |
| 187 | This is line 22 |
| 188 | This is line 23 |
| 189 | This is line 24 |
| 190 | This is line 25 |
| 191 | This is line 26 |
| 192 | This is line 27 |
| 193 | This is line 28 |
| 194 | This is line 29 |
| 195 | This is line 30 |
| 196 | This is line 31 |
| 197 | This is line 32 |
| 198 | This is line 33 |
| 199 | This is line 34 |
| 200 | This is line 35 |
| 201 | This is line 36 |
| 202 | This is line 37 |
| 203 | This is line 38 |
| 204 | This is line 39 |
| 205 | This is line 40 |
| 206 | This is line 41 |
| 207 | This is line 42 |
| 208 | This is line 43 |
| 209 | This is line 44 |
| 210 | This is line 45 |
| 211 | This is line 46 |
| 212 | This is line 47 |
| 213 | This is line 48 |
| 214 | This is line 49 |
| 215 | This is line 50 |
| 216 | This is line 51 |
| 217 | This is line 52 |
| 218 | This is line 53 |
| 219 | This is line 54 |
| 220 | This is line 55 |
| 221 | This is line 56 |
| 222 | @end format |
| 223 | If you have managed to get here, go back to the beginning with |
| 224 | Delete, and come back here again, then you understand Space and |
| 225 | Delete. So now type an @kbd{n} ---just one character; don't type |
| 226 | the quotes and don't type the Return key afterward--- to |
| 227 | get to the normal start of the course. |
| 228 | @end ifinfo |
| 229 | |
| 230 | @node Help, Help-P, Help-Small-Screen, Getting Started |
| 231 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 232 | @section How to use Info |
| 233 | |
| 234 | You are talking to the program Info, for reading documentation. |
| 235 | |
| 236 | Right now you are looking at one @dfn{Node} of Information. |
| 237 | A node contains text describing a specific topic at a specific |
| 238 | level of detail. This node's topic is ``how to use Info''. |
| 239 | |
| 240 | The top line of a node is its @dfn{header}. This node's header (look at |
| 241 | it now) says that it is the node named @samp{Help} in the file |
| 242 | @file{info}. It says that the @samp{Next} node after this one is the node |
| 243 | called @samp{Help-P}. An advanced Info command lets you go to any node |
| 244 | whose name you know. |
| 245 | |
| 246 | Besides a @samp{Next}, a node can have a @samp{Previous} or an |
| 247 | @samp{Up}. This node has a @samp{Previous} which is |
| 248 | @samp{Help-Small-Screen}, and an @samp{Up} which is @samp{Getting |
| 249 | Started}. Some nodes have no @samp{Previous} and some have no |
| 250 | @samp{Up}. |
| 251 | |
| 252 | Now it is time to move on to the @samp{Next} node, named @samp{Help-P}. |
| 253 | |
| 254 | @format |
| 255 | >> Type @samp{n} to move there. Type just one character; |
| 256 | do not type the quotes and do not type a @key{RET} afterward. |
| 257 | @end format |
| 258 | |
| 259 | @samp{>>} in the margin means it is really time to try a command. |
| 260 | |
| 261 | @node Help-P, Help-^L, Help, Getting Started |
| 262 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 263 | @section Returning to the Previous node |
| 264 | |
| 265 | This node is called @samp{Help-P}. The @samp{Previous} node, as you see, |
| 266 | is @samp{Help}, which is the one you just came from using the @kbd{n} |
| 267 | command. Another @kbd{n} command now would take you to the next |
| 268 | node, @samp{Help-^L}. |
| 269 | |
| 270 | @format |
| 271 | >> But do not do that yet. First, try the @kbd{p} command, which takes |
| 272 | you to the @samp{Previous} node. When you get there, you can do an |
| 273 | @kbd{n} again to return here. |
| 274 | @end format |
| 275 | |
| 276 | This all probably seems insultingly simple so far, but @emph{do not} be |
| 277 | led into skimming. Things will get more complicated soon. Also, |
| 278 | do not try a new command until you are told it is time to. Otherwise, |
| 279 | you may make Info skip past an important warning that was coming up. |
| 280 | |
| 281 | @format |
| 282 | >> Now do an @kbd{n} to get to the node @samp{Help-^L} and learn more. |
| 283 | @end format |
| 284 | |
| 285 | @node Help-^L, Help-M, Help-P, Getting Started |
| 286 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 287 | @section The Space, Delete, B and ^L commands. |
| 288 | |
| 289 | This node's header tells you that you are now at node @samp{Help-^L}, and |
| 290 | that @kbd{p} would get you back to @samp{Help-P}. The node's title is |
| 291 | underlined; it says what the node is about (most nodes have titles). |
| 292 | |
| 293 | This is a big node and it does not all fit on your display screen. |
| 294 | You can tell that there is more that is not visible because you |
| 295 | can see the string @samp{--Top-----} rather than @samp{--All----} near |
| 296 | the bottom right corner of the screen. |
| 297 | |
| 298 | The Space, Delete and @kbd{B} commands exist to allow you to ``move |
| 299 | around'' in a node that does not all fit on the screen at once. |
| 300 | Space moves forward, to show what was below the bottom of the screen. |
| 301 | Delete moves backward, to show what was above the top of the screen |
| 302 | (there is not anything above the top until you have typed some spaces). |
| 303 | |
