diff --git a/doc/texinfo/gmsh.texi b/doc/texinfo/gmsh.texi
index 63417bf675332cda205d8a2356efbb76b7149e78..b41ccbc2cc8f0e8a6a7a2d4507468165283a3012 100644
--- a/doc/texinfo/gmsh.texi
+++ b/doc/texinfo/gmsh.texi
@@ -3166,6 +3166,45 @@ there are @var{ncomp} values per node (resp. per element), where
 @var{number-of-nodes-per-elements} values per element.
 @end table
 
+Below is a small example (a mesh consisting of two quadrangles with an
+associated nodal scalar dataset):
+
+@smallexample
+$MeshFormat
+2.0 0 8
+$EndMeshFormat
+$Nodes
+6                      @var{six mesh nodes:}
+1 0.0 0.0 0.0          @var{  node #1: coordinates (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)}
+2 1.0 0.0 0.0          @var{  node #2: coordinates (1.0, 0.0, 0.0)}
+3 1.0 1.0 0.0          @var{  etc.}
+4 0.0 1.0 0.0
+5 2.0 0.0 0.0
+6 2.0 1.0 0.0
+$EndNodes
+$Elements
+2                      @var{two elements:}
+1 3 2 99 2 1 2 3 4     @var{  quad #1: type 3, physical 99, elementary 2, nodes 1 2 3 4}
+2 3 2 99 2 2 5 6 3     @var{  quad #2: type 3, physical 99, elementary 2, nodes 2 5 6 3}
+$EndElements 
+$NodeData
+1                      @var{one string tag:}
+"A scalar view"        @var{  the name of the view ("A scalar view")}
+1                      @var{one real tag:}
+0.0                    @var{  the time value (0.0)}
+3                      @var{three integer tags:}
+0                      @var{  the time step (0; time steps always start at 0)}
+1                      @var{  1-component (scalar) field}
+6                      @var{  six associated nodal values}
+1 0.0                  @var{value associated with node #1 (0.0)}
+2 0.1                  @var{value associated with node #2 (0.1)}
+3 0.2                  @var{etc.}
+4 0.0
+5 0.2
+6 0.4
+$EndNodeData 
+@end smallexample
+
 @c -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 @c MSH binary file format
 @c -------------------------------------------------------------------------