Miscellaneous Commands (Stand-alone GNU Info 6.7)

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## 11 Miscellaneous Commands

GNU Info contains several commands which self-document GNU Info:

`M-x describe-command`

  Read the name of an Info command in the echo area and then display a brief description of what that command does.

`M-x describe-key`

  Read a key sequence in the echo area, and then display the name and documentation of the Info command that the key sequence invokes.

`M-x describe-variable`

  Read the name of a variable in the echo area and then display a brief description of what the variable affects.

`M-x where-is`

  Read the name of an Info command in the echo area, and then display a key sequence which can be typed in order to invoke that command.

`H` (`get-help-window`)
`F1` (on DOS/Windows only)

  Create (or Move into) the window displaying `*Help*`, and place a node containing a quick reference card into it. This window displays the most concise information about GNU Info available.

`h` (`get-info-help-node`)

  Try hard to visit the node `(info)Help`. The Info file `info.texi` distributed with GNU Emacs contains this node. Of course, the file must first be processed with `makeinfo`, and then placed into the location of your Info directory.

`=` (`display-file-info`)

  Show information about what’s currently being viewed in the echo area: the Info file name, and current line number and percentage within the current node.

`M-x info-version`

  Display the name and version of the currently running Info program.

Here are the commands for creating a numeric argument:

`C-u` (`universal-argument`)

  Start (or multiply by 4) the current numeric argument. ‘`C-u`’ is a good way to give a small numeric argument to cursor movement or scrolling commands; ‘`C-u C-v`’ scrolls the screen 4 lines, while ‘`C-u C-u C-n`’ moves the cursor down 16 lines. ‘`C-u`’ followed by digit keys sets the numeric argument to the number thus typed: `C-u 1 2 0` sets the argument to 120.

`M-1` (`add-digit-to-numeric-arg`)
`1`, vi-like operation
`M-2` … `M-9`
`2` … `9`, vi-like operation
`M-0`
`0`, vi-like operation

  Add the digit value of the invoking key to the current numeric argument. Once Info is reading a numeric argument, you may just type the digits of the argument, without the Meta prefix. For example, you might give ‘`C-l`’ a numeric argument of 32 by typing:

      C-u 3 2 C-l

  or

      M-3 2 C-l

`M--` (`add-digit-to-numeric-arg`)
`-`

  To make a negative argument, type `-`. Typing `-` alone makes a negative argument with a value of -1. If you continue to type digit or Meta-digit keys after `-`, the result is a negative number produced by those digits.

  `-` doesn’t work when you type in the echo area, because you need to be able to insert the ‘`-`’ character itself; use `M--` instead, if you need to specify negative arguments in the echo area.

`C-g` is used to abort the reading of a multi-character key sequence, to cancel lengthy operations (such as multi-file searches) and to cancel reading input in the echo area.

`C-g` (`abort-key`)

  Cancel current operation.

The ‘`q`’ command of Info simply quits running Info.

`q` (`quit`)
`C-x C-c`

  Exit GNU Info.

If the operating system tells GNU Info that the screen is 60 lines tall, and it is actually only 40 lines tall, here is a way to tell Info that the operating system is correct.

`M-x set-screen-height`

  Read a height value in the echo area and set the height of the displayed screen to that value.

On MS-DOS/MS-Windows, this command actually tries to change the dimensions of the visible screen to the value you type in the echo area.

Finally, Info provides a convenient way to display footnotes which might be associated with the current node that you are viewing:

`ESC C-f` (`show-footnotes`)

  Show the footnotes (if any) associated with the current node in another window. You can have Info automatically display the footnotes associated with a node when the node is selected by setting the variable `automatic-footnotes`. See `automatic-footnotes`.

Next: Variables, Previous: Printing Nodes, Up: Top [Contents][Index]