| 304 | @format |
| 305 | >> Now try typing a Space (afterward, type a Delete to return here). |
| 306 | @end format |
| 307 | |
| 308 | When you type the space, the two lines that were at the bottom of |
| 309 | the screen appear at the top, followed by more lines. Delete takes |
| 310 | the two lines from the top and moves them to the bottom, |
| 311 | @emph{usually}, but if there are not a full screen's worth of lines |
| 312 | above them they may not make it all the way to the bottom. |
| 313 | |
| 314 | Space and Delete scroll through all the nodes in an Info file as a |
| 315 | single logical sequence. In this sequence, a node's subnodes appear |
| 316 | following their parent. If a node's menu is on the screen, Space takes |
| 317 | you into the subnodes listed in the menu, one by one. Once you reach |
| 318 | the end of a node, Space takes you to the next node or back to the |
| 319 | parent node. |
| 320 | |
| 321 | If your screen is ever garbaged, you can tell Info to print it out |
| 322 | again by typing @kbd{C-l} (@kbd{Control-L}, that is---hold down ``Control'' and |
| 323 | type an @key{L} or @kbd{l}). |
| 324 | |
| 325 | @format |
| 326 | >> Type @kbd{C-l} now. |
| 327 | @end format |
| 328 | |
| 329 | To move back to the beginning of the node you are on, you can type |
| 330 | a lot of Deletes. You can also type simply @kbd{b} for beginning. |
| 331 | @format |
| 332 | >> Try that now. (We have put in enough verbiage to push this past |
| 333 | the first screenful, but screens are so big nowadays that perhaps it |
| 334 | isn't enough. You may need to shrink your Emacs or Info window.) |
| 335 | Then come back, with Spaces. |
| 336 | @end format |
| 337 | |
| 338 | If your screen is very tall, all of this node might fit at once. |
| 339 | In that case, "b" won't do anything. Sorry; what can we do? |
| 340 | |
| 341 | You have just learned a considerable number of commands. If you |
| 342 | want to use one but have trouble remembering which, you should type |
| 343 | a @key{?} which prints out a brief list of commands. When you are |
| 344 | finished looking at the list, make it go away by typing a @key{SPC}. |
| 345 | |
| 346 | @format |
| 347 | >> Type a @key{?} now. After it finishes, type a @key{SPC}. |
| 348 | @end format |
| 349 | |
| 350 | (If you are using the standalone Info reader, type `l' to return here.) |
| 351 | |
| 352 | From now on, you will encounter large nodes without warning, and |
| 353 | will be expected to know how to use Space and Delete to move |
| 354 | around in them without being told. Since not all terminals have |
| 355 | the same size screen, it would be impossible to warn you anyway. |
| 356 | |
| 357 | @format |
| 358 | >> Now type @kbd{n} to see the description of the @kbd{m} command. |
| 359 | @end format |
| 360 | |
| 361 | @node Help-M, Help-Adv, Help-^L, Getting Started |
| 362 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 363 | @section Menus |
| 364 | |
| 365 | Menus and the @kbd{m} command |
| 366 | |
| 367 | With only the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} commands for moving between nodes, nodes |
| 368 | are restricted to a linear sequence. Menus allow a branching |
| 369 | structure. A menu is a list of other nodes you can move to. It is |
| 370 | actually just part of the text of the node formatted specially so that |
| 371 | Info can interpret it. The beginning of a menu is always identified |
| 372 | by a line which starts with @samp{* Menu:}. A node contains a menu if and |
| 373 | only if it has a line in it which starts that way. The only menu you |
| 374 | can use at any moment is the one in the node you are in. To use a |
| 375 | menu in any other node, you must move to that node first. |
| 376 | |
| 377 | After the start of the menu, each line that starts with a @samp{*} |
| 378 | identifies one subtopic. The line usually contains a brief name |
| 379 | for the subtopic (followed by a @samp{:}), the name of the node that talks |
| 380 | about that subtopic, and optionally some further description of the |
| 381 | subtopic. Lines in the menu that do not start with a @samp{*} have no |
| 382 | special meaning---they are only for the human reader's benefit and do |
| 383 | not define additional subtopics. Here is an example: |
| 384 | |
| 385 | @example |
| 386 | * Foo: FOO's Node This tells about FOO |
| 387 | @end example |
| 388 | |
| 389 | The subtopic name is Foo, and the node describing it is @samp{FOO's Node}. |
| 390 | The rest of the line is just for the reader's Information. |
| 391 | [[ But this line is not a real menu item, simply because there is |
| 392 | no line above it which starts with @samp{* Menu:}.]] |
| 393 | |
| 394 | When you use a menu to go to another node (in a way that will be |
| 395 | described soon), what you specify is the subtopic name, the first |
| 396 | thing in the menu line. Info uses it to find the menu line, extracts |
| 397 | the node name from it, and goes to that node. The reason that there |
| 398 | is both a subtopic name and a node name is that the node name must be |
