You can help readers by writing a summary in the `Top' node, after the
@top line, before the main or master menu. The summary should
briefly describe the document. In Info, this summary will appear just
before the master menu. In a printed manual, this summary will appear
on a page of its own.
If you do not want the summary to appear on a page of its own in a
printed manual, you can enclose the whole of the `Top' node, including
the @node Top line and the @top sectioning command line
or other sectioning command line between @ifinfo and @end
ifinfo. This prevents any of the text from appearing in the printed
output. (see section Conditionally Visible Text). You can
repeat the brief description from the `Top' node within @iftex
... @end iftex at the beginning of the first chapter, for
those who read the printed manual. This saves paper and may look
neater.
You should write the version number of the program to which the manual
applies in the summary. This helps the reader keep track of which
manual is for which version of the program. If the manual changes more
frequently than the program or is independent of it, you should also
include an edition number for the manual. (The title page should also
contain this information: see section @titlepage.)