9.2 @itemize: Making an Itemized List

The @itemize command produces a sequence of “items”, each starting with a bullet or other mark inside the left margin, and generally indented.

Begin an itemized list by writing @itemize at the beginning of a line. Follow the command, on the same line, with a character or a Texinfo command that generates a mark. Usually, you will use @bullet after @itemize, but you can use @minus, or any command or character that results in a single character in the Info file. (When you write the mark command such as @bullet after an @itemize command, you may omit the ‘{}’.) If you don’t specify a mark command, the default is @bullet. If you don’t want any mark at all, but still want logical items, use @w{} (in this case the braces are required).

After the @itemize, write your items, each starting with @item. Text can follow on the same line as the @item. The text of an item can continue for more than one paragraph.

There should be at least one @item inside the @itemize environment. If none are present, makeinfo gives a warning. If you just want indented text and not a list of items, use @indentedblock; see @indentedblock.

Index entries and comments that are given before an @item including the first, are automatically moved (internally) to after the @item, so the output is as expected. Historically this has been a common practice.

Usually, you should put a blank line between items. This puts a blank line in the Info file. (TeX inserts the proper vertical space in any case.) Except when the entries are very brief, these blank lines make the list look better.

Here is an example of the use of @itemize, followed by the output it produces. @bullet produces an ‘*’ in Info and a round dot in other output formats.

@itemize @bullet
@item
Some text for foo.

@item
Some text
for bar.
@end itemize

This produces:

• Some text for foo.
• Some text for bar.

Itemized lists may be embedded within other itemized lists. Here is a list marked with dashes embedded in a list marked with bullets:

@itemize @bullet
@item
First item.

@itemize @minus
@item
Inner item.

@item
Second inner item.
@end itemize

@item
Second outer item.
@end itemize

This produces:

• First item.
  • - Inner item.
  • - Second inner item.
• Second outer item.