Texinfo to HTML
This Manual (Edition 0.21, last updated at
14. August 2000) describes the texi2html Perl
script which converters
Texinfo
into HTML.
Please send bug reports about this manual to Karl Heinz
Marbaise khmarbaise@gmx.de. Please state exact
version/edition of the manual (can be found at start of
Texinfo source file; use the entry Id under Revisions).
Please note:
| | This manual is currently under
construction and of course incomplete ;-)
|
1. Overview about texi2html
Texinfo is the official
documentation format of the GNU
project. It uses a single source file to produce both
online information and printed output.
It is often proposed to have a way to produce
HTML from Texinfo sources, like the GNU-Info
format. It is much simpler to create one converter instead
of writing all documentation new in HTML, cause
there is so much documentation in Texinfo all over
the world.
A few time ago makeinfo wasn't able to produce
HTML output format, but there are needth to have
HTML. This was the borning hour for
texi2html. The basic purpose of `texi2html'
is to convert Texinfo documents into HTML.
1.1 Ways to get HTML
You would like to HTML files out of your Texinfo
files? There exist two ways which you can go.
This first is to use makeinfo itself to produce
HTML output. The second is to use
texi2html.
1.2 Why `texi2html' and not `makeinfo'?
The basic idea of makeinfo's HTML
output was to get an readable HTML output.
Nothing sophisticated nor good styling just readable.
The current development of texi2html is going into
different direction.
The main purpose is to get better styling, better design
etc. of the created HTML pages. This way is
supported using differnt command line options and of course
possible changings of the initialization file to fit your
own needs.
The main disadvantage of makeinfo's
HTML output is your getting only one big file.
This is of course readable but not very usable. The problem
of this is, while you like to have splitted chapters or
nodes the Texinfo source has to be read at minimum twice
times. This makes it impossible to implement this in
makeinfo. This would result in complete new
implementation of makeinfo's source.
In contrast to the HTML produced by makeinfo
--html (the makeinfo program is part of the
Texinfo distribution), the HTML output of `texi2html'
is highly configurable. Among other differences, with
texi2html allows you to customize your entire
page layout (like headers, footers, style sheets, etc),
split documents at various levels, and use
latex2html to convert @tex sections.
texi2html should reasonably convert all Texinfo
4.0 constructs. If not, please send a bug report to
texi2html@mathematik.uni-kl.de.
2. Installation of texi2html
description of the installation process.
What do you need?
How?
3. Customizing files
Result based on using `-frames'
| | texi2html -V -frames texi2html.texi
|
Explanation of the output differences against default,
whatever this is ;-)
4. Customizing what gets expanded
Test starting.
`-expand info'
`-expand tex'
Take a look at optionexpand.
5. Customizing page layout
This chapter is designed to help you to change the
complete layout of the HTML output if you like to
do so.
a) General: Philosophy, and how it works
aa) Navigation panels
b) Top page
c) Section pages
5.1 Tips how to create a new site design
Here you can find information how you should work to pick
up a new design with texi2html.
5.2 Page Layout and the philosophy
5.2.1 Navigation panels
Head and foot Navigation panels.
5.3 Top Page
5.4 Section Pages
5.5 Misc pages
Here you can find information about the creation of the
ToC (Table Of content), About--Page
etc. and specialy how to change them to get your own
design.
ToC T2H_DEFAULT_print_toc_frame in
`texi2html.init'
5.5.1 Table Of Contents
The following code is the original code out of the
initialization file (see section Initialization file).
| | sub T2H_DEFAULT_print_toc_frame
{
my $fh = shift;
&$T2H_print_page_head($fh);
print $fh <<EOT;
<H2>Content</H2>
EOT
print $fh map {s/HREF=/target=\"main\" HREF=/; $_;} @stoc_lines;
print $fh "</BODY></HTML>\n";
}
|
As you can see it is very simple Perl Code, which can
be changed more or less simple to fit you requirements
(see section T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_head).
5.5.2 Page header
Page Head T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_head
| | sub T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_head
{
my $fh = shift;
my $longtitle = "$T2H_THISDOC{title}: $T2H_NAME{This}";
print $fh <<EOT;
<HTML>
$T2H_DOCTYPE
<!-- Created on $T2H_TODAY by $THISPROG -->
<!--
$T2H_AUTHORS
-->
<HEAD>
<TITLE>$longtitle</TITLE>
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="$longtitle">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="$longtitle">
<META NAME="resource-type" CONTENT="document">
<META NAME="distribution" CONTENT="global">
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="$THISPROG">
$T2H_EXTRA_HEAD
</HEAD>
<BODY $T2H_BODYTEXT>
$T2H_AFTER_BODY_OPEN
EOT
}
|
5.5.3 Page footer
Page Foot T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_foot
6. Customizing HTML
If you like to read the following section, it is assumed
you are famillar with HTML. If not, you shouldn't
read this, cause you don't know what we are talking about.
