Re: Org mode and Emacs (was: Convert README.org to plain text README while installing package)

[Ihor Radchenko]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

> If we are going to redesign Org mode syntax,
> can we please add room for extensibility
> so that an extension of Org mode syntax
> could have all the features of Texinfo?

Adding to Tim's statement, there is currently no plan to redesign Org
_syntax_. What is going on now is a slow process of consolidating our
parser to be more consistent + clarifying the synatax description.
See https://orgmode.org/worg/dev/org-syntax.html

There are still some places in the parser and in the syntax description
that a vague or contradict each other.

As for Texinfo features, Org syntax is extensible enough to cover all of
them. At least, from quick skimming through the texinfo manual TOC.
Org does not have dedicated syntax for all the features in "6.1
Indicating Definitions, Commands, etc.", but they can be represented as
special link types. Also, Org does not provide index generation for all
the export backends, which has nothing to do with syntax. It's just not
implemented in our generic export library. Only dedicated Texinfo
exporter supprots the index generation.

> If the new syntax can express all the distinctions that Texinfo
> can already express, that would make it possible to switch to it
> for our documentation sources.
>
> This needs to include conversion into some variant of TeX syntax so
> that we can generate high-quality printed manuals through TeX.

Org is able to export to TeX and many other formats. However, I do not
know what features are required in the context of manuals.

Best,
Ihor