(info-stnd.info.gz) Searching Commands

 
 6 Searching an Info File
 ************************
 
 GNU Info allows you to search for a sequence of characters throughout an
 entire Info file, search through the indices of an Info file, or find
 areas within an Info file which discuss a particular topic.
 
 `s' (`search')
 `/'
      Read a string in the echo area and search for it, either as a
      regular expression (by default) or a literal string.  If the
      string includes upper-case characters, the Info file is searched
      case-sensitively; otherwise Info ignores the letter case.  With a
      numeric argument of N, search for Nth occurrence of the string.
      Negative arguments search backwards.
 
 `?' (`search-backward', vi-like operation)
      Read a string in the echo area and search backward through the
      Info file for that string.  If the string includes upper-case
      characters, the Info file is searched case-sensitively; otherwise
      Info ignores the letter case.  With a numeric argument of N,
      search for Nth occurrence of the string.  Negative arguments
      search forward.
 
 `R' (`toggle-regexp')
      Toggle between using regular expressions and literal strings for
      searching.  Info uses so-called `extended' regular expression
      syntax, similar to Emacs ( Using Regular Expressions
      (emacs)Regexps.).
 
 `S' (`search-case-sensitively'
      Read a string in the echo area and search for it case-sensitively,
      even if the string includes only lower-case letters.  With a
      numeric argument of N, search for Nth occurrence of the string.
      Negative arguments search backwards.
 
 `C-x n' (`search-next')
 `n', vi-like operation
      Search for the same string used in the last search command, in the
      same direction, and with the same case-sensitivity option.  With a
      numeric argument of N, search for Nth next occurrence.
 
 `C-x N' (`search-previous')
 `N', vi-like operation
      Search for the same string used in the last search command, and
      with the same case-sensitivity option, but in the reverse
      direction.  With a numeric argument of N, search for Nth previous
      occurrence.
 
 `C-s' (`isearch-forward')
      Interactively search forward through the Info file for a string as
      you type it.  If the string includes upper-case characters, the
      search is case-sensitive; otherwise Info ignores the letter case.
 
 `C-r' (`isearch-backward')
      Interactively search backward through the Info file for a string as
      you type it.  If the string includes upper-case characters, the
      search is case-sensitive; otherwise Info ignores the letter case.
 
 `i' (`index-search')
      Look up a string in the indices for this Info file, and select a
      node to which the found index entry points.
 
 `,' (`next-index-match')
      Move to the node containing the next matching index item from the
      last `i' command.
 
 `M-x index-apropos'
      Grovel the indices of all the known Info files on your system for a
      string, and build a menu of the possible matches.
 
    The most basic searching command is `s' or `/' (`search').  The `s'
 command prompts you for a string in the echo area, and then searches
 the remainder of the Info file for an occurrence of that string.  If
 the string is found, the node containing it is selected, and the cursor
 is left positioned at the start of the found string.  Subsequent `s'
 commands show you the default search string within `[' and `]';
 pressing <RET> instead of typing a new string will use the default
 search string.  Under `--vi-keys' ( --vi-keys), using the `n' or
 `N' commands is a faster way of searching for the same string.
 
    "Incremental searching" is similar to basic searching, but the
 string is looked up while you are typing it, instead of waiting until
 the entire search string has been specified.
 
    Both incremental and non-incremental search by default ignore the
 case of letters when comparing the Info file text with the search
 string.  However, an uppercase letter in the search string makes the
 search case-sensitive.  You can force a case-sensitive non-incremental
 search, even for a string that includes only lower-case letters, by
 using the `S' command (`search-case-sensitively').  The `n' and `N'
 commands operate case-sensitively if the last search command was `S'.
 
    The most efficient means of finding something quickly in a manual is
 the `i' command (`index-search').  This command prompts for a string,
 and then looks for that string in all the indices of the current Info
 manual.  If it finds a matching index entry, it displays the node to
 which that entry refers and prints the full text of the entry in the
 echo area.  You can press `,' (`next-index-match') to find more
 matches.  A good Info manual has all of its important concepts indexed,
 so the `i' command lets you use a manual as a reference.
 
    If you don't know what manual documents something, try the `M-x
 index-apropos' command.  It prompts for a string and then looks up that
 string in all the indices of all the Info documents installed on your
 system.  It can also be invoked from the command line; see 
 --apropos.
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