texinfo: Inserting a Backslash

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14.1.4 Inserting '\' with '@backslashchar{}'
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Ordinarily, a backslash '\' is a normal character in Texinfo that can be
simply typed in your input where you need it.  The result is to typeset
the backslash from the typewriter font.

  However, Texinfo uses the backslash as a special character in one
restricted context: to delimit formal arguments in the bodies of
user-defined macros (Note: Defining Macros).

  Due to the vagaries of macro argument parsing, it is more reliable to
pass an alphabetic command that produces a backslash instead of using a
literal \.  Hence '@backslashchar{}'.  Here is an example macro call:

     @mymac{One argument@backslashchar{} with a backslash}

  Texinfo documents may also use \ as a command character inside '@math'
(Note: Inserting Math).  In this case, '@\' or '\backslash' produces a
"math" backslash (from the math symbol font), while '@backslashchar{}'
produces a typewriter backslash as usual.

  Although '@backslashchar{}' can be used nearly anywhere, there is no
need for it except in these unusual cases.