info-stnd.texi 80 KB

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  1. \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
  2. @comment Id: info-stnd.texi,v 1.1 2003/02/03 16:10:29 pertusus Exp $
  3. @comment %**start of header
  4. @setfilename info-stnd.info
  5. @include version-stnd.texi
  6. @settitle GNU Info @value{VERSION}
  7. @syncodeindex vr cp
  8. @syncodeindex fn cp
  9. @syncodeindex ky cp
  10. @comment %**end of header
  11. @copying
  12. This manual is for GNU Info (version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}),
  13. a program for viewing documents in Info format (usually created from
  14. Texinfo source files).
  15. Copyright @copyright{} 1992, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2001, 02
  16. Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  17. @quotation
  18. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
  19. under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
  20. any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
  21. Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
  22. and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
  23. license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
  24. License.''
  25. (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
  26. this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
  27. Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
  28. @end quotation
  29. @end copying
  30. @dircategory Texinfo documentation system
  31. @direntry
  32. * info standalone: (info-stnd). Read Info documents without Emacs.
  33. * infokey: (info-stnd)Invoking infokey. Compile Info customizations.
  34. @end direntry
  35. @titlepage
  36. @title GNU Info
  37. @subtitle for version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}
  38. @author Brian J. Fox (bfox@@gnu.org)
  39. @page
  40. @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
  41. @insertcopying
  42. @end titlepage
  43. @contents
  44. @ifnottex
  45. @node Top
  46. @top GNU Info
  47. @insertcopying
  48. This documentation is different from the documentation for the Info
  49. reader that is part of GNU Emacs. If you do not know how to use Info,
  50. but have a working Info reader, you should read the Emacs documentation
  51. first, as it includes more background information and a thorough tutorial.
  52. @end ifnottex
  53. @menu
  54. * What is Info:: What is Info?
  55. * Invoking Info:: Options you can pass on the command line.
  56. * Cursor Commands:: Commands which move the cursor within a node.
  57. * Scrolling Commands:: Commands for reading the text within a node.
  58. * Node Commands:: Commands for selecting a new node.
  59. * Searching Commands:: Commands for searching an Info file.
  60. * Xref Commands:: Commands for selecting cross references.
  61. * Window Commands:: Commands which manipulate multiple windows.
  62. * Printing Nodes:: How to print out the contents of a node.
  63. * Miscellaneous Commands:: A few commands that defy categories.
  64. * Variables:: How to change the default behavior of Info.
  65. * Custom Key Bindings:: How to define your own key-to-command
  66. bindings.
  67. * Copying This Manual:: The GNU Free Documentation License.
  68. * Index:: Global index containing keystrokes,
  69. command names, variable names,
  70. and general concepts.
  71. @end menu
  72. @node What is Info
  73. @chapter What is Info?
  74. @dfn{Info} is a program which is used to view Info files on an ASCII
  75. terminal. @dfn{Info files} are the result of processing Texinfo files
  76. with the program @code{makeinfo} or with one of the Emacs commands, such
  77. as @code{M-x texinfo-format-buffer}. Texinfo itself is a documentation
  78. system that uses a single source file to produce both on-line
  79. information and printed output. You can typeset and print the files
  80. that you read in Info.
  81. @node Invoking Info
  82. @chapter Invoking Info
  83. @cindex Info, invoking
  84. @cindex invoking Info
  85. @cindex command line options
  86. @cindex options, command line
  87. @cindex arguments, command line
  88. GNU Info accepts several options to control the initial node being
  89. viewed, and to specify which directories to search for Info files. Here
  90. is a template showing an invocation of GNU Info from the shell:
  91. @example
  92. info [@var{option}]@dots{} [@var{menu-item}@dots{}]
  93. @end example
  94. The program accepts the following options:
  95. @table @code
  96. @anchor{--apropos}
  97. @item --apropos=@var{string}
  98. @cindex Searching all indices
  99. @cindex Info files@r{, searching all indices}
  100. @cindex Apropos@r{, in Info files}
  101. Specify a string to search in every index of every Info file installed
  102. on your system. Info looks up the named @var{string} in all the indices
  103. it can find, prints the results to standard output, and then exits. If
  104. you are not sure which Info file explains certain issues, this option is
  105. your friend. Note that if your system has a lot of Info files
  106. installed, searching all of them might take some time.
  107. You can invoke the apropos command from inside Info; see
  108. @ref{Searching Commands}.
  109. @cindex directory path
  110. @item --directory @var{directory-path}
  111. @itemx -d @var{directory-path}
  112. Prepend @var{directory-path} to the list of directory paths searched
  113. when Info needs to find a file. You may issue @code{--directory}
  114. multiple times; once for each directory which contains Info files. The
  115. list of directories searched by Info is constructed from the value of
  116. the environment variable @code{INFOPATH}; @code{--directory} causes the
  117. named @var{directory-path} to be prepended to that list. The value of
  118. @code{INFOPATH} is a list of directories usually separated by a colon;
  119. on MS-DOS/MS-Windows systems, the semicolon is used. If you do not
  120. define @code{INFOPATH}, Info uses a default path defined when Info was
  121. built as the initial list of directories. If the value of
  122. @code{INFOPATH} ends with a colon (or semicolon on MS-DOS/MS-Windows),
  123. the initial list of directories is constructed by appending the
  124. build-time default to the value of @code{INFOPATH}.
  125. @cindex keystrokes, recording
  126. @cindex remembering user keystrokes
  127. @item --dribble=@var{dribble-file}
  128. Specify a file where all user keystrokes will be recorded. This file
  129. can be used later to replay the same sequence of commands, see the
  130. @samp{--restore} option below.
  131. @item --file @var{filename}
  132. @itemx -f @var{filename}
  133. @cindex Info file, selecting
  134. Specify a particular Info file to visit. By default, Info visits
  135. the file @code{dir}; if you use this option, Info will start with
  136. @code{(@var{filename})Top} as the first file and node.
  137. @cindex relative Info file names
  138. @cindex file names, relative
  139. @cindex Info files, relative
  140. If @var{filename} is an absolute file name, or begins with @file{./} or
  141. @file{../}, Info looks for @var{filename} only in the directory of the
  142. specified @var{filename}, and adds the directory of @var{filename} to
  143. the value of @code{INFOPATH}. In contrast, if @var{filename} is in the
  144. form of a relative file name, but without the @file{./} or @file{../}
  145. prefix, Info will only look for it in the directories specified in
  146. @code{INFOPATH}. In other words, Info does @emph{not} treat file names
  147. which lack @file{./} and @file{../} prefix as relative to the current
  148. directory.
  149. @cindex compressed Info files
  150. @cindex files, compressed
  151. @cindex Info files, compressed
  152. In every directory Info tries, if @var{filename} is not found, Info
  153. looks for it with a number of known extensions of Info files@footnote{
  154. @file{.info}, @file{-info}, @file{/index}, and @file{.inf}.}. For every
  155. known extension, Info looks for a compressed file, if a regular file
  156. isn't found. Info supports files compressed with @code{gzip},
  157. @code{bzip2}, @code{compress} and @code{yabba} programs; it calls
  158. @code{gunzip}, @code{bunzip2}, @code{uncompress} and @code{unyabba},
  159. accordingly, to decompress such files. Compressed Info files are
  160. assumed to have @file{.z}, @file{.gz}, @file{.bz2}, @file{.Z}, or
  161. @file{.Y} extensions, possibly in addition to one of the known Info
  162. files extensions@footnote{The MS-DOS version allows for the Info
  163. extension, such as @code{.inf}, and the short compressed file
  164. extensions, such as @file{.z} and @file{.gz}, to be merged into a single
  165. extension, since DOS doesn't allow more than a single dot in the
  166. basename of a file. Thus, on MS-DOS, if Info looks for @file{bison},
  167. file names like @file{bison.igz} and @file{bison.inz} will be found and
  168. decompressed by @code{gunzip}.}.
  169. @item --help
  170. @itemx -h
  171. Produces a relatively brief description of the available Info options.
  172. @item --index-search @var{string}
  173. @cindex index search, selecting from the command line
  174. @cindex online help, using Info as
  175. After processing all command-line arguments, go to the index in the Info
  176. file and search for index entries which matche @var{string}. If such an
  177. entry is found, the Info session begins with displaying the node pointed
  178. to by the first matching index entry; press @kbd{,} to step through the
  179. rest of the matching entries. If no such entry exists, print @samp{no
  180. entries found} and exit with nonzero status. This can be used from
  181. another program as a way to provide online help, or as a quick way of
  182. starting to read an Info file at a certain node when you don't know the
  183. exact name of that node.
  184. This command can also be invoked from inside Info; see @ref{Searching
  185. Commands}.
  186. @item --node @var{nodename}
  187. @itemx -n @var{nodename}
  188. @cindex node, selecting from the command line
  189. Specify a particular node to visit in the initial file that Info
  190. loads. This is especially useful in conjunction with
  191. @code{--file}@footnote{Of course, you can specify both the file and node
  192. in a @code{--node} command; but don't forget to escape the open and
  193. close parentheses and whitespace from the shell as in: @code{info --node
  194. "(emacs)Buffers"}.}. You may specify @code{--node} multiple times; for
  195. an interactive Info, each @var{nodename} is visited in its own window,
  196. for a non-interactive Info (such as when @code{--output} is given) each
  197. @var{nodename} is processed sequentially.
  198. @item --output @var{filename}
  199. @itemx -o @var{filename}
  200. @cindex file, outputting to
  201. @cindex outputting to a file
  202. Specify @var{filename} as the name of a file to which to direct output.
  203. Each node that Info visits will be output to @var{filename} instead of
  204. interactively viewed. A value of @code{-} for @var{filename} specifies
  205. the standard output.
  206. @cindex colors in man pages
  207. @cindex ANSI escape sequences in man pages
  208. @item --raw-escapes
  209. @itemx -R
  210. Do not remove ANSI escape sequences from man pages. Some versions of
  211. Groff, the GNU document formatter, produce man pages with ANSI escape
  212. sequences for bold, italics, and underlined characters, and for
  213. colorized text. By default, Info removes those escape sequences
  214. before it displays the man page. If your terminal supports these
  215. escapes, use @code{--raw-escapes} to let the terminal handle them and
  216. display the man pages with those attributes.
  217. @cindex replaying recorded keystrokes
  218. @item --restore=@var{dribble-file}
  219. Read keystrokes from @var{dribble-file}, presumably recorded during
  220. previous Info session (see the description of the @samp{--dribble}
  221. option above). When the keystrokes in the files are all read, Info
  222. reverts its input to the usual interactive operation.
  223. @anchor{--show-options}
  224. @cindex command-line options, how to find
  225. @cindex invocation description, how to find
  226. @item --show-options
  227. @itemx --usage
  228. @itemx -O
  229. This option causes Info to look for the node that describes how to
  230. invoke the program and its command-line options, and begin the session
  231. by displaying that node. It is provided to make it easier to find the
  232. most important usage information in a manual without the need to wade
  233. through complex menu hierarchies. The effect is similar to the
  234. @code{M-x goto-invocation} command (@pxref{goto-invocation}) from inside
  235. Info.
  236. @cindex speech synthesizers
  237. @item --speech-friendly
  238. @itemx -b
  239. On MS-DOS/MS-Windows only, this option causes Info to use standard file
  240. I/O functions for screen writes. (By default, Info uses direct writes
  241. to the video memory on these systems, for faster operation and colored
  242. display support.) This allows the speech synthesizers used by blind
  243. persons to catch the output and convert it to audible speech.
