[comp.text.tex] Texinfo: what/where is it?

2011_552@uwovax.uwo.ca (Terry Gaetz (Astronomy, U. Western Ontario)) (10/18/90)

I've occasionally come across TeX files which want input from something
called "texinfo".  I checked the FAQ listing; the supplementary FAQ mentions
texinfo in passing but it wasn't really of any help.  I've scanned a number
of TeX archive sites but to no avail.  I'd appreciate it if somebody 
would inform me as to what texinfo is and where to obtain a copy.  E-mail 
is fine if this has been discussed recently, and I do have FTP capability.

Thanks in advance.
-- 
Terry Gaetz         --   gaetz@uwovax.uwo.ca    or    gaetz@uwovax.BITNET

siemsen@sol.usc.edu (Pete Siemsen) (10/18/90)

From the (100-page) texinfo manual:

   Texinfo is a documentation system that uses a single source file for both
   on-line help and a printed manual.  This means that instead of writing
   two different documents,  one for the on-line help and the other for the
   printed manual,  only one document needs to be written.  When the system
   is revised,  only one file has to be revised.

   Using Texinfo, you can create a document with the normal features of a
   book such as chapters, cross references and indices.  The chapters and
   sections of the book can be made to correspond to the nodes of the
   on-line help.  The cross references and indices can be used in both
   the on-line help and in the printed document.  Indices are generated
   semi-automatically.  The "GNU Emacs Manual" is a good example of a
   Texinfo file.

You create a texinfo file, the first line of which is a \include to
include file texinfo.tex.  So the texinfo file can be run directly
through TeX to produce the printed document.  To make an info file
that can be accessed by Emacs or some simple browsing code, you use an
Emacs macro.

We've used it successfully.  There is a learning curve, as you must be
comfortable with TeX format, info format and Texinfo format.  It also
makes you organize the information so it fits well into both kinds of
output.  It's a great way to make the information in your printed
documents available on-line.

-- 
Pete Siemsen                         Pete Siemsen            siemsen@usc.edu
University of Southern California    645 Ohio Ave. #302      (213) 740-7391 (w)
1020 West Jefferson Blvd.            Long Beach, CA 90814    (213) 433-3059 (h)
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0251

2011_552@uwovax.uwo.ca (Terry Gaetz (Astronomy, U. Western Ontario)) (10/18/90)

In article <7452.271cabe3@uwovax.uwo.ca>, 2011_552@uwovax.uwo.ca 
(Terry Gaetz [That's me!]) writes:
[What is texinfo and where can it be found]
--
I have been (remarkably swiftly) enlightened.  Thanks to Pete Siemsen for 
a brief description of the beast and to Dwaine VanBibber who directed me 
to bin/pub/lpf at prep.ai.mit.edu.
-- 
Terry Gaetz         --   gaetz@uwovax.uwo.ca    or    gaetz@uwovax.BITNET

pierson@encore.com (Dan L. Pierson) (10/18/90)

Now there is also LaTeXinfo, which implements a slightly extended
version of the Texinfo concepts as a LaTeX style file.  The author is 
Mike Clarkson <mike@ists.ists.ca>.

I don't know where this beastie is archived and haven't tried to write
anything with it yet, but the manual (written in LaTeXinfo of course)
sure makes it sound like a winner.



--

                                            dan

In real life: Dan Pierson, Encore Computer Corporation, Research
UUCP: {talcott,linus,necis,decvax}!encore!pierson
Internet: pierson@encore.com