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<h3 class="section">19.1 Defining Macros</h3>

<p><a name="index-Defining-macros-1063"></a><a name="index-Macro-definitions-1064"></a>
<a name="index-macro-1065"></a>You use the Texinfo <code>@macro</code> command to define a macro, like this:

<pre class="example">     @macro <var>macroname</var>{<var>param1</var>, <var>param2</var>, ...}
     <var>text</var> ... \<var>param1</var>\ ...
     @end macro
</pre>
  <p>The <dfn>parameters</dfn> <var>param1</var>, <var>param2</var>, <small class="dots">...</small> correspond to
arguments supplied when the macro is subsequently used in the document
(described in the next section).

  <p><a name="index-Macro-names_002c-valid-characters-in-1066"></a><a name="index-Names-of-macros_002c-valid-characters-of-1067"></a>For a macro to work consistently with TeX, <var>macroname</var> must
consist entirely of letters: no digits, hyphens, underscores, or other
special characters.  So, we recommend using only letters.  However,
<samp><span class="command">makeinfo</span></samp> will accept anything except &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">{}_^=</span></samp>&rsquo;;
&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">_</span></samp>&rsquo; and &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">^</span></samp>&rsquo; are excluded so that macros can be called in
<code>@math</code> mode without a following space
(see <a href="math.html#math"><code>@math</code></a>).

  <p>If a macro needs no parameters, you can define it either with an empty
list (&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">@macro foo {}</span></samp>&rsquo;) or with no braces at all (&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">@macro
foo</span></samp>&rsquo;).

  <p><a name="index-Body-of-a-macro-1068"></a><a name="index-Mutually-recursive-macros-1069"></a><a name="index-Recursion_002c-mutual-1070"></a>The definition or <dfn>body</dfn> of the macro can contain most Texinfo
commands, including previously-defined macros.  Not-yet-defined macro
invocations are not allowed; thus, it is not possible to have mutually
recursive Texinfo macros.  Also, a macro definition that defines another
macro does not work in TeX due to limitations in the design of
<code>@macro</code>.

  <p><a name="index-Parameters-to-macros-1071"></a>In the macro body, instances of a parameter name surrounded by
backslashes, as in &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">\</span><var>param1</var><span class="samp">\</span></samp>&rsquo; in the example above, are
replaced by the corresponding argument from the macro invocation.  You
can use parameter names any number of times in the body, including zero.

  <p><a name="index-Backslash-in-macros-1072"></a>To get a single &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">\</span></samp>&rsquo; in the macro expansion, use &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">\\</span></samp>&rsquo;.  Any
other use of &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">\</span></samp>&rsquo; in the body yields a warning.

  <p><a name="index-Spaces-in-macros-1073"></a><a name="index-Whitespace-in-macros-1074"></a>The newlines after the <code>@macro</code> line and before the <code>@end
macro</code> line are ignored, that is, not included in the macro body.  All
other whitespace is treated according to the usual Texinfo rules.

  <p><a name="index-Recursive-macro-invocations-1075"></a><a name="index-rmacro-1076"></a>To allow a macro to be used recursively, that is, in an argument to a
call to itself, you must define it with &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">@rmacro</span></samp>&rsquo;, like this:

<pre class="example">     @rmacro rmac {arg}
     a\arg\b
     @end rmacro
     ...
     @rmac{1@rmac{text}2}
</pre>
  <p>This produces the output `a1atextb2b'.  With &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">@macro</span></samp>&rsquo; instead of
&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">@rmacro</span></samp>&rsquo;, an error message is given.

  <p><a name="index-unmacro-1077"></a><a name="index-Macros_002c-undefining-1078"></a><a name="index-Undefining-macros-1079"></a>You can undefine a macro <var>foo</var> with <code>@unmacro </code><var>foo</var>. 
It is not an error to undefine a macro that is already undefined. 
For example:

<pre class="example">     @unmacro foo
</pre>
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