  244. @item --subnodes
  245. @cindex @code{--subnodes}, command line option
  246. This option only has meaning when given in conjunction with
  247. @code{--output}. It means to recursively output the nodes appearing in
  248. the menus of each node being output. Menu items which resolve to
  249. external Info files are not output, and neither are menu items which are
  250. members of an index. Each node is only output once.
  251. @item --version
  252. @cindex version information
  253. Prints the version information of Info and exits.
  254. @anchor{--vi-keys}
  255. @cindex vi-like key bindings
  256. @cindex Less-like key bindings
  257. @item --vi-keys
  258. This option binds functions to keys differently, to emulate the key
  259. bindings of @code{vi} and Less. The default key bindings are generally
  260. modeled after Emacs.
  261. (@xref{Custom Key Bindings},
  262. for a more general way of altering GNU Info's key bindings.)
  263. @item @var{menu-item}
  264. @cindex menu, following
  265. @anchor{command-line menu items}
  266. Info treats its remaining arguments as the names of menu items. The
  267. first argument is a menu item in the initial node visited (generally
  268. @code{dir}), the second argument is a menu item in the first argument's
  269. node, etc. You can easily move to the node of your choice by specifying
  270. the menu names which describe the path to that node. For example,
  271. @example
  272. info emacs buffers
  273. @end example
  274. @noindent
  275. first selects the menu item @samp{Emacs} in the node @samp{(dir)Top},
  276. and then selects the menu item @samp{Buffers} in the node
  277. @samp{(emacs)Top}.
  278. @end table
  279. To avoid searching the @file{dir} files and just show some arbitrary
  280. file, use @samp{-f} and the filename, as in @samp{info -f ./foo.info}.
  281. The index search and the search for the node which describes program
  282. invocation and command-line options begins @emph{after} processing all
  283. the command-line menu items. Therefore, the Info file searched for the
  284. index or the invocation node is the file where Info finds itself after
  285. following all the menu items given on the command line. This is so
  286. @samp{info emacs --show-options} does what you'd expect.
  287. @c FIXME: the feature with lowercasing the file name isn't documented
  288. @node Cursor Commands
  289. @chapter Moving the Cursor
  290. @cindex cursor, moving
  291. @cindex moving the cursor
  292. Many people find that reading screens of text page by page is made
  293. easier when one is able to indicate particular pieces of text with some
  294. kind of pointing device. Since this is the case, GNU Info (both the
  295. Emacs and standalone versions) have several commands which allow you to
  296. move the cursor about the screen. The notation used in this manual to
  297. describe keystrokes is identical to the notation used within the Emacs
  298. manual, and the GNU Readline manual. @xref{Characters, , Character
  299. Conventions, emacs, the GNU Emacs Manual}, if you are unfamiliar with the
  300. notation@footnote{
  301. Here's a short summary. @kbd{C-@var{x}} means press the @kbd{CTRL} key
  302. and the key @var{x}. @kbd{M-@var{x}} means press the @kbd{META} key and
  303. the key @var{x}. On many terminals th @kbd{META} key is known as the
  304. @kbd{ALT} key. @kbd{SPC} is the space bar. The other keys are usually
  305. called by the names imprinted on them.}.
  306. The following table lists the basic cursor movement commands in Info.
  307. Each entry consists of the key sequence you should type to execute the
  308. cursor movement, the @code{M-x}@footnote{@code{M-x} is also a command; it
  309. invokes @code{execute-extended-command}. @xref{M-x, , Executing an
  310. extended command, emacs, the GNU Emacs Manual}, for more detailed
  311. information.} command name (displayed in parentheses), and a short
  312. description of what the command does. All of the cursor motion commands
  313. can take a @dfn{numeric} argument (see @ref{Miscellaneous Commands,
  314. @code{universal-argument}, to find out how to supply them}. With a
  315. numeric argument, the motion commands are simply executed that
  316. many times; for example, a numeric argument of 4 given to
  317. @code{next-line} causes the cursor to move down 4 lines. With a
  318. negative numeric argument, the motion is reversed; an argument of -4
  319. given to the @code{next-line} command would cause the cursor to move
  320. @emph{up} 4 lines.
  321. @table @asis
  322. @item @key{C-n} (@code{next-line})
  323. @itemx @key{DOWN} (an arrow key)
  324. @kindex C-n
  325. @kindex DOWN (an arrow key)
  326. @findex next-line
  327. Move the cursor down to the next line.
  328. @item @key{C-p} (@code{prev-line})
  329. @itemx @key{UP} (an arrow key)
  330. @kindex C-p
  331. @kindex UP (an arrow key)
  332. @findex prev-line
  333. Move the cursor up to the previous line.
  334. @item @key{C-a} (@code{beginning-of-line})
  335. @itemx @key{Home} (on DOS/Windows only)
  336. @kindex C-a, in Info windows
  337. @kindex Home
  338. @findex beginning-of-line
  339. Move the cursor to the start of the current line.
  340. @item @key{C-e} (@code{end-of-line})
  341. @itemx @key{End} (on DOS/Windows only)
  342. @kindex C-e, in Info windows
  343. @kindex End
  344. @findex end-of-line
  345. Move the cursor to the end of the current line.
  346. @item @key{C-f} (@code{forward-char})
  347. @itemx @key{RIGHT} (an arrow key)
  348. @kindex C-f, in Info windows
  349. @kindex RIGHT (an arrow key)
  350. @findex forward-char
  351. Move the cursor forward a character.
  352. @item @key{C-b} (@code{backward-char})
  353. @itemx @key{LEFT} (an arrow key)
  354. @kindex C-b, in Info windows
  355. @kindex LEFT (an arrow key)
  356. @findex backward-char
  357. Move the cursor backward a character.
  358. @item @key{M-f} (@code{forward-word})
  359. @itemx @kbd{C-@key{RIGHT}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  360. @kindex M-f, in Info windows
  361. @kindex C-RIGHT
  362. @findex forward-word
  363. Move the cursor forward a word.
  364. @item @key{M-b} (@code{backward-word})
  365. @itemx @kbd{C-@key{LEFT}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  366. @kindex M-b, in Info windows
  367. @kindex C-LEFT
  368. @findex backward-word
  369. Move the cursor backward a word.
  370. @item @key{M-<} (@code{beginning-of-node})
  371. @itemx @key{C-@key{Home}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  372. @itemx @key{b}
  373. @itemx @key{M-b}, vi-like operation
  374. @kindex b, in Info windows
  375. @kindex M-<
  376. @kindex C-Home
  377. @kindex M-b, vi-like operation
  378. @findex beginning-of-node
  379. Move the cursor to the start of the current node.
  380. @item @key{M->} (@code{end-of-node})
  381. @itemx @key{C-@key{End}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  382. @itemx @key{e}
  383. @kindex M->
  384. @kindex e, in Info windows
  385. @kindex C-End
  386. @findex end-of-node
  387. Move the cursor to the end of the current node.
  388. @item @key{M-r} (@code{move-to-window-line})
  389. @kindex M-r
  390. @findex move-to-window-line
  391. Move the cursor to a specific line of the window. Without a numeric
  392. argument, @code{M-r} moves the cursor to the start of the line in the
  393. center of the window. With a numeric argument of @var{n}, @code{M-r}
  394. moves the cursor to the start of the @var{n}th line in the window.
  395. @end table
  396. @node Scrolling Commands
  397. @chapter Moving Text Within a Window
  398. @cindex scrolling
  399. Sometimes you are looking at a screenful of text, and only part of the
  400. current paragraph you are reading is visible on the screen. The
  401. commands detailed in this section are used to shift which part of the
  402. current node is visible on the screen.
  403. Scrolling commands are bound differently when @samp{--vi-keys} operation
  404. (@pxref{--vi-keys}) is in effect. These key bindings are designated
  405. with ``vi-like operation''.
  406. @table @asis
  407. @item @key{SPC} (@code{scroll-forward})
  408. @kindex SPC, in Info windows
  409. @findex scroll-forward
  410. Shift the text in this window up. That is, show more of the node which
  411. is currently below the bottom of the window. With a numeric argument,
  412. show that many more lines at the bottom of the window; a numeric
  413. argument of 4 would shift all of the text in the window up 4 lines
  414. (discarding the top 4 lines), and show you four new lines at the bottom
  415. of the window. Without a numeric argument, @key{SPC} takes the bottom
  416. two lines of the window and places them at the top of the window,
  417. redisplaying almost a completely new screenful of lines. If you are at
  418. the end of a node, @key{SPC} takes you to the ``next'' node, so that you can
  419. read an entire manual from start to finish by repeating @key{SPC}.
  420. The default scroll size is one screen-full, but it can be changed by
  421. invoking the (@code{scroll-forward-page-only-set-window}) command,
  422. @samp{z} under @samp{--vi-keys}, with a numeric argument.
  423. @item @key{NEXT} (an arrow key) (@code{scroll-forward-page-only})
  424. @itemx @key{C-v}
  425. @itemx @key{C-f}, vi-like operation
  426. @itemx @key{f}, vi-like operation
  427. @itemx @key{M-SPC}, vi-like operation
  428. @kindex NEXT
  429. @kindex C-v
  430. @kindex C-f, vi-like operation
  431. @kindex f, vi-like operation
  432. @kindex M-SPC, vi-like operation
  433. @findex scroll-forward-page-only
  434. Shift the text in this window up. This is identical to the @key{SPC}
  435. operation above, except that it never scrolls beyond the end of the
  436. current node.
  437. @kindex PageDown
  438. The @key{NEXT} key is known as the @key{PageDown} key on some
  439. keyboards.
  440. @item @key{z} (@code{scroll-forward-page-only-set-window}, vi-like operation)
  441. @kindex z, vi-like operation
  442. @findex scroll-forward-page-only-set-window
  443. Scroll forward, like with @key{NEXT}, but if a numeric argument is
  444. specified, it becomes the default scroll size for subsequent
  445. @code{scroll-forward} and @code{scroll-backward} commands and their
  446. ilk.
  447. @item @key{DEL} (@code{scroll-backward})
  448. @kindex DEL, in Info windows
  449. @findex scroll-backward
  450. Shift the text in this window down. The inverse of
  451. @code{scroll-forward}.
  452. If you are at the start of a node, @key{DEL} takes you to the
  453. ``previous'' node, so that you can read an entire manual from finish to
  454. start by repeating @key{DEL}. The default scroll size can be changed by
  455. invoking the (@code{scroll-backward-page-only-set-window}) command,
  456. @samp{w} under @samp{--vi-keys}, with a numeric argument.
  457. @itemx @key{PREVIOUS} (arrow key) (@code{scroll-backward-page-only})
  458. @itemx @key{PRIOR} (arrow key)
  459. @itemx @key{M-v}
  460. @itemx @key{b}, vi-like operation
  461. @itemx @key{C-b}, vi-like operation
  462. @kindex PREVIOUS
  463. @kindex M-v
  464. @kindex b, vi-like operation
  465. @kindex C-b, vi-like operation
  466. @findex scroll-backward-page-only
  467. Shift the text in this window down. The inverse of
  468. @code{scroll-forward-page-only}. Does not scroll beyond the start of
  469. the current node. The default scroll size can be changed by invoking
  470. the(@code{scroll-backward-page-only-set-window}) command, @samp{w} under
  471. @samp{--vi-keys}, with a numeric argument.
