This file describes how to use Info, the on-line, menu-driven GNU
documentation system.
-Copyright (C) 1989, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
- 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1989, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
+2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
This first part of this Info manual describes how to get around inside
of Info. The second part of the manual describes various advanced
Info commands. The third part briefly explains how to generate Info
-files from Texinfo files, and describes how to write an Info as
-distinct from a Texinfo file.
+files from Texinfo files, and describes how to write an Info file
+by hand.
@ifnotinfo
This manual is primarily designed for browsing with an Info reader
they are in the file, which has no necessary relationship to the
order that they may be in the tree structure of menus and @samp{next}
pointers. But normally the two orders are not very different. In any
-case, you can always look at the echo area to find out what node you have
+case, you can always look at the mode line to find out what node you have
reached, if the header is not visible (this can happen, because @kbd{s}
puts your cursor at the occurrence of the string, not at the beginning
of the node).
@cindex searching Info indices
@kindex i @r{(Info mode)}
@findex Info-index
- Since most subjects related to what the manual describes should be
-indexed, you should try the index search first. The @kbd{i} command
+ Since most topics in the manual should be indexed, you should try
+the index search first before the text search. The @kbd{i} command
prompts you for a subject and then looks up that subject in the
indices. If it finds an index entry with the subject you typed, it
goes to the node to which that index entry points. You should browse
described there. If it isn't, type @kbd{,} one or more times to go
through additional index entries which match your subject.
- The @kbd{i} command finds all index entries which include the string
-you typed @emph{as a substring}. For each match, Info shows in the
-echo area the full index entry it found. Often, the text of the full
-index entry already gives you enough information to decide whether it
-is relevant to what you are looking for, so we recommend that you read
-what Info shows in the echo area before looking at the node it
-displays.
+ The @kbd{i} command and subsequent @kbd{,} commands find all index
+entries which include the string you typed @emph{as a substring}.
+For each match, Info shows in the echo area the full index entry it
+found. Often, the text of the full index entry already gives you
+enough information to decide whether it is relevant to what you are
+looking for, so we recommend that you read what Info shows in the echo
+area before looking at the node it displays.
Since @kbd{i} looks for a substring, you can search for subjects even
if you are not sure how they are spelled in the index. For example,
options, and key sequences that the program provides. If you are
looking for a description of a command, an option, or a key, just type
their names when @kbd{i} prompts you for a topic. For example, if you
-want to read the description of what the @kbd{C-f} key does, type
-@kbd{i C - f @key{RET}}. Here @kbd{C-f} are 3 literal characters
-@samp{C}, @samp{-}, and @samp{f}, not the ``Control-f'' command key
-you type inside Emacs to run the command bound to @kbd{C-f}.
+want to read the description of what the @kbd{C-l} key does, type
+@kbd{iC-l@key{RET}} literally.
In Emacs, @kbd{i} runs the command @code{Info-index}.
@findex info-apropos
@findex index-apropos
-If you don't know what manual documents something, try the @kbd{M-x
-info-apropos} command in Emacs, or the @kbd{M-x index-apropos} command
-in the stand-alone reader. It prompts for a string and then looks up
-that string in all the indices of all the Info documents installed on
-your system.
+If you aren't sure which manual documents the topic you are looking
+for, try the @kbd{M-x info-apropos} command in Emacs, or the @kbd{M-x
+index-apropos} command in the stand-alone reader. It prompts for
+a string and then looks up that string in all the indices of all the
+Info documents installed on your system.
@node Go to node, Choose menu subtopic, Search Index, Advanced
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@node Expert Info
@chapter Info for Experts
- This chapter explains how to write an Info as distinct from a
-Texinfo file. However, in most cases, writing a Texinfo file is
-better, since you can use it to make a printed manual or produce other
-formats, such as HTML and DocBook, as well as for generating Info
-files.
+ This chapter explains how to write an Info file by hand. However,
+in most cases, writing a Texinfo file is better, since you can use it
+to make a printed manual or produce other formats, such as HTML and
+DocBook, as well as for generating Info files.
-@code{makeinfo} is a utility that converts a Texinfo file into an Info
-file; @code{texinfo-format-region} and @code{texinfo-format-buffer} are
-GNU Emacs functions that do the same.
+The @code{makeinfo} command converts a Texinfo file into an Info file;
+@code{texinfo-format-region} and @code{texinfo-format-buffer} are GNU
+Emacs functions that do the same.
@xref{Top,, Overview of Texinfo, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU
-Documentation Format}, to learn how to write a Texinfo file.
+Documentation Format}, for how to write a Texinfo file.
@xref{Creating an Info File,,, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU Documentation
-Format}, to learn how to create an Info file from a Texinfo file.
+Format}, for how to create an Info file from a Texinfo file.
@xref{Installing an Info File,,, texinfo, Texinfo: The GNU
-Documentation Format}, to learn how to install an Info file after you
+Documentation Format}, for how to install an Info file after you
have created one.
However, if you want to edit an Info file manually and install it manually,