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Subject: Should texinfo-format-{buffer,region} use makeinfo?
Message-ID: <9010191700.AA00831@icule.UUCP>
From: pinard%icule.UUCP@LARRY.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU (Francois Pinard)
Date: 19 Oct 90 17:00:20 GMT
Reply-To: pinard@iro.umontreal.ca
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In GNU Emacs 18.55.6 of Mon Jun 25 1990 on icule (usg-unix-v)

This is not really a bug report, but mere suggestions and thoughts.

The makeinfo program and texinfo-format-buffer do not produce exactly
the same format for their output.  I got the impression (I might well
be plain wrong :-) that texinfo-format functions will slowly fade away
while the makeinfo program will take over.

The makeinfo program is undoubtly faster than the elisp code, it has
the tendency to support more new possibilities and directives, it is
more powerful at diagnostic time, its output is more *formatted*, at
least regarding automatic paragraph indentation, @refill'ing, and
control of vertical white space.  I like what it does, anyway :-).

On the other side, the makeinfo program is still slightly buggy,
producing spurious indents at some places, for example at the start of
tag tables, and other minor things.  The most hearthbreaking aspect of
going from texinfo-format to makeinfo (at least for me) is that I
loose the 8-bit transparency: makeinfo is mangling out the second half
of the 256 character set.  What about GNU standards in this case?

Despite these problems which, hopefully, will be solved in the future,
nevertheless though, I would suggest that GNU people consider that
texinfo-format-buffer and texinfo-format-region should be able to
detect if makeinfo is installed on the current system and, if yes, use
it to complete the formatting job.  Only when makeinfo is not
available, texinfo-format proper should then be loaded in and
executed the old way.

-- 
Franc,ois Pinard          ``Vivement GNU!''         pinard@iro.umontreal.ca
(514) 588-4656    cp 886 L'Epiphanie (Qc) J0K 1J0    ...!uunet!iros1!pinard