  472. @item @key{w} (@code{scroll-backward-page-only-set-window}, vi-like operation)
  473. @kindex w, vi-like operation
  474. @findex scroll-backward-page-only-set-window
  475. Scroll backward, like with @key{PREVIOUS}, but if a numeric argument is
  476. specified, it becomes the default scroll size for subsequent
  477. @code{scroll-forward} and @code{scroll-backward} commands.
  478. @item @key{C-n} (@code{down-line}, vi-like operation)
  479. @itemx @key{C-e}, vi-like operation
  480. @itemx @key{RET}, vi-like operation
  481. @itemx @key{LFD}, vi-like operation
  482. @itemx @key{DOWN}, vi-like operation
  483. @kindex C-n, vi-like operation
  484. @kindex C-e, vi-like operation
  485. @kindex RET, vi-like operation
  486. @kindex LFD, vi-like operation
  487. @kindex DOWN, vi-like operation
  488. @findex down-line
  489. Scroll forward by one line. With a numeric argument, scroll forward
  490. that many lines.
  491. @item @key{C-p} (@code{up-line}, vi-like operation)
  492. @itemx @key{UP}, vi-like operation
  493. @itemx @key{y}, vi-like operation
  494. @itemx @key{k}, vi-like operation
  495. @itemx @key{C-k}, vi-like operation
  496. @itemx @key{C-y}, vi-like operation
  497. @kindex C-p, vi-like operation
  498. @kindex UP, vi-like operation
  499. @kindex y, vi-like operation
  500. @kindex k, vi-like operation
  501. @kindex C-k, vi-like operation
  502. @kindex C-y, vi-like operation
  503. @findex up-line
  504. Scroll backward one line. With a numeric argument, scroll backward that
  505. many lines.
  506. @item @key{d} (@code{scroll-half-screen-down}, vi-like operation)
  507. @itemx @key{C-d}, vi-like operation
  508. @kindex d, vi-like operation
  509. @kindex C-d, vi-like operation
  510. @findex scroll-half-screen-down
  511. Scroll forward by half of the screen size. With a numeric argument,
  512. scroll that many lines. If an argument is specified, it becomes the new
  513. default number of lines to scroll for subsequent @samp{d} and @samp{u}
  514. commands.
  515. @item @key{u} (@code{scroll-half-screen-up}, vi-like operation)
  516. @itemx @key{C-u}, vi-like operation
  517. @kindex u, vi-like operation
  518. @kindex C-u, vi-like operation
  519. @findex scroll-half-screen-up
  520. Scroll back by half of the screen size. With a numeric argument,
  521. scroll that many lines. If an argument is specified, it becomes the new
  522. default number of lines to scroll for subsequent @samp{u} and @samp{d}
  523. commands.
  524. @end table
  525. @cindex scrolling through node structure
  526. The @code{scroll-forward} and @code{scroll-backward} commands can also
  527. move forward and backward through the node structure of the file. If
  528. you press @key{SPC} while viewing the end of a node, or @key{DEL} while
  529. viewing the beginning of a node, what happens is controlled by the
  530. variable @code{scroll-behavior}. @xref{Variables,
  531. @code{scroll-behavior}}, for more information.
  532. The @code{scroll-forward-page-only} and @code{scroll-backward-page-only}
  533. commands never scroll beyond the current node.
  534. @kindex PageUp
  535. The @key{PREVIOUS} key is the @key{PageUp} key on many keyboards. Emacs
  536. refers to it by the name @key{PRIOR}. When you use @key{PRIOR} or
  537. @key{PageUp} to scroll, Info never scrolls beyond the beginning of the
  538. current node.
  539. @kindex BS (backspace)
  540. If your keyboard lacks the @key{DEL} key, look for a key called
  541. @key{BS}, or @samp{BackSpace}, sometimes designated with an arrow which
  542. points to the left, which should perform the same function.
  543. @table @asis
  544. @item @key{C-l} (@code{redraw-display})
  545. @kindex C-l
  546. @findex redraw-display
  547. Redraw the display from scratch, or shift the line containing the cursor
  548. to a specified location. With no numeric argument, @samp{C-l} clears
  549. the screen, and then redraws its entire contents. Given a numeric
  550. argument of @var{n}, the line containing the cursor is shifted so that
  551. it is on the @var{n}th line of the window.
  552. @item @kbd{C-x @key{w}} (@code{toggle-wrap})
  553. @kindex C-w
  554. @findex toggle-wrap
  555. Toggles the state of line wrapping in the current window. Normally,
  556. lines which are longer than the screen width @dfn{wrap}, i.e., they are
  557. continued on the next line. Lines which wrap have a @samp{\} appearing
  558. in the rightmost column of the screen. You can cause such lines to be
  559. terminated at the rightmost column by changing the state of line
  560. wrapping in the window with @code{C-x w}. When a line which needs more
  561. space than one screen width to display is displayed, a @samp{$} appears
  562. in the rightmost column of the screen, and the remainder of the line is
  563. invisible. When long lines are truncated, the modeline displays the
  564. @samp{$} character near its left edge.
  565. @end table
  566. @node Node Commands
  567. @chapter Selecting a Node
  568. @cindex nodes, selection of
  569. This section details the numerous Info commands which select a new node
  570. to view in the current window.
  571. The most basic node commands are @samp{n}, @samp{p}, @samp{u}, and
  572. @samp{l}. Note that the commands to select nodes are mapped differently
  573. when @samp{--vi-keys} is in effect; these keybindings are designated
  574. below as ``vi-like operation''.
  575. When you are viewing a node, the top line of the node contains some Info
  576. @dfn{pointers} which describe where the next, previous, and up nodes
  577. are. Info uses this line to move about the node structure of the file
  578. when you use the following commands:
  579. @table @asis
  580. @item @key{n} (@code{next-node})
  581. @itemx @kbd{C-@key{NEXT}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  582. @itemx @kbd{C-x @key{n}}, vi-like operation
  583. @kindex n
  584. @kindex C-NEXT
  585. @kindex C-x n, vi-like operation
  586. @findex next-node
  587. Select the `Next' node.
  588. @kindex C-PgDn
  589. The @key{NEXT} key is known as the @key{PgDn} key on some
  590. keyboards.
  591. @item @key{p} (@code{prev-node})
  592. @itemx @kbd{C-@key{PREVIOUS}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  593. @kindex p
  594. @kindex C-PREVIOUS
  595. @findex prev-node
  596. Select the `Prev' node.
  597. @kindex C-PgUp
  598. The @key{PREVIOUS} key is known as the @key{PgUp} key on some
  599. keyboards.
  600. @item @key{u} (@code{up-node})
  601. @itemx @kbd{C-@key{UP}} (an arrow key on DOS/Windows only)
  602. @itemx @kbd{C-x @key{u}}, vi-like operation
  603. @kindex u
  604. @kindex C-UP
  605. @kindex C-x u, vi-like operation
  606. @findex up-node
  607. Select the `Up' node.
  608. @end table
  609. You can easily select a node that you have already viewed in this window
  610. by using the @samp{l} command -- this name stands for "last", and
  611. actually moves backwards through the history of visited nodes for this
  612. window. This is handy when you followed a reference to another node,
  613. possibly to read about a related issue, and would like then to resume
  614. reading at the same place where you started the excursion.
  615. Each node where you press @samp{l} is discarded from the history. Thus,
  616. by the time you get to the first node you visited in a window, the
  617. entire history of that window is discarded.
  618. @table @asis
  619. @item @key{l} (@code{history-node})
  620. @itemx @key{C-@key{CENTER}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  621. @itemx @key{'}, vi-like operation
  622. @kindex l
  623. @kindex C-CENTER
  624. @kindex ', vi-like operation
  625. @findex history-node
  626. Pop the most recently selected node in this window from the node
  627. history.
  628. @end table
  629. Two additional commands make it easy to select the most commonly
  630. selected nodes; they are @samp{t} and @samp{d}.
  631. @table @asis
  632. @item @key{t} (@code{top-node})
  633. @itemx @key{M-t}, vi-like operation
  634. @kindex t
  635. @kindex M-t, vi-like operation
  636. @findex top-node
  637. Select the node @samp{Top} in the current Info file.
  638. @item @key{d} (@code{dir-node})
  639. @itemx @key{M-d}, vi-like operation
  640. @kindex d
  641. @kindex M-d, vi-like operation
  642. @findex dir-node
  643. Select the directory node (i.e., the node @samp{(dir)}).
  644. @end table
  645. Here are some other commands which immediately result in the selection
  646. of a different node in the current window:
  647. @table @asis
  648. @item @key{<} (@code{first-node})
  649. @itemx @key{g}, vi-like operation
  650. @kindex <
  651. @kindex g, vi-like operation
  652. @findex first-node
  653. Selects the first node which appears in this file. This node is most
  654. often @samp{Top}, but it does not have to be. With a numeric argument
  655. @var{N}, select the @var{N}th node (the first node is node 1). An
  656. argument of zero is the same as the argument of 1.
  657. @item @key{>} (@code{last-node})
  658. @itemx @key{G}, vi-like operation
  659. @kindex >
  660. @kindex G, vi-like operation
  661. @findex last-node
  662. Select the last node which appears in this file. With a numeric argument
  663. @var{N}, select the @var{N}th node (the first node is node 1). An
  664. argument of zero is the same as no argument, i.e., it selects the last
  665. node.
  666. @item @key{]} (@code{global-next-node})
  667. @kindex ]
  668. @findex global-next-node
  669. Move forward or down through node structure. If the node that you are
  670. currently viewing has a @samp{Next} pointer, that node is selected.
  671. Otherwise, if this node has a menu, the first menu item is selected. If
  672. there is no @samp{Next} and no menu, the same process is tried with the
  673. @samp{Up} node of this node.
  674. @item @key{[} (@code{global-prev-node})
  675. @kindex [
  676. @findex global-prev-node
  677. Move backward or up through node structure. If the node that you are
  678. currently viewing has a @samp{Prev} pointer, that node is selected.
  679. Otherwise, if the node has an @samp{Up} pointer, that node is selected,
  680. and if it has a menu, the last item in the menu is selected.
  681. @end table
  682. You can get the same behavior as @code{global-next-node} and
  683. @code{global-prev-node} while simply scrolling through the file with
  684. @key{SPC} and @key{DEL}; @xref{Variables, @code{scroll-behavior}}, for
  685. more information.
  686. @table @asis
  687. @anchor{goto-node}
  688. @item @key{g} (@code{goto-node})
  689. @itemx @kbd{C-x @key{g}}, vi-like operation
  690. @kindex g
  691. @kindex C-x g, vi-like operation
  692. @findex goto-node
  693. Read the name of a node and select it. While reading the node name,
  694. completion (@pxref{The Echo Area, completion}) is only done for the
  695. nodes which reside in one of the Info files that were loaded in the
  696. current Info session; if the desired node resides in some other file,
  697. you must type the node exactly as it appears in that Info file, and you
  698. must include the Info file of the other file. For example,
  699. @example
  700. @code{g(emacs)Buffers}
  701. @end example
  702. finds the node @samp{Buffers} in the Info file @file{emacs}.