Here you can find information how to change the
HTML parts of a document. These are the
header, body etc.
These are the defaults which are
part of the distribution as `texi2html.init'.
How to do changes of the customization...
needed steps.
6.1 Body
6.1.1 Body Text
| | $T2H_BODYTEXT =
. 'LANG="' . $T2H_LANG . '" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" '
. 'TEXT="#000000" LINK="#0000FF" '
. 'VLINK="#800080" ALINK="#FF0000"';
|
If you like to change the basic color combination, you can
change the entry T2H_BODYTEXT.
6.1.2 Body Text
6.1.3 After Body Text
| | # text inserted after <BODY ...>
$T2H_AFTER_BODY_OPEN = '';
#text inserted before </BODY>
$T2H_PRE_BODY_CLOSE = '';
# this is used in footer
$T2H_ADDRESS = "by <I>$T2H_USER</I> " if $T2H_USER;
$T2H_ADDRESS .= "on <I>$T2H_TODAY</I>";
# this is added inside <HEAD></HEAD> after <TITLE> and some META NAME stuff
# can be used for <style> <script>, <meta> tags
$T2H_EXTRA_HEAD = '';
|
The default output into the HTML file.
See section 8.2 DocType.
The following code is produced by
T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_head.
Detailed information can be found at
5.5.2 Page header.
| | <HTML>
$T2H_DOCTYPE
<!-- Created on $T2H_TODAY by $THISPROG -->
<!--
$T2H_AUTHORS
-->
<HEAD>
<TITLE>$longtitle</TITLE>
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="$longtitle">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="$longtitle">
<META NAME="resource-type" CONTENT="document">
<META NAME="distribution" CONTENT="global">
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="$THISPROG">
$T2H_EXTRA_HEAD
</HEAD>
<BODY $T2H_BODYTEXT>
$T2H_AFTER_BODY_OPEN
|
6.2 Head
7. Initialization file
`texi2html.init'
7.1 The basics about init files
Initialization options are read first from
`/usr/local/etc/texi2htmlrc' (the exact location being
changeable with the `--sysconfdir=dir' option to the
configure script), then from
`$HOME/.texi2htmlrc', then any command-line options
including `-init_file' option; with later settings
overriding earlier ones.
The default initialization options are defined in the
`texi2html.init' file contained in the Texi2html
distribution (which gets included near the beginning of the
texi2html script that gets installed).
To customize `texi2html' it is best if you copy the
appropriate sections from the `texi2html.init'
contents into an appropriate local initialization file,
make the necessary changes there, and then have
texi2html read this initialization file by one of
the means described above.
For an example on what you can produces with
texi2html have a look at the following sites:
http://www.singular.uni-kl.de/Manual/html/
7.2 Global initialization file
7.3 User initialization file
7.4 Loadable initialization file
`-init_file'
7.5 Initialization file options
This section describes in detail all options that can be used
only in the initialization file (`texi2html.init'),
and cannot be specified on the command line.
This means the only way to change those
options is first to copy the original `texi2html.init'
to e.g. `texi2html.init.myown' and make changes to fit
your needs.
7.5.1 Number sections.
if set, and $T2H_NUMBER_SECTIONS is set, then use node
names in menu entries, instead of section names
$T2H_NODE_NAME_IN_MENU = 0;
7.5.2 Avoid menu redundancy
If set, and menu entry equals menu description, then do not print
menu description. Likewise, if node name equals entry name, do
not print entry name.
$T2H_AVOID_MENU_REDUNDANCY = 1;
7.5.3 Center Image
if set, center @image by default
otherwise, do not center by default
$T2H_CENTER_IMAGE = 1;
7.5.4 Example Indent Cell
used as indentation for block enclosing command
@example, etc If not empty, must be enclosed in
<td></td>
$T2H_EXAMPLE_INDENT_CELL = '<td> </td>';
7.5.5 Small Example Indent
same as above, only for @small
$T2H_SMALL_EXAMPLE_INDENT_CELL = "<td> </td>";
7.5.6 Small Font Size
# font size for @small
$T2H_SMALL_FONT_SIZE = "-1";
7.5.7 Top Heading
if non-empty, and no @..heading appeared in Top
node, then use this as header for top node/section,
otherwise use value of @settitle or
@shorttitle (in that order)
$T2H_TOP_HEADING = "";
7.5.8 Index Chapter
if set, use this chapter for Index button, else
use first chapter whose name matches index (case insensitive)
$T2H_INDEX_CHAPTER = "";
7.5.9 Split Index
if set and $T2H_SPLIT is set, then split index pages
at the next letter after they have more than that many
entries
$T2H_SPLIT_INDEX = 100;