| 399 | meaningful to the computer and may therefore have to be ugly looking. |
| 400 | The subtopic name can be chosen just to be convenient for the user to |
| 401 | specify. Often the node name is convenient for the user to specify |
| 402 | and so both it and the subtopic name are the same. There is an |
| 403 | abbreviation for this: |
| 404 | |
| 405 | @example |
| 406 | * Foo:: This tells about FOO |
| 407 | @end example |
| 408 | |
| 409 | @noindent |
| 410 | This means that the subtopic name and node name are the same; they are |
| 411 | both @samp{Foo}. |
| 412 | |
| 413 | @format |
| 414 | >> Now use Spaces to find the menu in this node, then come back to |
| 415 | the front with a @kbd{b} and some Spaces. As you see, a menu is |
| 416 | actually visible in its node. If you cannot find a menu in a node |
| 417 | by looking at it, then the node does not have a menu and the |
| 418 | @kbd{m} command is not available. |
| 419 | @end format |
| 420 | |
| 421 | The command to go to one of the subnodes is @kbd{m}---but @emph{do |
| 422 | not do it yet!} Before you use @kbd{m}, you must understand the |
| 423 | difference between commands and arguments. So far, you have learned |
| 424 | several commands that do not need arguments. When you type one, Info |
| 425 | processes it and is instantly ready for another command. The @kbd{m} |
| 426 | command is different: it is incomplete without the @dfn{name of the |
| 427 | subtopic}. Once you have typed @kbd{m}, Info tries to read the |
| 428 | subtopic name. |
| 429 | |
| 430 | Now look for the line containing many dashes near the bottom of the |
| 431 | screen. There is one more line beneath that one, but usually it is |
| 432 | blank. If it is empty, Info is ready for a command, such as @kbd{n} |
| 433 | or @kbd{b} or Space or @kbd{m}. If that line contains text ending |
| 434 | in a colon, it mean Info is trying to read the @dfn{argument} to a |
| 435 | command. At such times, commands do not work, because Info tries to |
| 436 | use them as the argument. You must either type the argument and |
| 437 | finish the command you started, or type @kbd{Control-g} to cancel the |
| 438 | command. When you have done one of those things, the line becomes |
| 439 | blank again. |
| 440 | |
| 441 | The command to go to a subnode via a menu is @kbd{m}. After you type |
| 442 | the @kbd{m}, the line at the bottom of the screen says @samp{Menu item: }. |
| 443 | You must then type the name of the subtopic you want, and end it with |
| 444 | a @key{RET}. |
| 445 | |
| 446 | You can abbreviate the subtopic name. If the abbreviation is not |
| 447 | unique, the first matching subtopic is chosen. Some menus put the |
| 448 | shortest possible abbreviation for each subtopic name in capital |
| 449 | letters, so you can see how much you need to type. It does not matter |
| 450 | whether you use upper case or lower case when you type the subtopic. Do |
| 451 | not put spaces at the end of the subtopic name; in the middle of the |
| 452 | subtopic name, use one space (no more!) wherever the menu item name has |
| 453 | a space. |
| 454 | |
| 455 | You can also use the @dfn{completion} feature to help enter the subtopic |
| 456 | name. If you type the Tab key after entering part of a name, it will |
| 457 | magically fill in more of the name---as much as follows uniquely from |
| 458 | what you have entered. |
| 459 | |
| 460 | If you move the cursor to one of the menu subtopic lines, then you do |
| 461 | not need to type the argument: you just type a Return, and it stands for |
| 462 | the subtopic of the line you are on. |
| 463 | |
| 464 | Here is a menu to give you a chance to practice. |
| 465 | |
| 466 | @menu |
| 467 | This menu gives you three ways of going to one place, Help-FOO. |
| 468 | |
| 469 | * Foo: Help-FOO. A node you can visit for fun. |
| 470 | * Bar: Help-FOO. Strange! two ways to get to the same place. |
| 471 | * Help-FOO:: And yet another! |
| 472 | @end menu |
| 473 | |
| 474 | @format |
| 475 | >> Now type just an @kbd{m} and see what happens: |
| 476 | @end format |
| 477 | |
| 478 | Now you are ``inside'' an @kbd{m} command. Commands cannot be used |
| 479 | now; the next thing you will type must be the name of a subtopic. |
| 480 | |
| 481 | You can change your mind about doing the @kbd{m} by typing Control-g. |
| 482 | |
| 483 | @format |
| 484 | >> Try that now; notice the bottom line clear. |
| 485 | |
| 486 | >> Then type another @kbd{m}. |
| 487 | |
| 488 | >> Now type @samp{BAR} item name. Do not type Return yet. |
| 489 | @end format |
| 490 | |
| 491 | While you are typing the item name, you can use the Delete key to |
| 492 | cancel one character at a time if you make a mistake. |
| 493 | |
| 494 | @format |
| 495 | >> Type one to cancel the @samp{R}. You could type another @samp{R} to |
| 496 | replace it. You do not have to, since @samp{BA} is a valid abbreviation. |
| 497 | |
| 498 | >> Now you are ready to go. Type a @key{RET}. |
| 499 | @end format |
| 500 | |
| 501 | After visiting Help-FOO, you should return here. |
| 502 | |
| 503 | @format |