  703. @anchor{goto-invocation}
  704. @item @key{O} (@code{goto-invocation}
  705. @itemx @key{I}
  706. @kindex O
  707. @kindex I
  708. @findex goto-invocation
  709. @cindex finding the Invocation node
  710. Read the name of a program and look for a node in the current Info file
  711. which describes the invocation and the command-line options for that
  712. program. The default program name is derived from the name of the
  713. current Info file. This command does the same as the
  714. @samp{--show-options} command-line option (@pxref{--show-options}), but
  715. it also allows to specify the program name; this is important for those
  716. manuals which describe several programs.
  717. If you need to find the Invocation node of a program that is documented
  718. in another Info file, you need to visit that file before invoking
  719. @samp{I}. For example, if you are reading the Emacs manual and want to
  720. see the command-line options of the @code{makeinfo} program, type @kbd{g
  721. (texinfo) @key{RET}} and then @kbd{I makeinfo @key{RET}}. If you don't
  722. know what Info file documents the command, or if invoking @samp{I}
  723. doesn't display the right node, go to the @samp{(dir)} node (using the
  724. @samp{d} command) and invoke @samp{I} from there.
  725. @item @key{G} (@code{menu-sequence})
  726. @kindex G
  727. @findex menu-sequence
  728. @cindex menu, following, from inside Info
  729. Read a sequence of menu entries and follow it. Info prompts for a
  730. sequence of menu items separated by commas. (Since commas are not
  731. allowed in a node name, they are a natural choice for a delimiter in a
  732. list of menu items.) Info then looks up the first item in the menu of
  733. the node @samp{(dir)} (if the @samp{(dir)} node cannot be found, Info
  734. uses @samp{Top}). If such an entry is found, Info goes to the node it
  735. points to and looks up the second item in the menu of that node, etc.
  736. In other words, you can specify a complete path which descends through
  737. the menu hierarchy of a particular Info file starting at the
  738. @samp{(dir)} node. This has the same effect as if you typed the menu
  739. item sequence on Info's command line, see @ref{command-line menu items,,
  740. Info command-line arguments processing}. For example,
  741. @example
  742. @kbd{G Texinfo,Overview,Reporting Bugs @key{RET}}
  743. @end example
  744. @noindent
  745. displays the node @samp{Reporting Bugs} in the Texinfo manual. (You
  746. don't actually need to type the menu items in their full length, or in
  747. their exact letter-case. However, if you do type the menu items
  748. exactly, Info will find it faster.)
  749. If any of the menu items you type are not found, Info stops at the last
  750. entry it did find and reports an error.
  751. @item @kbd{C-x @key{k}} (@code{kill-node})
  752. @kindex C-x k
  753. @findex kill-node
  754. Kill a node. The node name is prompted for in the echo area, with a
  755. default of the current node. @dfn{Killing} a node means that Info tries
  756. hard to forget about it, removing it from the list of history nodes kept
  757. for the window where that node is found. Another node is selected in
  758. the window which contained the killed node.
  759. @item @kbd{C-x C-f} (@code{view-file})
  760. @kindex C-x C-f
  761. @findex view-file
  762. Read the name of a file and selects the entire file. The command
  763. @example
  764. @code{C-x C-f @var{filename}}
  765. @end example
  766. is equivalent to typing
  767. @example
  768. @code{g(@var{filename})*}
  769. @end example
  770. @item @kbd{C-x C-b} (@code{list-visited-nodes})
  771. @kindex C-x C-b
  772. @findex list-visited-nodes
  773. Make a window containing a menu of all of the currently visited nodes.
  774. This window becomes the selected window, and you may use the standard
  775. Info commands within it.
  776. @item @kbd{C-x @key{b}} (@code{select-visited-node})
  777. @kindex C-x b
  778. @findex select-visited-node
  779. Select a node which has been previously visited in a visible window.
  780. This is similar to @samp{C-x C-b} followed by @samp{m}, but no window is
  781. created.
  782. @end table
  783. @node Searching Commands
  784. @chapter Searching an Info File
  785. @cindex searching
  786. GNU Info allows you to search for a sequence of characters throughout an
  787. entire Info file, search through the indices of an Info file, or find
  788. areas within an Info file which discuss a particular topic.
  789. @table @asis
  790. @item @key{s} (@code{search})
  791. @itemx @key{/}
  792. @kindex s
  793. @kindex /
  794. @findex search
  795. Read a string in the echo area and search for it. If the string
  796. includes upper-case characters, the Info file is searched
  797. case-sensitively; otherwise Info ignores the letter case. With a
  798. numeric argument of @var{N}, search for @var{N}th occurrence of the
  799. string. Negative arguments search backwards.
  800. @item @key{?} (@code{search-backward}, vi-like operation)
  801. @kindex ?, vi-like operation
  802. @findex search-backward
  803. Read a string in the echo area and search backward through the Info file
  804. for that string. If the string includes upper-case characters, the Info
  805. file is searched case-sensitively; otherwise Info ignores the letter
  806. case. With a numeric argument of @var{N}, search for @var{N}th
  807. occurrence of the string. Negative arguments search forward.
  808. @item @key{S} (@code{search-case-sensitively}
  809. @kindex S
  810. @findex search-case-sensitively
  811. @cindex search, case-sensitive
  812. @cindex case-sensitive search
  813. Read a string in the echo area and search for it case-sensitively, even
  814. if the string includes only lower-case letters. With a numeric argument
  815. of @var{N}, search for @var{N}th occurrence of the string. Negative
  816. arguments search backwards.
  817. @item @kbd{C-x @key{n}} (@code{search-next})
  818. @itemx @key{n}, vi-like operation
  819. @kindex C-x n
  820. @kindex n, vi-like operation
  821. @findex search-next
  822. @cindex repeated search
  823. Search for the same string used in the last search command, in the same
  824. direction, and with the same case-sensitivity option. With a numeric
  825. argument of @var{N}, search for @var{N}th next occurrence.
  826. @item @kbd{C-x @key{N}} (@code{search-previous})
  827. @itemx @key{N}, vi-like operation
  828. @kindex C-x N
  829. @kindex n, vi-like operation
  830. @findex search-previous
  831. Search for the same string used in the last search command, and with the
  832. same case-sensitivity option, but in the reverse direction. With a
  833. numeric argument of @var{N}, search for @var{N}th previous occurrence.
  834. @item @key{C-s} (@code{isearch-forward})
  835. @kindex C-s
  836. @findex isearch-forward
  837. @cindex incremental search
  838. Interactively search forward through the Info file for a string as you
  839. type it. If the string includes upper-case characters, the search is
  840. case-sensitive; otherwise Info ignores the letter case.
  841. @item @key{C-r} (@code{isearch-backward})
  842. @kindex C-r
  843. @findex isearch-backward
  844. Interactively search backward through the Info file for a string as
  845. you type it. If the string includes upper-case characters, the search
  846. is case-sensitive; otherwise Info ignores the letter case.
  847. @item @key{i} (@code{index-search})
  848. @kindex i
  849. @findex index-search
  850. @cindex index, searching
  851. @cindex searching, in the indices
  852. Look up a string in the indices for this Info file, and select a node
  853. where the found index entry points to.
  854. @item @key{,} (@code{next-index-match})
  855. @kindex ,
  856. @findex next-index-match
  857. Move to the node containing the next matching index item from the last
  858. @samp{i} command.
  859. @item @kbd{M-x index-apropos}
  860. @findex index-apropos
  861. Grovel the indices of all the known Info files on your system for a
  862. string, and build a menu of the possible matches.
  863. @end table
  864. The most basic searching command is @samp{s} or @samp{/}
  865. (@code{search}). The @samp{s} command prompts you for a string in the
  866. echo area, and then searches the remainder of the Info file for an
  867. occurrence of that string. If the string is found, the node containing
  868. it is selected, and the cursor is left positioned at the start of the
  869. found string. Subsequent @samp{s} commands show you the default search
  870. string within @samp{[} and @samp{]}; pressing @key{RET} instead of
  871. typing a new string will use the default search string. Under
  872. @samp{--vi-keys} (@pxref{--vi-keys}), using the @samp{n} or @samp{N}
  873. commands is a faster way of searching for the same string.
  874. @dfn{Incremental searching} is similar to basic searching, but the
  875. string is looked up while you are typing it, instead of waiting until
  876. the entire search string has been specified.
  877. @cindex search, and case-sensitivity
  878. @cindex case-sensitivity, and search
  879. Both incremental and non-incremental search by default ignore the case
  880. of letters when comparing the Info file text with the search string.
  881. However, an uppercase letter in the search string makes the search
  882. case-sensitive. You can force a case-sensitive non-incremental search,
  883. even for a string that includes only lower-case letters, by using the
  884. @samp{S} command (@code{search-case-sensitively}). The @samp{n} and
  885. @samp{N} commands operate case-sensitively if the last search command
  886. was @samp{S}.
  887. The most efficient means of finding something quickly in a manual is
  888. the @samp{i} command (@code{index-search}). This command prompts for
  889. a string, and then looks for that string in all the indices of the
  890. current Info manual. If it finds a matching index entry, it displays
  891. the node to which that entry refers and prints the full text of the
  892. entry in the echo area. You can press @samp{,}
  893. (@code{next-index-match}) to find more matches. A good Info manual
  894. has all of its important concepts indexed, so the @samp{i} command
  895. lets you use a manual as a reference.
  896. If you don't know what manual documents something, try the @kbd{M-x
  897. index-apropos}. It prompts for a string and then looks up that string
  898. in all the indices of all the Info documents installed on your system.
  899. It can also be invoked from the command line; see @ref{--apropos}.
  900. @node Xref Commands
  901. @chapter Selecting Cross References
  902. We have already discussed the @samp{Next}, @samp{Prev}, and @samp{Up}
  903. pointers which appear at the top of a node. In addition to these
  904. pointers, a node may contain other pointers which refer you to a
  905. different node, perhaps in another Info file. Such pointers are called
  906. @dfn{cross references}, or @dfn{xrefs} for short.
  907. @menu
  908. * Parts of an Xref:: What a cross reference is made of.
  909. * Selecting Xrefs:: Commands for selecting menu or note items.
  910. @end menu
  911. @node Parts of an Xref, Selecting Xrefs, , Xref Commands
  912. @section Parts of an Xref
  913. Cross references have two major parts: the first part is called the
  914. @dfn{label}; it is the name that you can use to refer to the cross
  915. reference, and the second is the @dfn{target}; it is the full name of
  916. the node that the cross reference points to.
  917. The target is separated from the label by a colon @samp{:}; first the
  918. label appears, and then the target. For example, in the sample menu
  919. cross reference below, the single colon separates the label from the
  920. target.
  921. @example
  922. * Foo Label: Foo Target. More information about Foo.
  923. @end example
  924. Note the @samp{.} which ends the name of the target. The @samp{.} is
  925. not part of the target; it serves only to let Info know where the target
  926. name ends.
  927. A shorthand way of specifying references allows two adjacent colons to
  928. stand for a target name which is the same as the label name:
  929. @example
  930. * Foo Commands:: Commands pertaining to Foo.