7.5.10 HREF Dir Instead File.
if set (e.g., to `index.html') replace HREF's
to this file (i.e., to `index.html') by `./'
$T2H_HREF_DIR_INSTEAD_FILE = "";
8. Command Line Options
8.1 Debugging
`-debug'
debugging: 0 -- no debugging; other values; see beginning
of texi2html
$DEBUG_TOC = 1;
$DEBUG_INDEX = 2;
$DEBUG_BIB = 4;
$DEBUG_GLOSS = 8;
$DEBUG_DEF = 16;
$DEBUG_HTML = 32;
$DEBUG_USER = 64;
$DEBUG_L2H = 128;
8.2 DocType
`-doctype'
| | <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
|
8.3 Check
`-check'
if set, only check files and give the list of all things
that look like untranslated Texinfo commands
8.4 Expand
`-expand'
if set to tex (or, info) expand
@iftex and @tex (or, @ifinfo)
sections else, neither expand @iftex, @tex,
nor @ifinfo sections
8.5 Glossary
`-glossary'
if set, uses section named Footnotes for glossary
8.6 Invisible
`-invisible'
$T2H_INVISIBLE_MARK is the text used to create
invisible destination anchors for index links (you can for
instance use the `invisible.xbm' file shipped with
this program). This is a workaround for a known bug of many
WWW browsers, including Netscape. For me, it
works fine without it -- on the contrary: if there, it
inserts space between headers and start of text (obachman
3/99)
| | $T2H_INVISIBLE_MARK = "";
# $T2H_INVISIBLE_MARK = ' ';
|
8.7 Iso
`-iso'
if set, ISO8859 characters are used for special symbols
(like Copyright ©, etc)
$T2H_USE_ISO = 0;
8.8 Include Directory
`-I'
list directories where @include files are searched for
(besides the directory of the doc file) additional
`-I' args are add to this list.
@T2H_INCLUDE_DIRS = (".");
8.9 Top File
`-top_file'
uses file of this name for top-level file
extension is manipulated appropriately, if necessary.
If empty, `<basename of document>.html' is used.
Typically, you would set this to `index.html'.
$T2H_TOP_FILE = "";
8.10 Table Of content File
`-toc_file'
uses file of this name for table of contents. File extension
is manipulated appropriately, if necessary. If empty,
`<basename of document>_toc.html' is used.
$T2H_TOC_FILE = "";
8.11 Frames
`-frames'
if set, output two additional files which use HTML 4.0
frames.
$T2H_FRAMES = 0;
8.12 Menus
`-menu' or `-nomenu' if set, show the Texinfo
menus
$T2H_SHOW_MENU = 1;
8.13 Number sections
`-number' `-nonumber'
if set, number sections and show section names and numbers
in references and menus
8.14 Split
`-split section|chapter|none'
if set to section (resp. chapter) create one
HTML file per (sub)section (resp. chapter) and
separate pages for Top, ToC, Overview, Index, Glossary,
About. Otherwise, create a monolithic HTML file that
contains the whole document.
#$T2H_SPLIT = 'section';
$T2H_SPLIT = undef;
8.15 Section navigation
`-section_navigation'|
`-no-section_navigation'
if set, then navigation panels are printed at the beginning
of each section and, possibly at the end (depending on
whether or not there were more than
$T2H_WORDS_IN_PAGE words on page). This is most useful
if you do not want to have section navigation on
`-split chapter'
8.16 Subdirectory
`-subdir'
If set, then put result files in the specified directory.
If not set, then result files are put into the current directory.
$T2H_SUBDIR = undef;
8.17 Short extension
`-short_extn'
If this is set, then all HTML files will have extension
`.htm' instead of `.html'. This is helpful when
shipping the document to DOS-based systems.
$T2H_SHORTEXTN = 0;
8.18 Prefix
`-prefix'
Set the output file prefix, prepended to all `.html',
`.gif' and `.pl' files.
By default, this is the basename of the document
$T2H_PREFIX = "";
8.19 Output filename
`-o filename'|`-out_file'
If set, generate monolithic document output HTML
into `filename'.