| 504 | >> Type @kbd{n} to see more commands. |
| 505 | @end format |
| 506 | |
| 507 | @c If a menu appears at the end of this node, remove it. |
| 508 | @c It is an accident of the menu updating command. |
| 509 | |
| 510 | @node Help-FOO, , , Help-M |
| 511 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 512 | @subsection The @kbd{u} command |
| 513 | |
| 514 | Congratulations! This is the node @samp{Help-FOO}. Unlike the other |
| 515 | nodes you have seen, this one has an @samp{Up}: @samp{Help-M}, the node you |
| 516 | just came from via the @kbd{m} command. This is the usual |
| 517 | convention---the nodes you reach from a menu have @samp{Up} nodes that lead |
| 518 | back to the menu. Menus move Down in the tree, and @samp{Up} moves Up. |
| 519 | @samp{Previous}, on the other hand, is usually used to ``stay on the same |
| 520 | level but go backwards'' |
| 521 | |
| 522 | You can go back to the node @samp{Help-M} by typing the command |
| 523 | @kbd{u} for ``Up''. That puts you at the @emph{front} of the |
| 524 | node---to get back to where you were reading you have to type |
| 525 | some @key{SPC}s. |
| 526 | |
| 527 | @format |
| 528 | >> Now type @kbd{u} to move back up to @samp{Help-M}. |
| 529 | @end format |
| 530 | |
| 531 | @node Help-Adv, Help-Q, Help-M, Getting Started |
| 532 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 533 | @section Some advanced Info commands |
| 534 | |
| 535 | The course is almost over, so please stick with it to the end. |
| 536 | |
| 537 | If you have been moving around to different nodes and wish to |
| 538 | retrace your steps, the @kbd{l} command (@kbd{l} for @dfn{last}) will |
| 539 | do that, one node-step at a time. As you move from node to node, Info |
| 540 | records the nodes where you have been in a special history list. The |
| 541 | @kbd{l} command revisits nodes in the history list; each successive |
| 542 | @kbd{l} command moves one step back through the history. |
| 543 | |
| 544 | If you have been following directions, an @kbd{l} command now will get |
| 545 | you back to @samp{Help-M}. Another @kbd{l} command would undo the |
| 546 | @kbd{u} and get you back to @samp{Help-FOO}. Another @kbd{l} would undo |
| 547 | the @kbd{m} and get you back to @samp{Help-M}. |
| 548 | |
| 549 | @format |
| 550 | >> Try typing three @kbd{l}'s, pausing in between to see what each |
| 551 | @kbd{l} does. |
| 552 | @end format |
| 553 | |
| 554 | Then follow directions again and you will end up back here. |
| 555 | |
| 556 | Note the difference between @kbd{l} and @kbd{p}: @kbd{l} moves to |
| 557 | where @emph{you} last were, whereas @kbd{p} always moves to the node |
| 558 | which the header says is the @samp{Previous} node (from this node, to |
| 559 | @samp{Help-M}). |
| 560 | |
| 561 | The @samp{d} command gets you instantly to the Directory node. |
| 562 | This node, which is the first one you saw when you entered Info, |
| 563 | has a menu which leads (directly, or indirectly through other menus), |
| 564 | to all the nodes that exist. |
| 565 | |
| 566 | @format |
| 567 | >> Try doing a @samp{d}, then do an @kbd{l} to return here (yes, |
| 568 | @emph{do} return). |
| 569 | @end format |
| 570 | |
| 571 | Sometimes, in Info documentation, you will see a cross reference. |
| 572 | Cross references look like this: @xref{Help-Cross, Cross}. That is a |
| 573 | real, live cross reference which is named @samp{Cross} and points at |
| 574 | the node named @samp{Help-Cross}. |
| 575 | |
| 576 | If you wish to follow a cross reference, you must use the @samp{f} |
| 577 | command. The @samp{f} must be followed by the cross reference name |
| 578 | (in this case, @samp{Cross}). While you enter the name, you can use the |
| 579 | Delete key to edit your input. If you change your mind about following |
| 580 | any reference, you can use @kbd{Control-g} to cancel the command. |
| 581 | |
| 582 | Completion is available in the @samp{f} command; you can complete among |
| 583 | all the cross reference names in the current node by typing a Tab. |
| 584 | |
| 585 | @format |
| 586 | >> Type @samp{f}, followed by @samp{Cross}, and a @key{RET}. |
| 587 | @end format |
| 588 | |
| 589 | To get a list of all the cross references in the current node, you can |
| 590 | type @kbd{?} after an @samp{f}. The @samp{f} continues to await a |
| 591 | cross reference name even after printing the list, so if you don't |
| 592 | actually want to follow a reference, you should type a @kbd{Control-g} |
| 593 | to cancel the @samp{f}. |
| 594 | |
| 595 | @format |
| 596 | >> Type "f?" to get a list of the cross references in this node. Then |
| 597 | type a @kbd{Control-g} and see how the @samp{f} gives up. |
| 598 | |
| 599 | >> Now type @kbd{n} to see the last node of the course. |
| 600 | @end format |
| 601 | |
| 602 | @c If a menu appears at the end of this node, remove it. |
| 603 | @c It is an accident of the menu updating command. |
| 604 | |
| 605 | @node Help-Cross, , , Help-Adv |
| 606 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 607 | @unnumberedsubsec The node reached by the cross reference in Info |