  931. @end example
  932. In the above example, the name of the target is the same as the name of
  933. the label, in this case @code{Foo Commands}.
  934. You will normally see two types of cross reference while viewing nodes:
  935. @dfn{menu} references, and @dfn{note} references. Menu references
  936. appear within a node's menu; they begin with a @samp{*} at the beginning
  937. of a line, and continue with a label, a target, and a comment which
  938. describes what the contents of the node pointed to contains.
  939. Note references appear within the body of the node text; they begin with
  940. @code{*Note}, and continue with a label and a target.
  941. Like @samp{Next}, @samp{Prev}, and @samp{Up} pointers, cross references
  942. can point to any valid node. They are used to refer you to a place
  943. where more detailed information can be found on a particular subject.
  944. Here is a cross reference which points to a node within the Texinfo
  945. documentation: @xref{xref, , Writing an Xref, texinfo, the Texinfo
  946. Manual}, for more information on creating your own texinfo cross
  947. references.
  948. @node Selecting Xrefs, , Parts of an Xref, Xref Commands
  949. @section Selecting Xrefs
  950. The following table lists the Info commands which operate on menu items.
  951. @table @asis
  952. @item @key{1} (@code{menu-digit})
  953. @itemx @key{2} @dots{} @key{9}
  954. @itemx @key{M-1}, vi-like operation
  955. @itemx @key{M-2} @dots{} @key{M-9}, vi-like operation
  956. @cindex 1 @dots{} 9, in Info windows
  957. @cindex M-1 @dots{} M-9, vi-like operation
  958. @kindex 1 @dots{} 9, in Info windows
  959. @kindex M-1 @dots{} M-9, vi-like operation
  960. @findex menu-digit
  961. Within an Info window, pressing a single digit, (such as @samp{1}),
  962. selects that menu item, and places its node in the current window.
  963. For convenience, there is one exception; pressing @samp{0} selects the
  964. @emph{last} item in the node's menu. When @samp{--vi-keys} is in
  965. effect, digits set the numeric argument, so these commands are remapped
  966. to their @samp{M-} varieties. For example, to select the last menu
  967. item, press @key{M-0}.
  968. @item @key{0} (@code{last-menu-item})
  969. @itemx @key{M-0}, vi-like operation
  970. @kindex 0, in Info windows
  971. @kindex M-0, vi-like operation
  972. @findex last-menu-item
  973. Select the last item in the current node's menu.
  974. @item @key{m} (@code{menu-item})
  975. @kindex m
  976. @findex menu-item
  977. Reads the name of a menu item in the echo area and selects its node.
  978. Completion is available while reading the menu label. @xref{The Echo
  979. Area, completion}.
  980. @item @kbd{M-x find-menu}
  981. @findex find-menu
  982. Move the cursor to the start of this node's menu.
  983. @end table
  984. This table lists the Info commands which operate on cross references.
  985. @table @asis
  986. @item @key{f} (@code{xref-item})
  987. @itemx @key{r}
  988. @item @key{M-f}, vi-like operation
  989. @itemx @kbd{C-x @key{r}}, vi-like operation
  990. @kindex f
  991. @kindex r
  992. @kindex M-f, vi-like operation
  993. @kindex C-x r, vi-like operation
  994. @findex xref-item
  995. Reads the name of a note cross reference in the echo area and selects
  996. its node. Completion is available while reading the cross reference
  997. label. @xref{The Echo Area, completion}.
  998. @end table
  999. Finally, the next few commands operate on menu or note references alike:
  1000. @table @asis
  1001. @item @key{TAB} (@code{move-to-next-xref})
  1002. @kindex TAB, in Info windows
  1003. @findex move-to-next-xref
  1004. Move the cursor to the start of the next nearest menu item or note
  1005. reference in this node. You can then use @key{RET}
  1006. (@code{select-reference-this-line}) to select the menu or note reference.
  1007. @item @key{M-TAB} (@code{move-to-prev-xref})
  1008. @itemx @key{Shift-@key{TAB}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  1009. @kindex M-TAB, in Info windows
  1010. @findex move-to-prev-xref
  1011. Move the cursor the start of the nearest previous menu item or note
  1012. reference in this node.
  1013. @kindex Shift-TAB, in Info windows
  1014. @kindex BackTab, in Info windows
  1015. On DOS/Windows only, the @kbd{Shift-@key{TAB}} key is an alias for
  1016. @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. This key is sometimes called @samp{BackTab}.
  1017. @item @key{RET} (@code{select-reference-this-line})
  1018. @itemx @key{M-g}, vi-like operation
  1019. @kindex RET, in Info windows
  1020. @kindex M-g, vi-like operation
  1021. @findex select-reference-this-line
  1022. Select the menu item or note reference appearing on this line.
  1023. @end table
  1024. @node Window Commands
  1025. @chapter Manipulating Multiple Windows
  1026. @cindex windows, manipulating
  1027. A @dfn{window} is a place to show the text of a node. Windows have a
  1028. view area where the text of the node is displayed, and an associated
  1029. @dfn{mode line}, which briefly describes the node being viewed.
  1030. GNU Info supports multiple windows appearing in a single screen; each
  1031. window is separated from the next by its modeline. At any time, there
  1032. is only one @dfn{active} window, that is, the window in which the cursor
  1033. appears. There are commands available for creating windows, changing
  1034. the size of windows, selecting which window is active, and for deleting
  1035. windows.
  1036. @menu
  1037. * The Mode Line:: What appears in the mode line?
  1038. * Basic Windows:: Manipulating windows in Info.
  1039. * The Echo Area:: Used for displaying errors and reading input.
  1040. @end menu
  1041. @node The Mode Line, Basic Windows, , Window Commands
  1042. @section The Mode Line
  1043. A @dfn{mode line} is a line of inverse video which appears at the bottom
  1044. of an Info window. It describes the contents of the window just above
  1045. it; this information includes the name of the file and node appearing in
  1046. that window, the number of screen lines it takes to display the node,
  1047. and the percentage of text that is above the top of the window. It can
  1048. also tell you if the indirect tags table for this Info file needs to be
  1049. updated, and whether or not the Info file was compressed when stored on
  1050. disk.
  1051. Here is a sample mode line for a window containing an uncompressed file
  1052. named @file{dir}, showing the node @samp{Top}.
  1053. @example
  1054. @group
  1055. -----Info: (dir)Top, 40 lines --Top-------------------------------------
  1056. ^^ ^ ^^^ ^^
  1057. (file)Node #lines where
  1058. @end group
  1059. @end example
  1060. When a node comes from a file which is compressed on disk, this is
  1061. indicated in the mode line with two small @samp{z}'s. In addition, if
  1062. the Info file containing the node has been split into subfiles, the name
  1063. of the subfile containing the node appears in the modeline as well:
  1064. @example
  1065. --zz-Info: (emacs)Top, 291 lines --Top-- Subfile: emacs-1.Z-------------
  1066. @end example
  1067. Truncation of long lines (as opposed to wrapping them to the next
  1068. display line, @pxref{Scrolling Commands, toggle-wrap}) is indicated by a
  1069. @samp{$} at the left edge of the mode line:
  1070. @example
  1071. --$--Info: (texinfo)Top, 480 lines --Top-- Subfile: texinfo-1-----------
  1072. @end example
  1073. When Info makes a node internally, such that there is no corresponding
  1074. info file on disk, the name of the node is surrounded by asterisks
  1075. (@samp{*}). The name itself tells you what the contents of the window
  1076. are; the sample mode line below shows an internally constructed node
  1077. showing possible completions:
  1078. @example
  1079. -----Info: *Completions*, 7 lines --All---------------------------------
  1080. @end example
  1081. @node Basic Windows, The Echo Area, The Mode Line, Window Commands
  1082. @section Window Commands
  1083. It can be convenient to view more than one node at a time. To allow
  1084. this, Info can display more than one @dfn{window}. Each window has its
  1085. own mode line (@pxref{The Mode Line}) and history of nodes viewed in that
  1086. window (@pxref{Node Commands, , @code{history-node}}).
  1087. @table @asis
  1088. @item @kbd{C-x @key{o}} (@code{next-window})
  1089. @cindex windows, selecting
  1090. @kindex C-x o
  1091. @findex next-window
  1092. Select the next window on the screen. Note that the echo area can only be
  1093. selected if it is already in use, and you have left it temporarily.
  1094. Normally, @samp{C-x o} simply moves the cursor into the next window on
  1095. the screen, or if you are already within the last window, into the first
  1096. window on the screen. Given a numeric argument, @samp{C-x o} moves over
  1097. that many windows. A negative argument causes @samp{C-x o} to select
  1098. the previous window on the screen.
  1099. @item @kbd{M-x prev-window}
  1100. @findex prev-window
  1101. Select the previous window on the screen. This is identical to
  1102. @samp{C-x o} with a negative argument.
  1103. @item @kbd{C-x @key{2}} (@code{split-window})
  1104. @cindex windows, creating
  1105. @kindex C-x 2
  1106. @findex split-window
  1107. Split the current window into two windows, both showing the same node.
  1108. Each window is one half the size of the original window, and the cursor
  1109. remains in the original window. The variable @code{automatic-tiling}
  1110. can cause all of the windows on the screen to be resized for you
  1111. automatically, please @pxref{Variables, , automatic-tiling} for more
  1112. information.
  1113. @item @kbd{C-x @key{0}} (@code{delete-window})
  1114. @cindex windows, deleting
  1115. @kindex C-x 0
  1116. @findex delete-window
  1117. Delete the current window from the screen. If you have made too many
  1118. windows and your screen appears cluttered, this is the way to get rid of
  1119. some of them.
  1120. @item @kbd{C-x @key{1}} (@code{keep-one-window})
  1121. @kindex C-x 1
  1122. @findex keep-one-window
  1123. Delete all of the windows excepting the current one.
  1124. @item @kbd{ESC @key{C-v}} (@code{scroll-other-window})
  1125. @kindex ESC C-v, in Info windows
  1126. @findex scroll-other-window
  1127. Scroll the other window, in the same fashion that @samp{C-v} might
  1128. scroll the current window. Given a negative argument, scroll the
  1129. "other" window backward.
  1130. @item @kbd{C-x @key{^}} (@code{grow-window})
  1131. @kindex C-x ^
  1132. @findex grow-window
  1133. Grow (or shrink) the current window. Given a numeric argument, grow
  1134. the current window that many lines; with a negative numeric argument,
  1135. shrink the window instead.
  1136. @item @kbd{C-x @key{t}} (@code{tile-windows})
  1137. @cindex tiling
  1138. @kindex C-x t
  1139. @findex tile-windows
  1140. Divide the available screen space among all of the visible windows.
  1141. Each window is given an equal portion of the screen in which to display
  1142. its contents. The variable @code{automatic-tiling} can cause
  1143. @code{tile-windows} to be called when a window is created or deleted.
  1144. @xref{Variables, , @code{automatic-tiling}}.