8.20 Short Cross References
`-short_ref'
if set cross-references are given without section numbers
8.21 Index Summary
`-idx_sum'
If value is set, then for each @prinindex $what
`$docu_name_$what.idx' is created which contains lines of the
form $key\t$ref sorted alphabetically (case
matters).
8.22 Verbose output
`-verbose'
if set, chatter about what we are doing.
8.23 Language Support
`-lang'
For page titles, use
$T2H_WORDS->{$T2H_LANG}->{...} as title. To add
a new language, supply list of titles (see $T2H_WORDS),
and use ISO 639 language codes (see e.g. perl module
`Locale-Codes-1.02.tar.gz' for definitions).
If you don't give a `-lang' then we got it from the
Texinfo source file (@documentlanguage
@xref{documentlanguage,,,Texinfo}). If there is no
@documentlanguage we use the default en for
the language.
8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex
`-l2h'
if set, uses latex2html for generation of math
content.
8.24.1 Where to find latex2html
`-l2h_l2h'
name/location of latex2html program.
8.24.2 Skip calling LaTeX2HTML
`-l2h_skip'
If set, skips actual call to latex2html: tries to
reuse previously generated content, instead.
8.24.3 Temporary files for LaTeX2HTML
`-l2h_tmp'
If set, l2h uses this directory for temporary files. The
path leading to this directory may not contain a dot (i.e.,
a `.'); otherwise, l2h will fail.
A. Function Reference
A.1 Print ToC Frame
- Function: T2H_DEFAULT_print_toc_frame (FileName)
- Description of the subroutine.
What does it do? Which parameters it needs etc.
A.2 Print Page Head
- Function: T2H_DEFAULT_print_page_head (FileName)
- Description of the subroutine.
What does it do? Which parameters it needs etc.
B. Indices
B.1 Command Line Option Index
B.2 Variable Index
B.3 Concept Index
| Index Entry | Section |
|---|
|
| . | | |
|---|
| .texi2htmlrc, user initialization | 7. Initialization file |
|
| @ | | |
|---|
| @math | 8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex |
| @tex | 8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex |
|
| C | | |
|---|
| Chapter, Index | 7.5.8 Index Chapter |
| configure | 7. Initialization file |
| Conversion of @math and @tex | 8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex |
