6.3.5 The First Node

The first node of a Texinfo file is the Top node, except in an included file (see Include Files). The Top node should contain a short summary, copying permissions, and a master menu. See The Top Node, for more information on the Top node contents and examples.

Here is a description of the node pointers to be used in the Top node:

• The Top node (which must be named `top' or `Top') should have as its `Up' node the name of a node in another file, where there is a menu that leads to this file. Specify the file name in parentheses.

  Usually, all Info files are installed in the same Info directory tree; in this case, use `(dir)' as the parent of the Top node; this is short for `(dir)top', and specifies the Top node in the dir file, which contains the main menu for the Info system as a whole.

• On the other hand, do not define the `Previous' node of the Top node to be `(dir)', as it causes confusing behavior for users: if you are in the Top node and hits <DEL> to go backwards, you wind up in the middle of the some other entry in the dir file, which has nothing to do with what you were reading.
• The `Next' node of the Top node should be the first chapter in your document.

See Installing an Info File, for more information about installing an Info file in the info directory.

For concreteness, here is an example with explicit pointers (which you can maintain automatically with the texinfo mode commands):

Or you can leave the pointers off entirely and let the tools implicitly define them. This is recommended. Thus:

     @node Top