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<span id="Nodes"></span><div class="header">
<p>
Next: <a href="Chapter-Structuring.html" accesskey="n" rel="next">Chapter Structuring</a>, Previous: <a href="Beginning-and-Ending-a-File.html" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Beginning and Ending a File</a>, Up: <a href="index.html" accesskey="u" rel="up">Top</a> [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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<hr>
<span id="Nodes-1"></span><h2 class="chapter">4 Nodes</h2>
<span id="node"></span><span id="g_t_0040node"></span>
<span id="index-Node_002c-defined"></span>
<p>A <em>node</em> is a region of text that begins at a <code>@node</code>
command, and continues until the next <code>@node</code> command.
To specify a node, write a <code>@node</code> command at the beginning of
a line, and follow it with the name of the node.
Each node contains the discussion of one topic. Info readers
display one node at a time, and provide commands for the user to move
to related nodes. The HTML output can be similarly navigated.
</p>
<p>Nodes are used as the targets of cross-references. Cross-references,
such as the one at the end of this sentence, are made with <code>@xref</code>
and related commands; see <a href="Cross-References.html">Cross References</a>. Cross-references can
be sprinkled throughout the text, and provide a way to represent links
that do not fit a hierarchical structure.
</p>
<p>Normally, you put a node command immediately before each chapter
structuring command—for example, an <code>@section</code> or
<code>@subsection</code> line. (See <a href="Chapter-Structuring.html">Chapter Structuring</a>.).
You must do this even if you do not intend to format the file for Info.
This is because TeX uses both <code>@node</code> names and
chapter-structuring names in the output for cross-references. The only
time you are likely to use the chapter structuring commands without also
using nodes is if you are writing a document that contains no cross
references and will only be printed, not transformed into Info, HTML, or
other formats.
</p>
<table class="menu" border="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Texinfo-Document-Structure.html" accesskey="1">Texinfo Document Structure</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">Double structure of documents.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Node-Names.html" accesskey="2">Node Names</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">How to choose node names.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Writing-a-Node.html" accesskey="3">Writing a Node</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">How to write an <code>@node</code> line.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Node-Line-Requirements.html" accesskey="4">Node Line Requirements</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">Keep names unique.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="First-Node.html" accesskey="5">First Node</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">How to write a ‘Top’ node.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="_0040top-Command.html" accesskey="6"><code>@top</code> Command</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">How to use the <code>@top</code> command.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Node-Menu-Illustration.html" accesskey="7">Node Menu Illustration</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">A diagram, and sample nodes and menus.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="makeinfo-Pointer-Creation.html" accesskey="8"><code>makeinfo</code> Pointer Creation</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">Letting makeinfo determine node pointers.
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top">• <a href="Menus.html" accesskey="9">Menus</a></td><td> </td><td align="left" valign="top">Listing subordinate nodes.
</td></tr>
</table>
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Next: <a href="Chapter-Structuring.html" accesskey="n" rel="next">Chapter Structuring</a>, Previous: <a href="Beginning-and-Ending-a-File.html" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Beginning and Ending a File</a>, Up: <a href="index.html" accesskey="u" rel="up">Top</a> [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Command-and-Variable-Index.html" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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