| 608 | |
| 609 | This is the node reached by the cross reference named @samp{Cross}. |
| 610 | |
| 611 | While this node is specifically intended to be reached by a cross |
| 612 | reference, most cross references lead to nodes that ``belong'' |
| 613 | someplace else far away in the structure of Info. So you cannot expect |
| 614 | the footnote to have a @samp{Next}, @samp{Previous} or @samp{Up} pointing back to |
| 615 | where you came from. In general, the @kbd{l} (el) command is the only |
| 616 | way to get back there. |
| 617 | |
| 618 | @format |
| 619 | >> Type @kbd{l} to return to the node where the cross reference was. |
| 620 | @end format |
| 621 | |
| 622 | @node Help-Q, , Help-Adv, Getting Started |
| 623 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 624 | @section Quitting Info |
| 625 | |
| 626 | To get out of Info, back to what you were doing before, type @kbd{q} |
| 627 | for @dfn{Quit}. |
| 628 | |
| 629 | This is the end of the course on using Info. There are some other |
| 630 | commands that are meant for experienced users; they are useful, and you |
| 631 | can find them by looking in the directory node for documentation on |
| 632 | Info. Finding them will be a good exercise in using Info in the usual |
| 633 | manner. |
| 634 | |
| 635 | @format |
| 636 | >> Type @samp{d} to go to the Info directory node; then type |
| 637 | @samp{mInfo} and Return, to get to the node about Info and |
| 638 | see what other help is available. |
| 639 | @end format |
| 640 | |
| 641 | @node Advanced Info, Create an Info File, Getting Started, Top |
| 642 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 643 | @chapter Info for Experts |
| 644 | |
| 645 | This chapter describes various advanced Info commands, and how to write |
| 646 | an Info as distinct from a Texinfo file. (However, in most cases, writing a |
| 647 | Texinfo file is better, since you can use it @emph{both} to generate an |
| 648 | Info file and to make a printed manual. @xref{Top,, Overview of |
| 649 | Texinfo, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU Documentation Format}.) |
| 650 | |
| 651 | @menu |
| 652 | * Expert:: Advanced Info commands: g, s, e, and 1 - 5. |
| 653 | * Add:: Describes how to add new nodes to the hierarchy. |
| 654 | Also tells what nodes look like. |
| 655 | * Menus:: How to add to or create menus in Info nodes. |
| 656 | * Cross-refs:: How to add cross-references to Info nodes. |
| 657 | * Tags:: How to make tags tables for Info files. |
| 658 | * Checking:: Checking an Info File |
| 659 | * Emacs Info Variables:: Variables modifying the behavior of Emacs Info. |
| 660 | @end menu |
| 661 | |
| 662 | @node Expert, Add, , Advanced Info |
| 663 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 664 | @section Advanced Info Commands |
| 665 | |
| 666 | @kbd{g}, @kbd{s}, @kbd{1}, -- @kbd{9}, and @kbd{e} |
| 667 | |
| 668 | If you know a node's name, you can go there by typing @kbd{g}, the |
| 669 | name, and @key{RET}. Thus, @kbd{gTop@key{RET}} would go to the node |
| 670 | called @samp{Top} in this file (its directory node). |
| 671 | @kbd{gExpert@key{RET}} would come back here. |
| 672 | |
| 673 | Unlike @kbd{m}, @kbd{g} does not allow the use of abbreviations. |
| 674 | |
| 675 | To go to a node in another file, you can include the filename in the |
| 676 | node name by putting it at the front, in parentheses. Thus, |
| 677 | @kbd{g(dir)Top@key{RET}} would go to the Info Directory node, which is |
| 678 | node @samp{Top} in the file @file{dir}. |
| 679 | |
| 680 | The node name @samp{*} specifies the whole file. So you can look at |
| 681 | all of the current file by typing @kbd{g*@key{RET}} or all of any |
| 682 | other file with @kbd{g(FILENAME)@key{RET}}. |
| 683 | |
| 684 | The @kbd{s} command allows you to search a whole file for a string. It |
| 685 | switches to the next node if and when that is necessary. You type |
| 686 | @kbd{s} followed by the string to search for, terminated by @key{RET}. |
| 687 | To search for the same string again, just @kbd{s} followed by @key{RET} |
| 688 | will do. The file's nodes are scanned in the order they are in in the |
| 689 | file, which has no necessary relationship to the order that they may be |
| 690 | in in the tree structure of menus and @samp{next} pointers. But |
| 691 | normally the two orders are not very different. In any case, you can |
| 692 | always do a @kbd{b} to find out what node you have reached, if the |
| 693 | header is not visible (this can happen, because @kbd{s} puts your cursor |
| 694 | at the occurrence of the string, not at the beginning of the node). |
| 695 | |
| 696 | @kbd{Meta-s} is equivalent to @kbd{s}. That is for compatibility with |
| 697 | other GNU packages that use @kbd{M-s} for a similar kind of search |
| 698 | command. |
| 699 | |
| 700 | If you grudge the system each character of type-in it requires, you |
| 701 | might like to use the commands @kbd{1}, @kbd{2}, @kbd{3}, @kbd{4}, ... |
| 702 | @kbd{9}. They are short for the @kbd{m} command together with an |
