6.3.5 The First Node

The first node of a Texinfo file is the Top node, except in an included file (see section Include Files). The Top node should contain a short summary, copying permissions, and a master menu. See section The `Top' Node and Master Menu, 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.

• The `Prev' node of the Top node should also be your ‘(dir)’ file.
• The `Next' node of the Top node should be the first chapter in your document.

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

It is usually best to leave the pointers off entirely and let the tools implicitly define them, with this simple result:

@node Top