  1145. @end table
  1146. @node The Echo Area, , Basic Windows, Window Commands
  1147. @section The Echo Area
  1148. @cindex echo area
  1149. The @dfn{echo area} is a one line window which appears at the bottom of
  1150. the screen. It is used to display informative or error messages, and to
  1151. read lines of input from you when that is necessary. Almost all of the
  1152. commands available in the echo area are identical to their Emacs
  1153. counterparts, so please refer to that documentation for greater depth of
  1154. discussion on the concepts of editing a line of text. The following
  1155. table briefly lists the commands that are available while input is being
  1156. read in the echo area:
  1157. @table @asis
  1158. @item @key{C-f} (@code{echo-area-forward})
  1159. @itemx @key{RIGHT} (an arrow key)
  1160. @itemx @key{M-h}, vi-like operation
  1161. @kindex C-f, in the echo area
  1162. @kindex RIGHT, in the echo area
  1163. @kindex M-h, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1164. @findex echo-area-forward
  1165. Move forward a character.
  1166. @item @key{C-b} (@code{echo-area-backward})
  1167. @itemx @key{LEFT} (an arrow key)
  1168. @itemx @key{M-l}, vi-like operation
  1169. @kindex LEFT, in the echo area
  1170. @kindex C-b, in the echo area
  1171. @kindex M-l, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1172. @findex echo-area-backward
  1173. Move backward a character.
  1174. @item @key{C-a} (@code{echo-area-beg-of-line})
  1175. @itemx @key{M-0}, vi-like operation
  1176. @kindex C-a, in the echo area
  1177. @kindex M-0, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1178. @findex echo-area-beg-of-line
  1179. Move to the start of the input line.
  1180. @item @key{C-e} (@code{echo-area-end-of-line})
  1181. @itemx @key{M-$}, vi-like operation
  1182. @kindex C-e, in the echo area
  1183. @kindex M-$, vi-like operation
  1184. @findex echo-area-end-of-line
  1185. Move to the end of the input line.
  1186. @item @key{M-f} (@code{echo-area-forward-word})
  1187. @itemx @key{C-@key{RIGHT}} (DOS/Windows only)
  1188. @itemx @key{M-w}, vi-like operation
  1189. @kindex M-f, in the echo area
  1190. @kindex M-w, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1191. @findex echo-area-forward-word
  1192. Move forward a word.
  1193. @kindex C-RIGHT, in the echo area
  1194. On DOS/Windows, @kbd{C-@key{RIGHT}} moves forward by words.
  1195. @item @key{M-b} (@code{echo-area-backward-word})
  1196. @itemx @key{C-@key{LEFT}} (DOS/Windows only)
  1197. @kindex M-b, in the echo area
  1198. @findex echo-area-backward-word
  1199. Move backward a word.
  1200. @kindex C-LEFT, in the echo area
  1201. On DOS/Windows, @kbd{C-@key{LEFT}} moves backward by words.
  1202. @item @key{C-d} (@code{echo-area-delete})
  1203. @itemx @key{M-x}, vi-like operation
  1204. @kindex C-d, in the echo area
  1205. @kindex M-x, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1206. @findex echo-area-delete
  1207. Delete the character under the cursor.
  1208. @item @key{DEL} (@code{echo-area-rubout})
  1209. @kindex DEL, in the echo area
  1210. @findex echo-area-rubout
  1211. Delete the character behind the cursor.
  1212. On some keyboards, this key is designated @key{BS}, for
  1213. @samp{BackSpace}. Those keyboards will usually bind @key{DEL} in the
  1214. echo area to @code{echo-area-delete}.
  1215. @item @key{C-g} (@code{echo-area-abort})
  1216. @itemx @key{C-u}, vi-like operation
  1217. @kindex C-g, in the echo area
  1218. @kindex C-u, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1219. @findex echo-area-abort
  1220. Cancel or quit the current operation. If completion is being read, this
  1221. command discards the text of the input line which does not match any
  1222. completion. If the input line is empty, it aborts the calling function.
  1223. @item @key{RET} (@code{echo-area-newline})
  1224. @kindex RET, in the echo area
  1225. @findex echo-area-newline
  1226. Accept (or forces completion of) the current input line.
  1227. @item @key{C-q} (@code{echo-area-quoted-insert})
  1228. @itemx @key{C-v}, vi-like operation
  1229. @kindex C-q, in the echo area
  1230. @kindex C-v, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1231. @findex echo-area-quoted-insert
  1232. Insert the next character verbatim. This is how you can insert control
  1233. characters into a search string, for example, or the @samp{?} character
  1234. when Info prompts with completion.
  1235. @item @var{printing character} (@code{echo-area-insert})
  1236. @kindex printing characters, in the echo area
  1237. @findex echo-area-insert
  1238. Insert the character. Characters that have their 8th bit set, and not
  1239. bound to @samp{M-} commands, are also inserted verbatim; this is useful
  1240. for terminals which support Latin scripts.
  1241. @item @key{M-TAB} (@code{echo-area-tab-insert})
  1242. @itemx @key{Shift-@key{TAB}} (on DOS/Windows only)
  1243. @kindex M-TAB, in the echo area
  1244. @kindex Shift-TAB, in the echo area
  1245. @findex echo-area-tab-insert
  1246. Insert a TAB character.
  1247. @kindex Shift-TAB, in the echo area
  1248. @kindex BackTab, in the echo area
  1249. On DOS/Windows only, the @kbd{Shift-@key{TAB}} key is an alias for
  1250. @kbd{M-@key{TAB}}. This key is sometimes called @samp{BackTab}.
  1251. @item @key{C-t} (@code{echo-area-transpose-chars})
  1252. @kindex C-t, in the echo area
  1253. @findex echo-area-transpose-chars
  1254. Transpose the characters at the cursor.
  1255. @end table
  1256. The next group of commands deal with @dfn{killing}, and @dfn{yanking}
  1257. text@footnote{
  1258. Some people are used to calling these operations @dfn{cut} and
  1259. @dfn{paste}, respectively.}. For an in depth discussion of killing and
  1260. yanking, @pxref{Killing, , Killing and Deleting, emacs, the GNU Emacs
  1261. Manual}
  1262. @table @asis
  1263. @item @key{M-d} (@code{echo-area-kill-word})
  1264. @itemx @key{M-X}, vi-like operation
  1265. @kindex M-d, in the echo area
  1266. @kindex M-X, in the echo area, vi-like operation
  1267. @findex echo-area-kill-word
  1268. Kill the word following the cursor.
  1269. @item @key{M-DEL} (@code{echo-area-backward-kill-word})
  1270. @itemx @key{M-@key{BS}}
  1271. @kindex M-DEL, in the echo area
  1272. @findex echo-area-backward-kill-word
  1273. Kill the word preceding the cursor.
  1274. @kindex M-BS, in the echo area
  1275. On some keyboards, the @code{Backspace} key is used instead of
  1276. @code{DEL}, so @code{M-@key{Backspace}} has the same effect as
  1277. @code{M-@key{DEL}}.
  1278. @item @key{C-k} (@code{echo-area-kill-line})
  1279. @kindex C-k, in the echo area
  1280. @findex echo-area-kill-line
  1281. Kill the text from the cursor to the end of the line.
  1282. @item @kbd{C-x @key{DEL}} (@code{echo-area-backward-kill-line})
  1283. @kindex C-x DEL, in the echo area
  1284. @findex echo-area-backward-kill-line
  1285. Kill the text from the cursor to the beginning of the line.
  1286. @item @key{C-y} (@code{echo-area-yank})
  1287. @kindex C-y, in the echo area
  1288. @findex echo-area-yank
  1289. Yank back the contents of the last kill.
  1290. @item @key{M-y} (@code{echo-area-yank-pop})
  1291. @kindex M-y, in the echo area
  1292. @findex echo-area-yank-pop
  1293. Yank back a previous kill, removing the last yanked text first.
  1294. @end table
  1295. @cindex completion
  1296. Sometimes when reading input in the echo area, the command that needed
  1297. input will only accept one of a list of several choices. The choices
  1298. represent the @dfn{possible completions}, and you must respond with one
  1299. of them. Since there are a limited number of responses you can make,
  1300. Info allows you to abbreviate what you type, only typing as much of the
  1301. response as is necessary to uniquely identify it. In addition, you can
  1302. request Info to fill in as much of the response as is possible; this
  1303. is called @dfn{completion}.
  1304. The following commands are available when completing in the echo area:
  1305. @table @asis
  1306. @item @key{TAB} (@code{echo-area-complete})
  1307. @itemx @key{SPC}
  1308. @kindex TAB, in the echo area
  1309. @kindex SPC, in the echo area
  1310. @findex echo-area-complete
  1311. Insert as much of a completion as is possible.
  1312. @item @key{?} (@code{echo-area-possible-completions})
  1313. @kindex ?, in the echo area
  1314. @findex echo-area-possible-completions
  1315. Display a window containing a list of the possible completions of what
  1316. you have typed so far. For example, if the available choices are:
  1317. @example
  1318. @group
  1319. bar
  1320. foliate
  1321. food
  1322. forget
  1323. @end group
  1324. @end example
  1325. @noindent
  1326. and you have typed an @samp{f}, followed by @samp{?}, Info will pop up a
  1327. window showing a node called @samp{*Completions*} which lists the
  1328. possible completions like this:
  1329. @example
  1330. @group
  1331. 3 completions:
  1332. foliate food
  1333. forget
  1334. @end group
  1335. @end example
  1336. @noindent
  1337. i.e., all of the choices which begin with @samp{f}. Pressing @key{SPC}
  1338. or @key{TAB} would result in @samp{fo} appearing in the echo area, since
  1339. all of the choices which begin with @samp{f} continue with @samp{o}.
  1340. Now, typing @samp{l} followed by @samp{TAB} results in @samp{foliate}
  1341. appearing in the echo area, since that is the only choice which begins
  1342. with @samp{fol}.
  1343. @item @key{ESC C-v} (@code{echo-area-scroll-completions-window})
  1344. @kindex ESC C-v, in the echo area
  1345. @findex echo-area-scroll-completions-window
  1346. Scroll the completions window, if that is visible, or the "other"
  1347. window if not.
  1348. @end table
  1349. @node Printing Nodes
  1350. @chapter Printing Nodes
  1351. @cindex printing
  1352. In general, we recommend that you use @TeX{} to format the document and
  1353. print sections of it, by running @code{tex} on the Texinfo source file.
  1354. However, you may wish to print out the contents of a node as a quick
  1355. reference document for later use, or if you don't have @TeX{} installed.
  1356. Info provides you with a command for doing this.
  1357. @table @asis
  1358. @item @kbd{M-x print-node}
  1359. @findex print-node
  1360. @cindex INFO_PRINT_COMMAND, environment variable
  1361. Pipe the contents of the current node through the command in the
  1362. environment variable @code{INFO_PRINT_COMMAND}. If the variable does not
  1363. exist, the node is simply piped to @code{lpr} (on DOS/Windows, the
  1364. default is to print the node to the local printer device, @file{PRN}).
  1365. @cindex printing nodes to the local printer
  1366. @cindex local printer device
  1367. The value of @code{INFO_PRINT_COMMAND} may begin with the @samp{>}
  1368. character, as in @samp{>/dev/printer}, in which case Info treats the
  1369. rest as the name of a file or a device. Instead of piping to a command,
  1370. Info opens the file, writes the node contents, and closes the file,
  1371. under the assumption that text written to that file will be printed by
  1372. the underlying OS.
