Re: [bug #42897] texi2any does not bark at incorrect menu entry, and makes erroneous info output

[Vincent Belaïche]

Karl Berry a écrit :
>     It looks like the menu entry label is thought to stretch across
>     multiple lines. 
>
> FWIW, I am not aware that menu labels are intended to work, or have ever
> worked, when broken across lines.  It doesn't make sense to me, in any
> case.  Menu labels shouldn't be that long.
>
> k
>

They are not _that_ long, here is the menu definition found in
temp1.texi (http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/download.php?file_id=31824):

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
@menu
* À propos de ce document:About this document. Not ok in info viewer
* À propos de ce document 2: About this document 2. Ok in info viewer
* A propos de ce document 3:About this document 3. Not ok in info viewer
* Mon entrée:Mon noeud.  Ok in info viewer, even though without a space after 
colon
@c * A propos:About.  Ok in info viewer
@end menu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Longest label entry is the second one and the period is on column 50.

Concerning the last entry --- which is the one we were actually
discussing about: I was saying that the info viewer handles it properly
although there is no space after `:'. So if the aim was to allow colon
in node names, this is not consistent.

Tnis ok-handling would happen even if you make the whole entry shorter
or longer, no matter. However this ok-handling is broken as soon as this
entry is not any longer the last one in the menu.

What is enlightening about what the info viewer thinks if when you type
`m' and tries the completion, here they are:

Possible completions are:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A propos de ce document 3:About this document 3. Not ok in info viewer
* Mon entrée
À propos de ce document:About this document. Not ok in info viewer
* À propos de ce document 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So the info view sees only two menu entries, the first one is:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A propos de ce document 3:About this document 3. Not ok in info viewer
* Mon entrée
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

which leads to node `Mon noeud'

and the second one is:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
À propos de ce document:About this document. Not ok in info viewer
* À propos de ce document 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

which leads to node `About this document 2'.

This shows that actually, what I thought was handled ok, was not.

Concerning whether the space after colon is mandatory or not, here is
what the Texinfo manual says in info node `(texinfo) Menu Parts':

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  The template for a generic menu entry looks like this (but see the
next section for one more possibility):

     * MENU-ENTRY-NAME: NODE-NAME.   DESCRIPTION

  Follow the menu entry name with a single colon and follow the node
name with tab, comma, newline, or the two characters period and space
('. ').
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

It is only written `Follow the menu entry name with a single colon', not
`Follow the menu entry name with a single colon *AND THEN AT LEAST ONE
SPACE*'

So, sorry, when I opened the bug I was thinking the texi2any was the one
to blame for not barking at the missing space, but now I see that the
space is not required in texinfo format, and either the info viewer is
not in-spec, or tex2any/makeinfo-4.13 are not doing a proper job (I
tried also with the C-based makeinfo, it only asks addition of
sectionning commands, but then the issue is the same)

Nevertheless, texi2any should make the same handling of colon separator
whatever is the info format, ie eat spaces if they are not needed in
info file, or insert one space if it is needed.

One more time: where is the info file format documented ? It would be
good to refer to that in order to know which EMACS info viewer, or
texi2any are not doing the right job.

BR,

   Vincent.