3.4.3 @title, @subtitle, and @author

You can use the @title, @subtitle, and @author commands to create a title page in which the vertical and horizontal spacing is done for you automatically. This contrasts with the method described in the previous section, in which the @sp command is needed to adjust vertical spacing.

Write the @title, @subtitle, or @author commands at the beginning of a line followed by the title, subtitle, or author. These commands are only effective in TeX output; it's an error to use them anywhere except within @titlepage.

The @title command produces a line in which the title is set flush to the left-hand side of the page in a larger than normal font. The title is underlined with a black rule. Only a single line is allowed; the @* command may not be used to break the title into two lines. To handle very long titles, you may find it profitable to use both @title and @titlefont; see the final example in this section.

The @subtitle command sets subtitles in a normal-sized font flush to the right-hand side of the page.

The @author command sets the names of the author or authors in a middle-sized font flush to the left-hand side of the page on a line near the bottom of the title page. The names are underlined with a black rule that is thinner than the rule that underlines the title. (The black rule only occurs if the @author command line is followed by an @page command line.)

There are two ways to use the @author command: you can write the name or names on the remaining part of the line that starts with an @author command:

     @author by Jane Smith and John Doe

or you can write the names one above each other by using two (or more) @author commands:

     @author Jane Smith
     @author John Doe

(Only the bottom name is underlined with a black rule.)

A template for this method looks like this:

     @titlepage
     @title name-of-manual-when-printed
     @subtitle subtitle-if-any
     @subtitle second-subtitle
     @author author
     @page
     ...
     @end titlepage

You may also combine the @titlefont method described in the previous section and @title method described in this one. This may be useful if you have a very long title. Here is a real-life example:

     @titlepage
     @titlefont{GNU Software}
     @sp 1
     @title for MS-Windows and MS-DOS
     @subtitle Edition @value{e} for Release @value{cde}
     @author by Daniel Hagerty, Melissa Weisshaus
     @author and Eli Zaretskii

(The use of @value here is explained in value Example.