| 703 | argument. @kbd{1} goes through the first item in the current node's |
| 704 | menu; @kbd{2} goes through the second item, etc. |
| 705 | |
| 706 | If your display supports multiple fonts, and you are using Emacs' Info |
| 707 | mode to read Info files, the @samp{*} for the fifth menu item is |
| 708 | underlined, and so is the @samp{*} for the ninth item; these underlines |
| 709 | make it easy to see at a glance which number to use for an item. |
| 710 | |
| 711 | On ordinary terminals, you won't have underlining. If you need to |
| 712 | actually count items, it is better to use @kbd{m} instead, and specify |
| 713 | the name. |
| 714 | |
| 715 | The Info command @kbd{e} changes from Info mode to an ordinary |
| 716 | Emacs editing mode, so that you can edit the text of the current node. |
| 717 | Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to switch back to Info. The @kbd{e} command is allowed |
| 718 | only if the variable @code{Info-enable-edit} is non-@code{nil}. |
| 719 | |
| 720 | @node Add, Menus, Expert, Advanced Info |
| 721 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 722 | @section Adding a new node to Info |
| 723 | |
| 724 | To add a new topic to the list in the Info directory, you must: |
| 725 | @enumerate |
| 726 | @item |
| 727 | Create some nodes, in some file, to document that topic. |
| 728 | @item |
| 729 | Put that topic in the menu in the directory. @xref{Menus, Menu}. |
| 730 | @end enumerate |
| 731 | |
| 732 | Usually, the way to create the nodes is with Texinfo @pxref{Top,, Overview of |
| 733 | Texinfo, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU Documentation Format}); this has the |
| 734 | advantage that you can also make a printed manual from them. However, |
| 735 | if you want to edit an Info file, here is how. |
| 736 | |
| 737 | The new node can live in an existing documentation file, or in a new |
| 738 | one. It must have a @key{^_} character before it (invisible to the |
| 739 | user; this node has one but you cannot see it), and it ends with either |
| 740 | a @key{^_}, a @key{^L}, or the end of file. Note: If you put in a |
| 741 | @key{^L} to end a new node, be sure that there is a @key{^_} after it |
| 742 | to start the next one, since @key{^L} cannot @emph{start} a node. |
| 743 | Also, a nicer way to make a node boundary be a page boundary as well |
| 744 | is to put a @key{^L} @emph{right after} the @key{^_}. |
| 745 | |
| 746 | The @key{^_} starting a node must be followed by a newline or a |
| 747 | @key{^L} newline, after which comes the node's header line. The |
| 748 | header line must give the node's name (by which Info finds it), |
| 749 | and state the names of the @samp{Next}, @samp{Previous}, and @samp{Up} nodes (if |
| 750 | there are any). As you can see, this node's @samp{Up} node is the node |
| 751 | @samp{Top}, which points at all the documentation for Info. The @samp{Next} |
| 752 | node is @samp{Menus}. |
| 753 | |
| 754 | The keywords @dfn{Node}, @dfn{Previous}, @dfn{Up}, and @dfn{Next}, |
| 755 | may appear in any order, anywhere in the header line, but the |
| 756 | recommended order is the one in this sentence. Each keyword must be |
| 757 | followed by a colon, spaces and tabs, and then the appropriate name. |
| 758 | The name may be terminated with a tab, a comma, or a newline. A space |
| 759 | does not end it; node names may contain spaces. The case of letters |
| 760 | in the names is insignificant. |
| 761 | |
| 762 | A node name has two forms. A node in the current file is named by |
| 763 | what appears after the @samp{Node: } in that node's first line. For |
| 764 | example, this node's name is @samp{Add}. A node in another file is |
| 765 | named by @samp{(@var{filename})@var{node-within-file}}, as in |
| 766 | @samp{(info)Add} for this node. If the file name starts with ``./'', |
| 767 | then it is relative to the current directory; otherwise, it is relative |
| 768 | starting from the standard Info file directory of your site. |
| 769 | The name @samp{(@var{filename})Top} can be abbreviated to just |
| 770 | @samp{(@var{filename})}. By convention, the name @samp{Top} is used for |
| 771 | the ``highest'' node in any single file---the node whose @samp{Up} points |
| 772 | out of the file. The Directory node is @file{(dir)}. The @samp{Top} node |
| 773 | of a document file listed in the Directory should have an @samp{Up: |
| 774 | (dir)} in it. |
| 775 | |
| 776 | The node name @kbd{*} is special: it refers to the entire file. |
| 777 | Thus, @kbd{g*} shows you the whole current file. The use of the |
| 778 | node @kbd{*} is to make it possible to make old-fashioned, |
| 779 | unstructured files into nodes of the tree. |
| 780 | |
| 781 | The @samp{Node:} name, in which a node states its own name, must not |
| 782 | contain a filename, since Info when searching for a node does not |
| 783 | expect one to be there. The @samp{Next}, @samp{Previous} and @samp{Up} names may |
| 784 | contain them. In this node, since the @samp{Up} node is in the same file, |
| 785 | it was not necessary to use one. |
| 786 | |
