texinfo: Inserting

Texinfo Mode

Showing the Structure

Emacs Editing

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2.3 Inserting Frequently Used Commands
======================================

Texinfo mode provides commands to insert various frequently used
@-commands into the buffer.  You can use these commands to save
keystrokes.

  The insert commands are invoked by typing 'C-c' twice and then the
first letter of the @-command:

'C-c C-c c'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@code'
     Insert '@code{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c C-c d'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@dfn'
     Insert '@dfn{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c C-c e'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@end'
     Insert '@end' and attempt to insert the correct following word,
     such as 'example' or 'table'.  (This command does not handle nested
     lists correctly, but inserts the word appropriate to the
     immediately preceding list.)

'C-c C-c i'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@item'
     Insert '@item' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next
     line.

'C-c C-c k'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@kbd'
     Insert '@kbd{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c C-c n'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@node'
     Insert '@node' and a comment line listing the sequence for the
     'Next', 'Previous', and 'Up' nodes.  Leave point after the '@node'.

'C-c C-c o'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@noindent'
     Insert '@noindent' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next
     line.

'C-c C-c s'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@samp'
     Insert '@samp{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c C-c t'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@table'
     Insert '@table' followed by a <SPC> and leave the cursor after the
     <SPC>.

'C-c C-c v'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@var'
     Insert '@var{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c C-c x'
'M-x texinfo-insert-@example'
     Insert '@example' and put the cursor at the beginning of the next
     line.

'C-c C-c {'
'M-x texinfo-insert-braces'
     Insert '{}' and put the cursor between the braces.

'C-c }'
'C-c ]'
'M-x up-list'
     Move from between a pair of braces forward past the closing brace.
     Typing 'C-c ]' is easier than typing 'C-c }', which is, however,
     more mnemonic; hence the two keybindings.  (Also, you can move out
     from between braces by typing 'C-f'.)

  To put a command such as '@code{...}' around an _existing_ word,
position the cursor in front of the word and type 'C-u 1 C-c C-c c'.
This makes it easy to edit existing plain text.  The value of the prefix
argument tells Emacs how many words following point to include between
braces--'1' for one word, '2' for two words, and so on.  Use a negative
argument to enclose the previous word or words.  If you do not specify a
prefix argument, Emacs inserts the @-command string and positions the
cursor between the braces.  This feature works only for those @-commands
that operate on a word or words within one line, such as '@kbd' and
'@var'.

  This set of insert commands was created after analyzing the frequency
with which different @-commands are used in the 'GNU Emacs Manual' and
the 'GDB Manual'.  If you wish to add your own insert commands, you can
bind a keyboard macro to a key, use abbreviations, or extend the code in
'texinfo.el'.

  'C-c C-c C-d' ('texinfo-start-menu-description') is an insert command
that works differently from the other insert commands.  It inserts a
node's section or chapter title in the space for the description in a
menu entry line.  (A menu entry has three parts, the entry name, the
node name, and the description.  Only the node name is required, but a
description helps explain what the node is about.  Note: The Parts of a
Menu.)

  To use 'texinfo-start-menu-description', position point in a menu
entry line and type 'C-c C-c C-d'.  The command looks for and copies the
title that goes with the node name, and inserts the title as a
description; it positions point at beginning of the inserted text so you
can edit it.  The function does not insert the title if the menu entry
line already contains a description.

  This command is only an aid to writing descriptions; it does not do
the whole job.  You must edit the inserted text since a title tends to
use the same words as a node name but a useful description uses
different words.