texinfo-master-menu

texinfo-master-menu is an interactive autoloaded compiled Lisp function in `texnfo-upd.el'.


(texinfo-master-menu UPDATE-ALL-NODES-MENUS-P)

Make a master menu for a whole Texinfo file.
Remove pre-existing master menu, if there is one.

This function supports only single-file manuals. For multi-file
manuals, use `texinfo-multiple-files-update'.

This function creates or updates the @detailmenu section of a
master menu that follows the Top node. It replaces any existing
detailed menu that follows the top node. The detailed menu
includes every entry from all the other menus. By default, the
existing menus, including the menu in the Top node, are not
updated according to the buffer contents, so all the menus should
be updated first using `texinfo-make-menu' or
`texinfo-all-menus-update', which see. Alternatively, invoke
this function with a prefix argument, see below.

Non-nil, non-numeric argument (C-u prefix, if interactive) means
first update all existing menus in the buffer (incorporating
descriptions from pre-existing menus) before it constructs the
master menu. If the argument is numeric (e.g., "C-u 2"),
update all existing nodes as well, by calling
`texinfo-update-node' on the entire file. Warning: do NOT
invoke with a numeric argument if your Texinfo file uses @node
lines without the `Next', `Previous', `Up' pointers, as the
result could be an invalid Texinfo file!

The function removes and recreates the detailed part of an already
existing master menu. This action assumes that the pre-existing
master menu uses the standard `texinfo-master-menu-header' for the
detailed menu.

The master menu has the following format, which is adapted from the
recommendation in the Texinfo Manual:

* The first part contains the major nodes in the Texinfo file: the
nodes for the chapters, chapter-like sections, and the major
appendices. This includes the indices, so long as they are in
chapter-like sections, such as unnumbered sections.

* The second and subsequent parts contain a listing of the other,
lower level menus, in order. This way, an inquirer can go
directly to a particular node if he or she is searching for
specific information.

Each of the menus in the detailed node listing is introduced by the
title of the section containing the menu.

Indents the first line of descriptions, and leaves trailing whitespace
in a menu that lacks descriptions, so descriptions will format well.
In general, a menu should contain descriptions, because node names and
section titles are often too short to explain a node well.