| 787 | Note that the nodes in this file have a file name in the header |
| 788 | line. The file names are ignored by Info, but they serve as comments |
| 789 | to help identify the node for the user. |
| 790 | |
| 791 | @node Menus, Cross-refs, Add, Advanced Info |
| 792 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 793 | @section How to Create Menus |
| 794 | |
| 795 | Any node in the Info hierarchy may have a @dfn{menu}---a list of subnodes. |
| 796 | The @kbd{m} command searches the current node's menu for the topic which it |
| 797 | reads from the terminal. |
| 798 | |
| 799 | A menu begins with a line starting with @samp{* Menu:}. The rest of the |
| 800 | line is a comment. After the starting line, every line that begins |
| 801 | with a @samp{* } lists a single topic. The name of the topic--the |
| 802 | argument that the user must give to the @kbd{m} command to select this |
| 803 | topic---comes right after the star and space, and is followed by a |
| 804 | colon, spaces and tabs, and the name of the node which discusses that |
| 805 | topic. The node name, like node names following @samp{Next}, @samp{Previous} |
| 806 | and @samp{Up}, may be terminated with a tab, comma, or newline; it may also |
| 807 | be terminated with a period. |
| 808 | |
| 809 | If the node name and topic name are the same, then rather than |
| 810 | giving the name twice, the abbreviation @samp{* NAME::} may be used |
| 811 | (and should be used, whenever possible, as it reduces the visual |
| 812 | clutter in the menu). |
| 813 | |
| 814 | It is considerate to choose the topic names so that they differ |
| 815 | from each other very near the beginning---this allows the user to type |
| 816 | short abbreviations. In a long menu, it is a good idea to capitalize |
| 817 | the beginning of each item name which is the minimum acceptable |
| 818 | abbreviation for it (a long menu is more than 5 or so entries). |
| 819 | |
| 820 | The nodes listed in a node's menu are called its ``subnodes'', and |
| 821 | it is their ``superior''. They should each have an @samp{Up:} pointing at |
| 822 | the superior. It is often useful to arrange all or most of the |
| 823 | subnodes in a sequence of @samp{Next} and @samp{Previous} pointers so that someone who |
| 824 | wants to see them all need not keep revisiting the Menu. |
| 825 | |
| 826 | The Info Directory is simply the menu of the node @samp{(dir)Top}---that |
| 827 | is, node @samp{Top} in file @file{.../info/dir}. You can put new entries |
| 828 | in that menu just like any other menu. The Info Directory is @emph{not} the |
| 829 | same as the file directory called @file{info}. It happens that many of |
| 830 | Info's files live on that file directory, but they do not have to; and |
| 831 | files on that directory are not automatically listed in the Info |
| 832 | Directory node. |
| 833 | |
| 834 | Also, although the Info node graph is claimed to be a ``hierarchy'', |
| 835 | in fact it can be @emph{any} directed graph. Shared structures and |
| 836 | pointer cycles are perfectly possible, and can be used if they are |
| 837 | appropriate to the meaning to be expressed. There is no need for all |
| 838 | the nodes in a file to form a connected structure. In fact, this file |
| 839 | has two connected components. You are in one of them, which is under |
| 840 | the node @samp{Top}; the other contains the node @samp{Help} which the |
| 841 | @kbd{h} command goes to. In fact, since there is no garbage |
| 842 | collector, nothing terrible happens if a substructure is not pointed |
| 843 | to, but such a substructure is rather useless since nobody can |
| 844 | ever find out that it exists. |
| 845 | |
| 846 | @node Cross-refs, Tags, Menus, Advanced Info |
| 847 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 848 | @section Creating Cross References |
| 849 | |
| 850 | A cross reference can be placed anywhere in the text, unlike a menu |
| 851 | item which must go at the front of a line. A cross reference looks |
| 852 | like a menu item except that it has @samp{*note} instead of @kbd{*}. |
| 853 | It @emph{cannot} be terminated by a @samp{)}, because @samp{)}'s are |
| 854 | so often part of node names. If you wish to enclose a cross reference |
| 855 | in parentheses, terminate it with a period first. Here are two |
| 856 | examples of cross references pointers: |
| 857 | |
| 858 | @example |
| 859 | *Note details: commands. (See *note 3: Full Proof.) |
| 860 | @end example |
| 861 | |
| 862 | They are just examples. The places they ``lead to'' do not really exist! |
| 863 | |
| 864 | @node Tags, Checking, Cross-refs, Advanced Info |
| 865 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 866 | @section Tags Tables for Info Files |
| 867 | |
| 868 | You can speed up the access to nodes of a large Info file by giving |
| 869 | it a tags table. Unlike the tags table for a program, the tags table for |
| 870 | an Info file lives inside the file itself and is used |
| 871 | automatically whenever Info reads in the file. |
| 872 | |