  1373. @end table
  1374. @node Miscellaneous Commands
  1375. @chapter Miscellaneous Commands
  1376. GNU Info contains several commands which self-document GNU Info:
  1377. @table @asis
  1378. @item @kbd{M-x describe-command}
  1379. @cindex functions, describing
  1380. @cindex commands, describing
  1381. @findex describe-command
  1382. Read the name of an Info command in the echo area and then display a
  1383. brief description of what that command does.
  1384. @item @kbd{M-x describe-key}
  1385. @cindex keys, describing
  1386. @findex describe-key
  1387. Read a key sequence in the echo area, and then display the name and
  1388. documentation of the Info command that the key sequence invokes.
  1389. @item @kbd{M-x describe-variable}
  1390. Read the name of a variable in the echo area and then display a brief
  1391. description of what the variable affects.
  1392. @item @kbd{M-x where-is}
  1393. @findex where-is
  1394. Read the name of an Info command in the echo area, and then display
  1395. a key sequence which can be typed in order to invoke that command.
  1396. @item @key{C-h} (@code{get-help-window})
  1397. @itemx @key{?}
  1398. @itemx @key{F1} (on DOS/Windows only)
  1399. @itemx h, vi-like operation
  1400. @kindex C-h
  1401. @kindex ?, in Info windows
  1402. @kindex F1
  1403. @kindex h, vi-like operation
  1404. @findex get-help-window
  1405. Create (or Move into) the window displaying @code{*Help*}, and place
  1406. a node containing a quick reference card into it. This window displays
  1407. the most concise information about GNU Info available.
  1408. @item @key{h} (@code{get-info-help-node})
  1409. @itemx @key{M-h}, vi-like operation
  1410. @kindex h
  1411. @kindex M-h, vi-like operation
  1412. @findex get-info-help-node
  1413. Try hard to visit the node @code{(info)Help}. The Info file
  1414. @file{info.texi} distributed with GNU Info contains this node. Of
  1415. course, the file must first be processed with @code{makeinfo}, and then
  1416. placed into the location of your Info directory.
  1417. @end table
  1418. Here are the commands for creating a numeric argument:
  1419. @table @asis
  1420. @item @key{C-u} (@code{universal-argument})
  1421. @cindex numeric arguments
  1422. @kindex C-u
  1423. @findex universal-argument
  1424. Start (or multiply by 4) the current numeric argument. @samp{C-u} is
  1425. a good way to give a small numeric argument to cursor movement or
  1426. scrolling commands; @samp{C-u C-v} scrolls the screen 4 lines, while
  1427. @samp{C-u C-u C-n} moves the cursor down 16 lines. @samp{C-u} followed
  1428. by digit keys sets the numeric argument to the number thus typed:
  1429. @kbd{C-u 1 2 0} sets the argument to 120.
  1430. @item @key{M-1} (@code{add-digit-to-numeric-arg})
  1431. @itemx @key{1}, vi-like operation
  1432. @itemx @key{M-2} @dots{} @key{M-9}
  1433. @itemx @key{2} @dots{} @key{9}, vi-like operation
  1434. @itemx @key{M-0}
  1435. @itemx @key{0}, vi-like operation
  1436. @kindex M-0 @dots{} M-9
  1437. @kindex 0 @dots{} 9, vi-like operation
  1438. @findex add-digit-to-numeric-arg
  1439. Add the digit value of the invoking key to the current numeric
  1440. argument. Once Info is reading a numeric argument, you may just type
  1441. the digits of the argument, without the Meta prefix. For example, you
  1442. might give @samp{C-l} a numeric argument of 32 by typing:
  1443. @example
  1444. @kbd{C-u 3 2 C-l}
  1445. @end example
  1446. @noindent
  1447. or
  1448. @example
  1449. @kbd{M-3 2 C-l}
  1450. @end example
  1451. @item @key{M--} (@code{add-digit-to-numeric-arg}
  1452. @itemx @key{-}
  1453. @kindex M--
  1454. @kindex -
  1455. @cindex negative arguments
  1456. @cindex arguments, negative
  1457. @cindex numeric arguments, negative
  1458. To make a negative argument, type @kbd{-}. Typing @kbd{-} alone makes a
  1459. negative argument with a value of -1. If you continue to type digit or
  1460. Meta-digit keys after @kbd{-}, the result is a negative number produced
  1461. by those digits.
  1462. @kbd{-} doesn't work when you type in the echo area, because you need to
  1463. be able to insert the @samp{-} character itself; use @kbd{M--} instead,
  1464. if you need to specify negative arguments in the echo area.
  1465. @end table
  1466. @samp{C-g} is used to abort the reading of a multi-character key
  1467. sequence, to cancel lengthy operations (such as multi-file searches) and
  1468. to cancel reading input in the echo area.
  1469. @table @asis
  1470. @item @key{C-g} (@code{abort-key})
  1471. @itemx @key{C-u}, vi-like operation
  1472. @cindex cancelling typeahead
  1473. @cindex cancelling the current operation
  1474. @kindex C-g, in Info windows
  1475. @kindex C-u cancels typeahead, vi-like operation
  1476. @findex abort-key
  1477. Cancel current operation.
  1478. @end table
  1479. The @samp{q} command of Info simply quits running Info. Under
  1480. @samp{--vi-keys} (@pxref{--vi-keys}), you can also exit with @samp{:q}
  1481. or @samp{ZZ}.
  1482. @table @asis
  1483. @item @key{q} (@code{quit})
  1484. @itemx @kbd{C-x C-c}
  1485. @itemx @kbd{:q}, vi-like operation
  1486. @itemx @kbd{ZZ}, vi-like operation
  1487. @cindex quitting
  1488. @kindex q
  1489. @kindex C-x C-c
  1490. @kindex ZZ, vi-like operation
  1491. @findex quit
  1492. Exit GNU Info.
  1493. @end table
  1494. If the operating system tells GNU Info that the screen is 60 lines tall,
  1495. and it is actually only 40 lines tall, here is a way to tell Info that
  1496. the operating system is correct.
  1497. @table @asis
  1498. @item @kbd{M-x set-screen-height}
  1499. @findex set-screen-height
  1500. @cindex screen, changing the height of
  1501. Read a height value in the echo area and set the height of the
  1502. displayed screen to that value.
  1503. @end table
  1504. On MS-DOS/MS-Windows, this command actually tries to change the
  1505. dimensions of the visible screen to the value you type in the echo
  1506. area.
  1507. Finally, Info provides a convenient way to display footnotes which might
  1508. be associated with the current node that you are viewing:
  1509. @table @asis
  1510. @item @key{ESC C-f} (@code{show-footnotes})
  1511. @kindex ESC C-f
  1512. @findex show-footnotes
  1513. @cindex footnotes, displaying
  1514. Show the footnotes (if any) associated with the current node in another
  1515. window. You can have Info automatically display the footnotes
  1516. associated with a node when the node is selected by setting the variable
  1517. @code{automatic-footnotes}. @xref{Variables, , @code{automatic-footnotes}}.
  1518. @end table
  1519. @node Variables
  1520. @chapter Manipulating Variables
  1521. GNU Info contains several @dfn{variables} whose values are looked at by
  1522. various Info commands. You can change the values of these variables,
  1523. and thus change the behavior of Info to more closely match your
  1524. environment and Info file reading manner.
  1525. There are two ways to set the value of a variable: interactively, using
  1526. the @code{set-variable} command described below, or in the @code{#var}
  1527. section of the @code{.infokey} file. @xref{Custom Key Bindings}.
  1528. @table @asis
  1529. @item @kbd{M-x set-variable}
  1530. @cindex variables, setting
  1531. @findex set-variable
  1532. Read the name of a variable, and the value for it, in the echo area and
  1533. then set the variable to that value. Completion is available when
  1534. reading the variable name (@pxref{The Echo Area, completion}); often,
  1535. completion is available when reading the value to give to the variable,
  1536. but that depends on the variable itself. If a variable does @emph{not}
  1537. supply multiple choices to complete over, it expects a numeric value.
  1538. @item @kbd{M-x describe-variable}
  1539. @cindex variables, describing
  1540. @findex describe-variable
  1541. Read the name of a variable in the echo area and then display a brief
  1542. description of what the variable affects.
  1543. @end table
  1544. Here is a list of the variables that you can set in Info.
  1545. @table @code
  1546. @item automatic-footnotes
  1547. @vindex automatic-footnotes
  1548. When set to @code{On}, footnotes appear and disappear automatically.
  1549. This variable is @code{On} by default. When a node is selected, a
  1550. window containing the footnotes which appear in that node is created,
  1551. and the footnotes are displayed within the new window. The window that
  1552. Info creates to contain the footnotes is called @samp{*Footnotes*}. If
  1553. a node is selected which contains no footnotes, and a @samp{*Footnotes*}
  1554. window is on the screen, the @samp{*Footnotes*} window is deleted.
  1555. Footnote windows created in this fashion are not automatically tiled so
  1556. that they can use as little of the display as is possible.
  1557. @item automatic-tiling
  1558. @vindex automatic-tiling
  1559. When set to @code{On}, creating or deleting a window resizes other
  1560. windows. This variable is @code{Off} by default. Normally, typing
  1561. @samp{C-x 2} divides the current window into two equal parts. When
  1562. @code{automatic-tiling} is set to @code{On}, all of the windows are
  1563. resized automatically, keeping an equal number of lines visible in each
  1564. window. There are exceptions to the automatic tiling; specifically, the
  1565. windows @samp{*Completions*} and @samp{*Footnotes*} are @emph{not}
  1566. resized through automatic tiling; they remain their original size.
  1567. @item errors-ring-bell
  1568. @vindex errors-ring-bell
  1569. When set to @code{On}, errors cause the bell to ring. The default
  1570. setting of this variable is @code{On}.
  1571. @item gc-compressed-files
  1572. @vindex gc-compressed-files
  1573. When set to @code{On}, Info garbage collects files which had to be
  1574. uncompressed. The default value of this variable is @code{Off}.
  1575. Whenever a node is visited in Info, the Info file containing that node
  1576. is read into core, and Info reads information about the tags and nodes
  1577. contained in that file. Once the tags information is read by Info, it
  1578. is never forgotten. However, the actual text of the nodes does not need
  1579. to remain in core unless a particular Info window needs it. For
  1580. non-compressed files, the text of the nodes does not remain in core when
  1581. it is no longer in use. But de-compressing a file can be a time
  1582. consuming operation, and so Info tries hard not to do it twice.
  1583. @code{gc-compressed-files} tells Info it is okay to garbage collect the
  1584. text of the nodes of a file which was compressed on disk.
  1585. @item ISO-Latin
  1586. @cindex ISO Latin characters
  1587. @vindex ISO-Latin
  1588. When set to @code{On}, Info accepts and displays ISO Latin characters.
  1589. By default, Info assumes an ASCII character set. @code{ISO-Latin} tells
  1590. Info that it is running in an environment where the European standard
  1591. character set is in use, and allows you to input such characters to
  1592. Info, as well as display them.
  1593. @item scroll-behavior
  1594. @vindex scroll-behavior
  1595. Control what happens when forward scrolling is requested at the end of
  1596. a node, or when backward scrolling is requested at the beginning of a
  1597. node. The default value for this variable is @code{Continuous}. There
  1598. are three possible values for this variable:
  1599. @table @code
  1600. @item Continuous
  1601. Try to get the first item in this node's menu, or failing that, the
  1602. @samp{Next} node, or failing that, the @samp{Next} of the @samp{Up}.
