Re: printing issues

[Werner LEMBERG]

> > There is an obvious difference between an electronic book and a
> > printed version of it.  My personal opinion is that it is good to
> > have a single large electronic version which becomes multiple
> > volumes if printed.
>
> Are you talking about a single file for a particular manual, or do
> you mean you want to have a single Info file with _all_ the manuals?
> That is, do you want one file for Make, another for Emacs, yet
> another for GDB, or do you want one Info file for all of these?

I'm talking about a single file for a program like groff.texinfo,
which produces one info file but splits into, say, three printed
volumes, separated into logical units not necessarily in the same
order as in the info file.

> > Another reason for a single large electronic version is the
> > inability of the stand-alone info program to look up a keyword (be
> > it with the `i' or `C-s' command) in more than a single info file
> > -- at least I don't know how to do that.
>
> I think "M-x index-apropos" is what you want.

This is not documented in 4.0d -- nevertheless, it is the right
function, thanks!

> > How can I achieve this with texinfo in a smart way?  I would like
> > to have something like the following:
> >
> >   electronic: Part 1
> >               Part 2
> >               Appendix A
> >               Appendix B
> >               Index
> >
> >   printed: vol 1: Part 1
> >                   Appendix A
> >                   Index of vol 1
> >            vol 2: Part 2
> >                   Appendix B
> >                   Index of vol 2
>
> Is subdividing the indices the main problem here?  Or is there
> something else?

No, the problem is the general concept.  Printed documents sometimes
need a different ordering if split into volumes.  I want something
like this (using pseudo-commands):

   @if print-on-paper
     @begin volume-description 1
       @title The foo interface
       @chapter foo
       @appendix foo-foo
       @volume-index
     @end
     @begin volume-description 2
       @title The bar tutorial
       @chapter bar
       @appendix bar-bar
       @volume-index
     @end
     @begin volume-description 3
       @title Index of all volumes
       @master-index
     @end
   @fi


    Werner