8.4.1 What a Reference Looks Like and Requires

Most often, an Info cross reference looks like this:

*Note node-name::.

or like this

*Note cross-reference-name: node-name.

In TeX, a cross reference looks like this:

See Section section-number [node-name], page page.

or like this

See Section section-number [title-or-topic], page page.

The @xref command does not generate a period or comma to end the cross reference automatically. You must write that period or comma yourself; otherwise, Info will not recognize the end of the reference. (The @pxref command works differently; see @pxref.)

Caution: A period or comma must follow the closing brace of an @xref. It is required to terminate the cross reference. This period or comma will appear in the output.

@xref must refer to a node by name. Use @node to define the node (see Writing a Node), or @anchor (see @anchor).

@xref is followed by several arguments inside braces, separated by commas. Whitespace before and after these commas is ignored.

A cross reference to a node within the current file requires only the name of a node; but it may contain up to four additional arguments. Each of these variations produces a cross reference that looks somewhat different. A cross reference to another manual as a whole only requires the fourth or fifth argument.

Note: Commas separate arguments in a cross reference, so you must not include a comma in the title or any other part lest the formatters mistake them for separators. @comma{} may be used to protect such commas (see Inserting a Comma).