  1603. This behavior is identical to using the @samp{]}
  1604. (@code{global-next-node}) and @samp{[} (@code{global-prev-node})
  1605. commands.
  1606. @item Next Only
  1607. Only try to get the @samp{Next} node.
  1608. @item Page Only
  1609. Simply give up, changing nothing. If @code{scroll-behavior} is
  1610. @code{Page Only}, no scrolling command can change the node that is being
  1611. viewed.
  1612. @end table
  1613. @item scroll-step
  1614. @vindex scroll-step
  1615. The number of lines to scroll when the cursor moves out of the window.
  1616. Scrolling happens automatically if the cursor has moved out of the
  1617. visible portion of the node text when it is time to display. Usually
  1618. the scrolling is done so as to put the cursor on the center line of the
  1619. current window. However, if the variable @code{scroll-step} has a
  1620. nonzero value, Info attempts to scroll the node text by that many lines;
  1621. if that is enough to bring the cursor back into the window, that is what
  1622. is done. The default value of this variable is 0, thus placing the
  1623. cursor (and the text it is attached to) in the center of the window.
  1624. Setting this variable to 1 causes a kind of "smooth scrolling" which
  1625. some people prefer.
  1626. @item show-index-match
  1627. @vindex show-index-match
  1628. When set to @code{On}, the portion of the matched search string is
  1629. highlighted in the message which explains where the matched search
  1630. string was found. The default value of this variable is @code{On}.
  1631. When Info displays the location where an index match was found,
  1632. (@pxref{Searching Commands, , @code{next-index-match}}), the portion of the
  1633. string that you had typed is highlighted by displaying it in the inverse
  1634. case from its surrounding characters.
  1635. @item visible-bell
  1636. @vindex visible-bell
  1637. When set to @code{On}, GNU Info attempts to flash the screen instead of
  1638. ringing the bell. This variable is @code{Off} by default. Of course,
  1639. Info can only flash the screen if the terminal allows it; in the case
  1640. that the terminal does not allow it, the setting of this variable has no
  1641. effect. However, you can make Info perform quietly by setting the
  1642. @code{errors-ring-bell} variable to @code{Off}.
  1643. @end table
  1644. @node Custom Key Bindings
  1645. @chapter Customizing Key Bindings and Variables
  1646. @cindex default key bindings, overriding
  1647. @cindex overriding default key bindings
  1648. @cindex customizing key bindings
  1649. @cindex key bindings, customizing
  1650. @cindex infokey
  1651. @cindex .info
  1652. @cindex .infokey
  1653. @cindex _info file (MS-DOS)
  1654. For those whose editor/pager of choice is not Emacs and who are not
  1655. entirely satisfied with the --vi-keys option (@pxref{--vi-keys}), GNU
  1656. Info provides a way to define different key-to-command bindings and
  1657. variable settings from the defaults described in this document.
  1658. On startup, GNU Info looks for a configuration file in the invoker's
  1659. HOME directory called @file{.info}@footnote{Due to the limitations of
  1660. DOS filesystems, the MS-DOS version of Info looks for a file
  1661. @file{_info} instead. If the @env{HOME} variable is not defined, Info
  1662. additionally looks in the current directory.}. If it is present, and
  1663. appears to contain Info configuration data, and was created with the
  1664. current version of the @code{infokey} command, then Info adopts the
  1665. key bindings and variable settings contained therein.
  1666. The @file{.info} file contains compact, non-textual data for reasons of
  1667. efficiency and because its design was lifted wholesale from the GNU Less
  1668. program, which also does it that way. It must be created by compiling a
  1669. textual source file using the @code{infokey} command.
  1670. @menu
  1671. * Invoking infokey::
  1672. * infokey source format::
  1673. @end menu
  1674. @node Invoking infokey
  1675. @section Invoking @command{infokey}
  1676. @cindex invoking infokey
  1677. @cindex infokey, invoking
  1678. @cindex _infokey file (MS-DOS)
  1679. @command{infokey} compiles a source file
  1680. (@file{$HOME/.infokey}@footnote{This file is named @file{_infokey} in
  1681. the MS-DOS version, and is looked for in the current directory if
  1682. @env{HOME} is undefined.} by default) containing Info customizations
  1683. into a binary format (@file{$HOME/.info} by default). GNU Info reads
  1684. the binary file at startup to override the default key bindings and
  1685. variable definitions. Synopsis:
  1686. @example
  1687. infokey [@var{option}@dots{}] [@var{input-file}]
  1688. @end example
  1689. Besides the standard @option{--help} and @option{--version}, the only
  1690. option is @option{--output @var{file}}. This tells @command{infokey} to
  1691. write the binary data to @var{file} instead of @file{$HOME/.info}.
  1692. @node infokey source format
  1693. @section @command{infokey} source format
  1694. @cindex infokey source format
  1695. @cindex .infokey source format
  1696. @cindex format of .infokey source
  1697. The format of the source file read by @command{infokey} is most easily
  1698. illustrated by example. For instance, here is a sample @file{.infokey}
  1699. source file suitable for aficionados of @command{vi} or @command{less}:
  1700. @example
  1701. #info
  1702. j next-line
  1703. k prev-line
  1704. l forward-char
  1705. h backward-char
  1706. \kd next-line
  1707. \ku prev-line
  1708. \kr forward-char
  1709. \kl backward-char
  1710. \ scroll-forward
  1711. \kD scroll-forward-page-only
  1712. b scroll-backward
  1713. \kU scroll-backward-page-only
  1714. g beginning-of-node
  1715. \kh beginning-of-node
  1716. G end-of-node
  1717. \ke end-of-node
  1718. \t select-reference-this-line
  1719. - history-node
  1720. n next-node
  1721. p prev-node
  1722. u up-node
  1723. t top-node
  1724. d dir-node
  1725. #var
  1726. scroll-step=1
  1727. @end example
  1728. The source file consists of one or more @dfn{sections}.
  1729. Each section starts with a line that identifies the type of section.
  1730. Possible sections are:
  1731. @table @code
  1732. @item #info
  1733. Key bindings for Info windows.
  1734. The start of this section is indicated by a line containing just
  1735. @code{#info} by itself. If this is the first section in the source
  1736. file, the @code{#info} line can be omitted. The rest of this section
  1737. consists of lines of the form:
  1738. @example
  1739. @var{string} whitespace @var{action} [ whitespace [ # comment ] ] newline
  1740. @end example
  1741. Whitespace is any sequence of one or more spaces and/or tabs. Comment
  1742. is any sequence of any characters, excluding newline. @var{string} is
  1743. the key sequence which invokes the action. @var{action} is the name of
  1744. an Info command. The characters in @var{string} are interpreted
  1745. literally or prefixed by a caret (@code{^}) to indicate a control
  1746. character. A backslash followed by certain characters specifies input
  1747. keystrokes as follows:
  1748. @table @code
  1749. @item \b
  1750. Backspace
  1751. @item \e
  1752. Escape (ESC)
  1753. @item \n
  1754. Newline
  1755. @item \r
  1756. Return
  1757. @item \t
  1758. Tab
  1759. @item \ku
  1760. Up arrow
  1761. @item \kd
  1762. Down arrow
  1763. @item \kl
  1764. Left arrow
  1765. @item \kr
  1766. Right arrow
  1767. @item \kU
  1768. Page Up
  1769. @item \kD
  1770. Page Down
  1771. @item \kh
  1772. HOME
  1773. @item \ke
  1774. END
  1775. @item \kx
  1776. Delete (DEL)
  1777. @item \m@var{x}
  1778. Meta-@var{x} where @var{x} is any character as described above.
  1779. @end table
  1780. Backslash followed by any other character indicates that character is to
  1781. be taken literally. Characters which must be preceded by a backslash
  1782. include caret, space, tab, and backslash itself.
  1783. @item #echo-area
  1784. Key bindings for the echo area.
  1785. The start of this section is indicated by a line containing just
  1786. @code{#echo-area} by itself. The rest of this section has a syntax
  1787. identical to that for the key definitions for the Info area, described
  1788. above.
  1789. @item #var
  1790. Variable initializations.
  1791. The start of this section is indicated by a line containing just
  1792. @code{#var} by itself. Following this line is a list of variable
  1793. assignments, one per line. Each line consists of a variable name
  1794. (@xref{Variables},) followed by @code{=} followed by a value.
  1795. There may be no white space between the variable name and the @code{=},
  1796. and all characters following the @code{=}, including white space,
  1797. are included in the value.
  1798. @end table
  1799. Blank lines and lines starting with @code{#} are ignored, except for
  1800. the special section header lines.
  1801. Key bindings defined in the @file{.info} file take precedence over GNU
  1802. Info's default key bindings, whether or not @samp{--vi-keys} is used. A
  1803. default key binding may be disabled by overriding it in the @file{.info}
  1804. file with the action @code{invalid}. In addition, @emph{all} default
  1805. key bindings can be disabled by adding this line @emph{anywhere} in the
  1806. relevant section:
  1807. @example
  1808. #stop
  1809. @end example
  1810. This will cause GNU Info to ignore all the default key commands for that
  1811. section.
  1812. Beware: @code{#stop} can be dangerous. Since it disables all default
  1813. key bindings, you must supply enough new key bindings to enable all
  1814. necessary actions. Failure to bind any key to the @code{quit} command,
  1815. for example, can lead to frustration.
  1816. The order in which key bindings are defined in the @file{.info} file is
  1817. not important, except that the command summary produced by the
  1818. @code{get-help-window} command only displays the @emph{first} key that
  1819. is bound to each command.
  1820. @c the following is incomplete
  1821. @ignore
  1822. @c node Info for Sys Admins
  1823. @c chapter Info for System Administrators
  1824. This text describes some common ways of setting up an Info hierarchy
  1825. from scratch, and details the various options that are available when
  1826. installing Info. This text is designed for the person who is installing
  1827. GNU Info on the system; although users may find the information present
  1828. in this section interesting, none of it is vital to understanding how to
  1829. use GNU Info.
  1830. @menu
  1831. * Setting the INFOPATH:: Where are my Info files kept?
  1832. * Editing the DIR node:: What goes in `DIR', and why?
  1833. * Storing Info files:: Alternate formats allow flexibility in setups.
  1834. * Using `localdir':: Building DIR on the fly.
  1835. * Example setups:: Some common ways to organize Info files.
  1836. @end menu
  1837. @c node Setting the INFOPATH
  1838. @c section Setting the INFOPATH
  1839. Where are my Info files kept?
  1840. @c node Editing the DIR node
  1841. @c section Editing the DIR node
  1842. What goes in `DIR', and why?
  1843. @c node Storing Info files
  1844. @c section Storing Info files
  1845. Alternate formats allow flexibility in setups.
  1846. @c node Using `localdir'
  1847. @c section Using `localdir'
  1848. Building DIR on the fly.
  1849. @c node Example setups
  1850. @c section Example setups
  1851. Some common ways to organize Info files.
  1852. @end ignore
  1853. @node Copying This Manual
  1854. @appendix Copying This Manual
  1855. @menu
  1856. * GNU Free Documentation License:: License for copying this manual.
  1857. @end menu
  1858. @include fdl.texi
  1859. @node Index
  1860. @appendix Index
  1861. @printindex cp
  1862. @bye