Texinfo mode provides commands to insert various frequently used @-commands into the buffer. You can use these commands to save keystrokes.
The insert commands are invoked by typing C-c twice and then the first letter of the @-command:
Insert @code{} and put the
cursor between the braces.
Insert @dfn{} and put the
cursor between the braces.
Insert @end and attempt to insert the correct following word,
such as ‘example’ or ‘table’. (This command does not handle
nested lists correctly, but inserts the word appropriate to the
immediately preceding list.)
Insert @item and put the
cursor at the beginning of the next line.
Insert @kbd{} and put the
cursor between the braces.
Insert @node and a comment line
listing the sequence for the ‘Next’,
‘Previous’, and ‘Up’ nodes.
Leave point after the @node.
Insert @noindent and put the
cursor at the beginning of the next line.
This function and binding were added in Emacs 27.1.
Inserts one of @pxref{}, @xref{}, or
@ref{} based on the text around point; calling it near an
unclosed preceding open parenthesis results in @pxref{}, at
the beginning of a sentence or at (point-min) yields
@xref{}, any other location (including inside a word), will
result in @ref{}. A numeric argument says how many words
the braces should surround. Puts the cursor between the braces.
Insert @samp{} and put the
cursor between the braces.
Insert @table followed by a SPC
and leave the cursor after the SPC.
Insert @var{} and put the
cursor between the braces.
Insert @example and put the
cursor at the beginning of the next line.
Insert {} and put the cursor between the braces.
Move from between a pair of braces forward past the closing brace. Typing C-c ] is easier than typing C-c }, which is, however, more mnemonic; hence the two keybindings. (Also, you can move out from between braces by typing C-f.)
To put a command such as @code{…} around an
existing word, position the cursor in front of the word and type
C-u 1 C-c C-c c. This makes it easy to edit existing plain text.
The value of the prefix argument tells Emacs how many words following
point to include between braces—‘1’ for one word, ‘2’ for
two words, and so on. Use a negative argument to enclose the previous
word or words. If you do not specify a prefix argument, Emacs inserts
the @-command string and positions the cursor between the braces. This
feature works only for those @-commands that operate on a word or words
within one line, such as @kbd and @var.
This set of insert commands was created after analyzing the frequency with which different @-commands are used in the GNU Emacs Manual and the GDB Manual. If you wish to add your own insert commands, you can bind a keyboard macro to a key, use abbreviations, or extend the code in texinfo.el.
C-c C-c C-d (texinfo-start-menu-description) is an insert
command that works differently from the other insert commands. It
inserts a node’s section or chapter title in the space for the
description in a menu entry line. (A menu entry has three parts, the
entry name, the node name, and the description. Only the node name is
required, but a description helps explain what the node is about.
See The Parts of a Menu.)
To use texinfo-start-menu-description, position point in a menu
entry line and type C-c C-c C-d. The command looks for and copies
the title that goes with the node name, and inserts the title as a
description; it positions point at the beginning of the inserted text so you
can edit it. The function does not insert the title if the menu entry
line already contains a description.
This command is only an aid to writing descriptions; it does not do the whole job. You must edit the inserted text since a title tends to use the same words as a node name but a useful description uses different words.