4 Nodes

A node is a region of text that begins at a @node command, and continues until the next @node command. To specify a node, write a @node 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.

Nodes are used as the targets of cross-references. Cross-references, such as the one at the end of this sentence, are made with @xref and related commands; see Cross References. Cross-references can be sprinkled throughout the text, and provide a way to represent links that do not fit a hierarchical structure.

Normally, you put a node command immediately before each chapter structuring command—for example, an @section or @subsection line. (See Chapter Structuring.). You must do this even if you do not intend to format the file for Info. This is because TeX uses both @node 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.