13.14.6 Headings and sectioning structure

The Texinfo export back-end uses a pre-defined scheme to convert Org headlines to equivalent Texinfo structuring commands. A scheme like this maps top-level headlines to numbered chapters tagged as @chapter and lower-level headlines to unnumbered chapters tagged as @unnumbered. To override such mappings to introduce @part or other Texinfo structuring commands, define a new class in org-texinfo-classes. Activate the new class with the ‘TEXINFO_CLASS’ keyword. When no new class is defined and activated, the Texinfo export back-end defaults to the org-texinfo-default-class.

If an Org headline’s level has no associated Texinfo structuring command, or is below a certain threshold (see Export Settings), then the Texinfo export back-end makes it into a list item.

The Texinfo export back-end makes any headline with a non-nil ‘APPENDIX’ property into an appendix. This happens independent of the Org headline level or the ‘TEXINFO_CLASS’ keyword.

The Texinfo export back-end creates a menu entry after the Org headline for each regular sectioning structure. To override this with a shorter menu entry, use the ‘ALT_TITLE’ property (see Table of Contents). Texinfo menu entries also have an option for a longer ‘DESCRIPTION’ property. Here’s an example that uses both to override the default menu entry:

* Controlling Screen Display
  :PROPERTIES:
  :ALT_TITLE: Display
  :DESCRIPTION: Controlling Screen Display
  :END:

The text before the first headline belongs to the Top node, i.e., the node in which a reader enters an Info manual. As such, it is expected not to appear in printed output generated from the ‘.texi’ file. See (texinfo)The Top Node, for more information.