| Copyright | 8.7 Iso |
|
| D | | |
|---|
| Debugging | 8.1 Debugging |
| Debugging, verbose output | 8.22 Verbose output |
|
| E | | |
|---|
| example, indentation | 7.5.4 Example Indent Cell |
| example, small indent | 7.5.5 Small Example Indent |
| extension, .htm | 8.17 Short extension |
| extension, .html | 8.17 Short extension |
|
| F | | |
|---|
| File, split | 8.14 Split |
| Filename, output | 8.19 Output filename |
| Font Size, small | 7.5.6 Small Font Size |
|
| H | | |
|---|
| HREF Dir instead file | 7.5.10 HREF Dir Instead File. |
| HTML, .htm extension | 8.17 Short extension |
| HTML, .html extension | 8.17 Short extension |
| HTML, Doc Type | 8.2 DocType |
| HTML, Glossary | 8.5 Glossary |
| HTML, Index | 8.21 Index Summary |
| HTML, index.html | 8.9 Top File |
| HTML, menu | 8.12 Menus |
| HTML, Navigation | 8.15 Section navigation |
| HTML, split | 8.14 Split |
|
| I | | |
|---|
| images, center | 7.5.3 Center Image |
| Index, split | 7.5.9 Split Index |
| Index, Summary | 8.21 Index Summary |
| Installation | 2. Installation of texi2html |
| Installation | 3. Customizing files |
| invisible, Mark | 8.6 Invisible |
| ISO8859 | 8.7 Iso |
|
| L | | |
|---|
| Language Support | 8.23 Language Support |
| LaTeX2HTML | 8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex |
| LaTeX2HTML, location | 8.24.1 Where to find latex2html |
| LaTeX2HTML, skip calling | 8.24.2 Skip calling LaTeX2HTML |
| LaTeX2HTML, Temporary files | 8.24.3 Temporary files for LaTeX2HTML |
| location, LaTeX2HTML | 8.24.1 Where to find latex2html |
|
| M | | |
|---|
| Mark, invisible | 8.6 Invisible |
| menu, redundancy | 7.5.2 Avoid menu redundancy |
|
| O | | |
|---|
| Output filename | 8.19 Output filename |
| Output, verbose | 8.22 Verbose output |
|
| P | | |
|---|
| Prefix | 8.18 Prefix |
|
| R | | |
|---|
| References, short | 8.20 Short Cross References |
|
| S | | |
|---|
| Section numbering | 8.13 Number sections |
| sections without numbers | 8.20 Short Cross References |
| Subdirectory | 8.16 Subdirectory |
| Summary Index | 8.21 Index Summary |
| Support different languages | 8.23 Language Support |
|
| T | | |
|---|
| Table of content file | 8.10 Table Of content File |
| Temporary, LaTeX2HTML | 8.24.3 Temporary files for LaTeX2HTML |
| texi2html.init | 7. Initialization file |
| texi2htmlrc, global initialization | 7. Initialization file |
| Texinfo, checking | 8.3 Check |
| Texinfo, Glossary | 8.5 Glossary |
| Texinfo, menu | 8.12 Menus |
| Top Level file | 8.9 Top File |
|
| V | | |
|---|
| Verbose output | 8.22 Verbose output |
|
Table of Contents
1. Overview about texi2html
1.1 Ways to get HTML
1.2 Why `texi2html' and not `makeinfo'?
2. Installation of texi2html
3. Customizing files
4. Customizing what gets expanded
5. Customizing page layout
5.1 Tips how to create a new site design
5.2 Page Layout and the philosophy
5.2.1 Navigation panels
5.3 Top Page
5.4 Section Pages
5.5 Misc pages
5.5.1 Table Of Contents
5.5.2 Page header
5.5.3 Page footer
6. Customizing HTML
6.1 Body
6.1.1 Body Text
6.1.2 Body Text
6.1.3 After Body Text
6.2 Head
7. Initialization file
7.1 The basics about init files
7.2 Global initialization file
7.3 User initialization file
7.4 Loadable initialization file
7.5 Initialization file options
7.5.1 Number sections.
7.5.2 Avoid menu redundancy
7.5.3 Center Image
7.5.4 Example Indent Cell
7.5.5 Small Example Indent
7.5.6 Small Font Size
7.5.7 Top Heading
7.5.8 Index Chapter
7.5.9 Split Index
7.5.10 HREF Dir Instead File.
8. Command Line Options
8.1 Debugging
8.2 DocType
8.3 Check
8.4 Expand
8.5 Glossary
8.6 Invisible
8.7 Iso
8.8 Include Directory
8.9 Top File
8.10 Table Of content File
8.11 Frames
8.12 Menus
8.13 Number sections
8.14 Split
8.15 Section navigation
8.16 Subdirectory
8.17 Short extension
8.18 Prefix
8.19 Output filename
8.20 Short Cross References
8.21 Index Summary
8.22 Verbose output
8.23 Language Support
8.24 LaTeX2HTML for @math and @tex
8.24.1 Where to find latex2html
8.24.2 Skip calling LaTeX2HTML
8.24.3 Temporary files for LaTeX2HTML
A. Function Reference
A.1 Print ToC Frame
A.2 Print Page Head
B. Indices
B.1 Command Line Option Index
B.2 Variable Index
B.3 Concept Index
Short Table of Contents
1. Overview about texi2html
2. Installation of texi2html
3. Customizing files
4. Customizing what gets expanded
5. Customizing page layout
6. Customizing HTML
7. Initialization file
8. Command Line Options
A. Function Reference
B. Indices
About this document
This document was generated
by
using texi2html
The buttons in the navigation panels have the following meaning:
| Button |
Name |
Go to |
From 1.2.3 go to |
|
[ < ] |
Back
|
previous section in reading order
|
1.2.2
|
|
[ > ] |
Forward
|
next section in reading order
|
1.2.4
|
|
[ << ] |
FastBack
|
beginning of this chapter or previous chapter
|
1
|
|
[ Up ] |
Up
|
up section
|
1.2
|
|
[ >> ] |
FastForward
|
next chapter
|
2
|
|
[Top] |
Top
|
cover (top) of document
|
|
|
[Contents] |
Contents
|
table of contents
|
|
|
[Index] |
Index
|
concept index
|
|
|
[ ? ] |
About
|
this page
|
|
where the Example assumes that the current position
is at Subsubsection One-Two-Three of a document of
the following structure:
- 1. Section One
- 1.1 Subsection One-One
- 1.2 Subsection One-Two
- 1.2.1 Subsubsection One-Two-One
- 1.2.2 Subsubsection One-Two-Two
- 1.2.3 Subsubsection One-Two-Three
<== Current Position
- 1.2.4 Subsubsection One-Two-Four
- 1.3 Subsection One-Three
- 1.4 Subsection One-Four
This document was generated
by Charlie & on April, 30 2004
using texi2html