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The First Line of a Texinfo File
--------------------------------

   Every Texinfo file that is to be the top-level input to TeX must
begin with a line that looks like this:

     input texinfo   @c -*-texinfo-*-

This line serves two functions:

  1. When the file is processed by TeX, the `input texinfo' command
     tells TeX to load the macros needed for processing a Texinfo file.
     These are in a file called `texinfo.tex', which is usually located
     in the `/usr/lib/tex/macros' directory.  TeX uses the backslash,
     `', to mark the beginning of a command, just as Texinfo uses `@'.
     The `texinfo.tex' file causes the switch from `' to `@'; before
     the switch occurs, TeX requires `', which is why it appears at
     the beginning of the file.

  2. When the file is edited in GNU Emacs, the `-*-texinfo-*-' mode
     specification tells Emacs to use Texinfo mode.