Re: Colorizing source code in Info manuals

[Cecilio Pardo <cpardo@imayhem.com>]

On 11/12/2024 5:33, Richard Stallman wrote:

>    > I think some 'cheap' changes in info, such as the presentation of source
>    > code and emacs key sequences, in my unqualified opinion, are worth the
>    > effort at this point.
> 
> Would you please say specifically what extensions you're suggesting?
> How would one use them?  What jobs would they do?


I suggest modifying makinfo to generate markers around certain text in 
its Info output, so that we can find them (with lisp) and change text 
properties.

Those markers can be implemented using the construct that is used for 
images and indices, as Eli suggested.
They are ignored by the standalone Info viewer when they are not 
recognized, so it will not be affected.

We would put them around some commands, like:

@kbd @key @code @example

For @code, @kbd and @key, Emacs Info reader keeps the standard font, and 
ads quotes around it, making them in my opinion even harder to read.

If you look at "A note for novices" on the Emacs lisp intro, which show 
many keys in the text, I think it its obvious that readability can be 
improved just by applying a different face to them.

This is the starting line from 1.1 Lisp lists, on the Lisp intro:

   In Lisp, a list looks like this: ‘'(rose violet daisy buttercup)’.

Would much easier without the quotes, and with a different face.

And for the @example command, we can colorize the code according to the 
language. Also add some tricks like a button to copy the example.