| 873 | To make a tags table, go to a node in the file using Emacs Info mode and type |
| 874 | @kbd{M-x Info-tagify}. Then you must use @kbd{C-x C-s} to save the |
| 875 | file. |
| 876 | |
| 877 | Once the Info file has a tags table, you must make certain it is up |
| 878 | to date. If, as a result of deletion of text, any node moves back |
| 879 | more than a thousand characters in the file from the position |
| 880 | recorded in the tags table, Info will no longer be able to find that |
| 881 | node. To update the tags table, use the @code{Info-tagify} command again. |
| 882 | |
| 883 | An Info file tags table appears at the end of the file and looks like |
| 884 | this: |
| 885 | |
| 886 | @example |
| 887 | ^_\f |
| 888 | Tag Table: |
| 889 | File: info, Node: Cross-refs^?21419 |
| 890 | File: info, Node: Tags^?22145 |
| 891 | ^_ |
| 892 | End Tag Table |
| 893 | @end example |
| 894 | |
| 895 | @noindent |
| 896 | Note that it contains one line per node, and this line contains |
| 897 | the beginning of the node's header (ending just after the node name), |
| 898 | a Delete character, and the character position in the file of the |
| 899 | beginning of the node. |
| 900 | |
| 901 | @node Checking, Emacs Info Variables, Tags, Advanced Info |
| 902 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 903 | @section Checking an Info File |
| 904 | |
| 905 | When creating an Info file, it is easy to forget the name of a node |
| 906 | when you are making a pointer to it from another node. If you put in |
| 907 | the wrong name for a node, this is not detected until someone |
| 908 | tries to go through the pointer using Info. Verification of the Info |
| 909 | file is an automatic process which checks all pointers to nodes and |
| 910 | reports any pointers which are invalid. Every @samp{Next}, @samp{Previous}, and |
| 911 | @samp{Up} is checked, as is every menu item and every cross reference. In |
| 912 | addition, any @samp{Next} which does not have a @samp{Previous} pointing back is |
| 913 | reported. Only pointers within the file are checked, because checking |
| 914 | pointers to other files would be terribly slow. But those are usually |
| 915 | few. |
| 916 | |
| 917 | To check an Info file, do @kbd{M-x Info-validate} while looking at |
| 918 | any node of the file with Emacs Info mode. |
| 919 | |
| 920 | @node Emacs Info Variables, , Checking, Advanced Info |
| 921 | @section Emacs Info-mode Variables |
| 922 | |
| 923 | The following variables may modify the behaviour of Info-mode in Emacs; |
| 924 | you may wish to set one or several of these variables interactively, or |
| 925 | in your @file{~/.emacs} init file. @xref{Examining, Examining and Setting |
| 926 | Variables, Examining and Setting Variables, emacs, The GNU Emacs |
| 927 | Manual}. |
| 928 | |
| 929 | @table @code |
| 930 | @item Info-enable-edit |
| 931 | Set to @code{nil}, disables the @samp{e} (@code{Info-edit}) command. A |
| 932 | non-@code{nil} value enables it. @xref{Add, Edit}. |
| 933 | |
| 934 | @item Info-enable-active-nodes |
| 935 | When set to a non-@code{nil} value, allows Info to execute Lisp code |
| 936 | associated with nodes. The Lisp code is executed when the node is |
| 937 | selected. |
| 938 | |
| 939 | @item Info-directory-list |
| 940 | The list of directories to search for Info files. Each element is a |
| 941 | string (directory name) or @code{nil} (try default directory). If not |
| 942 | initialized Info uses the environment variable @env{INFOPATH} to |
| 943 | initialize it, or @code{Info-default-directory-list} if there is no |
| 944 | @env{INFOPATH} variable in the environment. |
| 945 | |
| 946 | @item Info-additional-directory-list |
| 947 | A list of additional directories to search for Info documentation files. |
| 948 | These directories are not searched for merging the @file{dir} file. |
| 949 | |
| 950 | @item Info-directory |
| 951 | The standard directory for Info documentation files. Only used when the |
| 952 | function @code{Info-directory} is called. |
| 953 | |
| 954 | @end table |
| 955 | |
| 956 | @node Create an Info File, , Advanced Info, Top |
| 957 | @comment node-name, next, previous, up |
| 958 | @chapter Creating an Info File from a Makeinfo file |
| 959 | |
| 960 | @code{makeinfo} is a utility that converts a Texinfo file into an Info |
| 961 | file; @code{texinfo-format-region} and @code{texinfo-format-buffer} are |
| 962 | GNU Emacs functions that do the same. |
| 963 | |
| 964 | @xref{Create an Info File, , Creating an Info File, texinfo, the Texinfo |
| 965 | Manual}, to learn how to create an Info file from a Texinfo file. |
| 966 | |
| 967 | @xref{Top,, Overview of Texinfo, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU Documentation |
| 968 | Format}, to learn how to write a Texinfo file. |
| 969 | |
| 970 | @nwnode Using Stand-alone Info, Options, , Top |
| 971 | @chapter Using the Stand-alone Info Reader |
| 972 | @lowersections |
| 973 | @c Make the paragraph indentation match the rest of this file. |
| 974 | @paragraphindent 2 |
| 975 | @include info-stnd.texi |
| 976 | @raisesections |
| 977 | @bye |