GNU Texinfo

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GNU Texinfo

Texinfo^[1] is a typesetting syntax used for generating documentation in both on-line and printed form with a single source file. It is implemented by a free computer program of the same name, created and made available by the GNU Project.

1 Texinfo source file
2 Generated output
3 Status of Texinfo
4 Notes and references
5 External links

[edit] Texinfo source file

Texinfo enables structuring a document like a book with chapters, sections, cross references and indices. The source is almost plain text, but technically it is formatted text marked up by commands that begin with "@". A sample of a part of a source file:

@ifnottex
@node Top
@top Short Sample

@insertcopying
@end ifnottex

@menu
* First Chapter::    The first chapter is the
                     only chapter in this sample.
* Index::            Complete index.
@end menu

The commands mark structure such as chapters or denote a part of the source to be processed only for certain types of output.

[edit] Generated output

Output formats supported by Texinfo include plain text, info, HTML, DVI, PDF, XML and DocBook.

For the printable formats Texinfo uses TeX by issuing the necessary instructions to interpret Texinfo commands as TeX's own.

Notable is the lack of man as an output format. Texinfo is used to write the documentation of GNU software, which typically is used in Unix-like environments such as GNU/Linux, where the traditional format for documentation is man. Man pages have a strict conventional format, whereas typical Texinfo applications are for tutorials and reference manuals. As such there is no benefit in using Texinfo for man pages, which are traditionally quick reference guides. However, many GNU projects eschew man pages almost completely, referring the reader of the provided man page (which often describes itself as seldom maintained) to the Info document.

[edit] Status of Texinfo

Texinfo is used as the official documentation system for the GNU project. Texinfo is licensed under the GNU General Public License and is a part of the GNU project.

[edit] Notes and references

↑ The official Texinfo documentation notes that the first syllable of "Texinfo" is pronounced like "speck", not "hex"; this pronunciation is derived from the pronunciation of TeX. In the word "TeX", the "Χ" is actually the Greek letter "chi" rather than the English letter "ex". "TeX" is pronounced as if the "Χ" were the last sound in the name "Bach", but "Texinfo" is pronounced as if the "Χ" were a "k". Furthermore, the name "Texinfo" should be written with only a capital "T" and the rest of the letters in lower case.

[edit] External links

Texinfo home page

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