Re: @part command and docbook

[Aharon Robbins]

Hi Karl and Patrice.

> How about:
>
> @part Part Title
> @docbook
> <partintro>intro to part blah blah</partintro>
> @end docbook
>
> Does that work?  That seems to me to best reflect the reality of the
> situation, which is that "partintro" text is a Docbook feature, not
> supported in Texinfo.

It probably works, but it means I have to write all the
text in docbook instead of in Texinfo.  I tried various bits
with @inlinefmt but then the <partintro> got wrapped inside
<para> tags and that was totally wrong.

I have been using @ifdocbook. Right now I have to conditionalize
it anyway, since texinfo.tex doesn't supply the "Part I". It looks
like this at the moment:

----------------------------------
@iftex
@part Part I:@* The @command{awk} Language
@end iftex

@ifdocbook
@part The @command{awk} Language

Part I describes the @command{awk} language and @command{gawk} program
in detail.  It starts with the basics, and continues through all of
the features of @command{awk}. Included also are many, but not all,
of the features of @command{gawk}.  This part contains the
following chapters:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@ref{Getting Started}.
.....
@end itemize
@end ifdocbook

@node Getting Started
@chapter Getting Started with @command{awk}
----------------------------------

Is it reasonable to require that text after @part and before @chapter be
wrapped in @ifdocbook and then makeinfo can supply the <partintro> tags?

W.R.T. to TeX, it'd be better if texinfo.tex didn't issue the page
break until the @chapter, and then text after an @part would work there.
(It'd also be nice if it would supply the "Part I", "Part II", and so
on, but that could be worked around with, gasp, macros.) It seems like
Info is the main hassle here. Not sure what to do about that, although
perhaps we could instead require that @part and following text simply
be wrapped in @ifnotinfo.

Overall, it'd be nice to have this feature instead of having to hack it
with scripts. But OTOH, I don't want to be to become (too much of) a whiny
user. :-)

So, here's my proposal / wish list, but I'll live with whatever you (plural)
decide.

1. Require and document that @part and following text be wrapped
in @ifnotinfo.

2. texinfo.tex supplies "Part I", "Part II", automatically.

3. texinfo.tex doesn't start a new page, but lets @chapter, @appendix
and @unnumbered do it.

4. makeinfo --docbook supplies <partintro> tags.

Thanks again for listening and for the willingness to discuss.

Arnold