infog/test-infodir/texinfo_html/Info-Format-Specification.html - texinfo - Git at Google

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 Next: <a href="GNU-Free-Documentation-License.html" accesskey="n" rel="next">GNU Free Documentation License</a>, Previous: <a href="Global-Document-Commands.html" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Global Document Commands</a>, Up: <a href="index.html" accesskey="u" rel="up">Texinfo</a> &nbsp; [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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 <hr>
 <h2 class="appendix" id="Info-Format-Specification-1">Appendix F Info Format Specification</h2>

 <a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Info-format-specification"></a>
 <a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Specification-of-Info-format"></a>
 <a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Definition-of-Info-format"></a>

 <p>Here we describe the technical details of the Info format.
 </p>
 <p>In this formal description, the characters <code class="code">&lt;&gt;*()|=#</code> are used
 for the language of the description itself.  Other characters are
 literal.  The formal constructs used are typical: <code class="code">&lt;...&gt;</code>
 indicates a metavariable name, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">=</samp>&rsquo; means definition, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">*</samp>&rsquo;
 repetition, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">?</samp>&rsquo; optional, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">()</samp>&rsquo; grouping, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">|</samp>&rsquo;
 alternation, &lsquo;<samp class="samp">#</samp>&rsquo; comment.  Exception: &lsquo;<samp class="samp">*</samp>&rsquo; at the beginning
 of a line is literal.
 </p>
 <p>In general, programs that read Info files should try to be
 case-insensitive to keywords that occur in the file (for example,
 &lsquo;<samp class="samp">Tag Table</samp>&rsquo; and &lsquo;<samp class="samp">Tag table</samp>&rsquo; should be equivalent) in order to
 support Info-generating programs that use different capitalization.
 </p>
 <p>The sections in an Info file (such as nodes or tag tables) are separated
 with a sequence:
 </p>
 <div class="example">
 <pre class="example-preformatted">(^L)?^_(^L)?^J
 </pre></div>

 <p>That is, a &lsquo;<samp class="samp">CTRL-_</samp>&rsquo; character followed by a newline, with optional
 formfeed characters.  We refer to such sequences as <code class="t">&lt;separator&gt;</code>.
 </p>
 <p>We specify literal parentheses (those that are part of the Info
 format) with <code class="t">&lt;lparen&gt;</code> and <code class="t">&lt;rparen&gt;</code>, meaning the single
 characters &lsquo;<samp class="samp">(</samp>&rsquo; and &lsquo;<samp class="samp">)</samp>&rsquo; respectively.  We specify the
 &lsquo;<samp class="samp">CTRL-?</samp>&rsquo; character (character number 127) <code class="t">&lt;del&gt;</code>.  Finally,
 the two-character sequence &lsquo;<samp class="samp">^<var class="var">x</var></samp>&rsquo; means the single
 character &lsquo;<samp class="samp">CTRL-<var class="var">x</var></samp>&rsquo;, for any <var class="var">x</var>.
 </p>
 <p>This format definition was written some 25 years after the Info format
 was first devised.  So in the event of conflicts between this
 definition and actual practice, practice wins.  It also assumes some
 general knowledge of Texinfo; it is meant to be a guide for
 implementors rather than a rigid technical standard.  We often refer
 back to other parts of this manual for examples and definitions,
 rather than redundantly spelling out every detail.
 </p>


 <ul class="mini-toc">
 <li><a href="Info-Format-General-Layout.html" accesskey="1">Info Format General Layout</a></li>
 <li><a href="Info-Format-Text-Constructs.html" accesskey="2">Info Format Text Constructs</a></li>
 </ul>
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 <p>
 Next: <a href="GNU-Free-Documentation-License.html">GNU Free Documentation License</a>, Previous: <a href="Global-Document-Commands.html">Global Document Commands</a>, Up: <a href="index.html">Texinfo</a> &nbsp; [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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	Copyright (C) 1988, 1990-1993, 1995-1999, 2001-2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

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	<title>Info Format Specification (GNU Texinfo 6.8dev)</title>

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	<div class="appendix-level-extent" id="Info-Format-Specification">
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	<p>
	Next: <a href="GNU-Free-Documentation-License.html" accesskey="n" rel="next">GNU Free Documentation License</a>, Previous: <a href="Global-Document-Commands.html" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Global Document Commands</a>, Up: <a href="index.html" accesskey="u" rel="up">Texinfo</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
	</div>
	<hr>
	<h2 class="appendix" id="Info-Format-Specification-1">Appendix F Info Format Specification</h2>

	<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Info-format-specification"></a>
	<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Specification-of-Info-format"></a>
	<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-Definition-of-Info-format"></a>

	<p>Here we describe the technical details of the Info format.
	</p>
	<p>In this formal description, the characters <code class="code"><>*()\|=#</code> are used
	for the language of the description itself. Other characters are
	literal. The formal constructs used are typical: <code class="code"><...></code>
	indicates a metavariable name, ‘<samp class="samp">=</samp>’ means definition, ‘<samp class="samp">*</samp>’
	repetition, ‘<samp class="samp">?</samp>’ optional, ‘<samp class="samp">()</samp>’ grouping, ‘<samp class="samp">\|</samp>’
	alternation, ‘<samp class="samp">#</samp>’ comment. Exception: ‘<samp class="samp">*</samp>’ at the beginning
	of a line is literal.
	</p>
	<p>In general, programs that read Info files should try to be
	case-insensitive to keywords that occur in the file (for example,
	‘<samp class="samp">Tag Table</samp>’ and ‘<samp class="samp">Tag table</samp>’ should be equivalent) in order to
	support Info-generating programs that use different capitalization.
	</p>
	<p>The sections in an Info file (such as nodes or tag tables) are separated
	with a sequence:
	</p>
	<div class="example">
	<pre class="example-preformatted">(^L)?^_(^L)?^J
	</pre></div>

	<p>That is, a ‘<samp class="samp">CTRL-_</samp>’ character followed by a newline, with optional
	formfeed characters. We refer to such sequences as <code class="t"><separator></code>.
	</p>
	<p>We specify literal parentheses (those that are part of the Info
	format) with <code class="t"><lparen></code> and <code class="t"><rparen></code>, meaning the single
	characters ‘<samp class="samp">(</samp>’ and ‘<samp class="samp">)</samp>’ respectively. We specify the
	‘<samp class="samp">CTRL-?</samp>’ character (character number 127) <code class="t"><del></code>. Finally,
	the two-character sequence ‘<samp class="samp">^<var class="var">x</var></samp>’ means the single
	character ‘<samp class="samp">CTRL-<var class="var">x</var></samp>’, for any <var class="var">x</var>.
	</p>
	<p>This format definition was written some 25 years after the Info format
	was first devised. So in the event of conflicts between this
	definition and actual practice, practice wins. It also assumes some
	general knowledge of Texinfo; it is meant to be a guide for
	implementors rather than a rigid technical standard. We often refer
	back to other parts of this manual for examples and definitions,
	rather than redundantly spelling out every detail.
	</p>


	<ul class="mini-toc">
	<li><a href="Info-Format-General-Layout.html" accesskey="1">Info Format General Layout</a></li>
	<li><a href="Info-Format-Text-Constructs.html" accesskey="2">Info Format Text Constructs</a></li>
	</ul>
	</div>
	<hr>
	<div class="nav-panel">
	<p>
	Next: <a href="GNU-Free-Documentation-License.html">GNU Free Documentation License</a>, Previous: <a href="Global-Document-Commands.html">Global Document Commands</a>, Up: <a href="index.html">Texinfo</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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