Directory macros/latex209/contrib/latexinfo

This is version 1.7 of the LaTeXinfo program, and is for Version 18
of GNU Emacs.

Documentation for GNU utilities and libraries is usually written in a
format called "TeXinfo".  This document describes an enhancement
of this format which can be used with LaTeX instead of TeX.

LaTeXinfo offers a number of advantages over TeXinfo:

  1. The point size or layout style of a document can be changed easily,
     using the `documentstyle' (article, report, book, twoside, ...).
     
  2. LaTeX has better error checking than TeX files, especially in
     begin/end environments.  In addition, the LaTeX error messages are more
     informative.  This makes it considerably easier to make extensions and
     enhancements (read hacks).
     
  3. LaTeX delimits its arguments with braces, so it's easier to tell where
     a LaTeXinfo command starts, and where it ends.  TeXinfo has to stand on
     its head to avoid using TeX's braces.
     
  4. Any LaTeX commands not understood by the on-line manual generator
     (`latexinfo.el') are simply ignored.  This means that you are free to add
     a considerable number of LaTeX commands to make you manual look pretty,
     as long as you don't care that there will be no action taken by the 
     Info formatting program.
     
  5. It is easy to add your own extensions to the on-line manual generator
     by making GNU Emacs handlers for your LaTeX extensions.  This is
     the Emacs counterpart to the `documentstyle' options.  LaTeXinfo looks
     in a specified directory for GNU Elisp code that corresponds to each
     style file.  This makes it easy to modularize your style files.
     
  6. LaTeX has many advantages over TeX, such as being able to easily
     incorporate the BibTeX bibliography formatting program.

See the file INSTALL for installing LaTeXinfo.     

Please report any errors or suggestions to mike@apl.ists.ca

Mike Clarkson