Node:Help-Xref, Next:Help-Int, Previous:Help-M, Up:Getting Started

Following Cross-References

In Info documentation, you will see many cross references. Cross references look like this: See Cross. That text is a real, live cross reference, whose name is Cross and which points to the node named Help-Cross.

There are two ways to follow a cross reference. You can move the cursor to it and press <RET>, just as in a menu. <RET> follows the cross reference that the cursor is on. Or you can type f and then specify the name of the cross reference (in this case, Cross) as an argument. In Emacs Info, f runs Info-follow-reference,

In the f command, you select the cross reference with its name, so it does not matter where the cursor was. If the cursor is on or near a cross reference, f suggests that reference name in parentheses as the default; typing <RET> will follow that reference. However, if you type a different reference name, f will follow the other reference which has that name.

>> Type f, followed by Cross, and then <RET>.

As you enter the reference name, you can use the <DEL> (or <BACKSPACE>) key to edit your input. If you change your mind about following any reference, you can use Control-g to cancel the command. Completion is available in the f command; you can complete among all the cross reference names in the current node by typing a <TAB>.

To get a list of all the cross references in the current node, you can type ? after an f. The f continues to await a cross reference name even after displaying the list, so if you don't actually want to follow a reference, you should type a Control-g to cancel the f.

>> Type f? to get a list of the cross references in this node.  Then
   type a Control-g and see how the f gives up.

The <TAB> and M-<TAB> key, which move between menu items in a menu, also move between cross references outside of menus.