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@node Overview, Invoking, , Top

@chapter Overview of @code{vacuum}

@cindex Nothingness

@cindex Overview

@cindex Vacuum cleaners

A @code{vacuum} is a space entirely devoid of all matter. That means no

air, no empty beer cans, no dust, no nothing. Vacuums are usually found

in outer space. A vacuum cleaner is a device used to clean a vacuum.

See @xref{Invoking} for information on running @code{vacuum}.

The next node for Overview is Invoking, which is the second "chapter" node and also the node to appear after Overview in the menu. Note that you can use just about any structure for your Texinfo documents; however, it is often useful to organize them so that nodes resemble chapters, sections, subsections, and so forth. It's up to you.

The @chapter command begins a chapter, which has an effect only when formatting the source with TEX. Similarly, the @section and @subsection commands begin (you guessed it) sections and subsections in the resulting TEX document. The chapter (or section or subsection) name can be more descriptive than the brief name used for the node itself.

You'll notice that the @code command is used in the chapter name. This is just one way to specify text to be emphasized in some way. @code should be used for the names of commands, as well as source code that appears in a program. This causes the text within the @code command to be printed in constant-width type in the TEX output, and enclosed in single quotes (like 'this') in the Info file.

Following this are three @cindex commands, which produce entries in the concept index at the end of the document. Next is the actual text of the node. Again, @code marks the name of the vacuum "command."

The @xref command produces a cross-reference to another node, which the reader can follow with the f command in the Info reader. @xref can also make cross-references to other Texinfo documents. See the Texinfo documentation for a complete discussion.

Our next node is Invoking:

@node Invoking, Concept Index, Overview, Top

@chapter Running @code{vacuum}

@cindex Running @code{vacuum}

@code{vacuum} is executed as follows:

@example

vacuum @var{options} @dots{ }

@end example

Here, @example...@end example sets off an example. Within the example, @var denotes a metavariable, a placeholder for a string provided by the user (in this case, the options given to the vacuum command). @dots{ } produces ellipsis points. The example will appear as:

vacuum options ...

in the TEX-formatted document, and as:

vacuum OPTIONS ...

in the Info file. Commands, such as @code and @var, provide emphasis that can be represented in different ways in the TEX and Info outputs.

Continuing the Invoking node, we have the following:

@cindex Options

@cindex Arguments

The following options are supported:

@cindex Getting help

@table @samp

@item -help

Print a summary of options.

@item -version

Print the version number for @code{vacuum}.

@cindex Empty vacuums

@item -empty

Produce a particularly empty vacuum. This is the default.

@end table

Here, we have a table of the options that our fictitious vacuum command supposedly supports. The command @table @samp begins a two-column table (which ends up looking more like a tagged list), where each item is emphasized using the @samp command. @samp is similar to @code and @var, except that it's meant to be used for literal input, such as command-line options.

A normal Texinfo document would contain nodes for examples, information on reporting bugs, and much more, but for brevity we're going to wrap up this example with the final node, Concept Index. This is an index of concepts presented in the document and is produced automatically with the @printindex command:

@node Concept Index,, Invoking, Top

@unnumbered Concept Index

@printindex cp

Here, @printindex cp tells the formatter to include the concept index at this point. There are other types of indices as well, such as a function index, command index, and so forth. All are generated with variants on the